A small restaurant in the heart of Hong Kong is the feeling we got out when we visited Gingko House recently at a special occasion. The Charm that came out of this place and the kindness of the staff are what makes this place a special restaurant but also for  few other reasons that we will state below.

The space in the restaurant is tiny as most of the restaurants in Hong Kong, but the smooth and darkened atmosphere will put you at ease.

As soon as we sat down, a waiter brought us some water and a few snacks to have while we selected our meals on a 3 course menu or “a la carte”. With this, we were offered a wide selection of mid ranged to fine wines allowing us to match our choice of meats, seafood and veggies. Not to say that the meal was really good and filled up our stomachs completely but the service was really quick and professional. We really recommend you to try the restaurant for the food but think about booking in advance as there is not a lot of space there.

Now enough talk about the food…and lets focus on the back purpose of this restaurant that makes it so special. The restaurant is managed by a charity association that helps senior citizens in Hong Kong. The fact is…the staff is composed entirely of senior citizens that wish to continue working after retirement. On top of that, all the profit realized in the restaurants go directly to fund the charity.

We thought at HkSalad that this was something that was to be mentioned on our site as we recognize the need for businesses to get involved directly with charity associations…and this is a good way of proving that it can work and still provide a five star high quality service & cuisine.

Website: Gingko House Website

Information:

Address:
Mong Kok: 171-173 Sai Yeung Choi Street North, Mongkok,
Central: 44 Gough Street, Central, Hong Kong

Tel:
Mong Kok: +852 2789 3321
Central: +852 2545 1200

Simply Crèpes !!

A pinch of salt as it is mentioned in the name, a lot of milk, flour and you have a simple crepe ready to serve. Fleur de Sel opened in the last few years and has already 2 locations (one in Causeway Bay and the other in Soho near Hollywood road). Originally from France, the owners make sure that the quality and origin of the products used to make the crepes meet the highest standards in French Cuisine.

The menu is composed of a wide variety of assorted crepes ranging from the most simple ham & cheese crepe to the more complex and elegant “Bourguignonne”. All the ingredients used are fresh and cut from the morning as explained to us the second time we went there.

The owners and cooks are very friendly and will gladly show you how the crepes are made if you ask them nicely. You may even have the chance to try out doing one if there are not too many people at that time (which is best outside lunch and dinner hours as both restaurants where packed on a week day).

We also recommend you to try out the Salmon & Spinach or the Toulouse Sausage crepes that are unique in hong kong. (these are the ones we had and we will be back to try the other ones…). Prices are really reasonable as the bill was around 150HKD per head for a crepe and a drink but the crepes we had were part of the most expensive ones. Generally prices will vary between 80 to 130 HKD per crepe depending on the complexity of it…but one thing is guaranteed: Fresh products from the market are used every day !!

Go try it out !! (scroll down there is more…)

Website: Coming Soon

Facebook page: Fleur de Sel Facebook Page

Information

Addresses:
Causeway Bay: Shop 2J, Po Foo Building, Foo Ming Street, Causeway Bay
Soho: G/F, 51 Graham Street, Central
Tel: 2645 982

A coffee that will make you feel like in France or in Italy…

Hong Kong does not usually offer a lot of good and interesting coffee shops except if you count “SquareBucks” and “Atlantic Coffee” as part of the good ones…

Sheung Wan area is actually taking a turn to the west as more and more Westerners are migrating to this area. No wonder that most of the shops that were traditionally Chinese dried seafood are turning into Fine Food & Beverage shops….Western Style !

Barista Jam is one of these little independent coffee shops that still has a true knowledge of what making good coffee means. The smell of roasted coffee in the morning is maybe one of the best moment of the day (for coffee lovers of course). Generally opened from 8.00am to 6.00pm, you can enjoy a daily satisfaction of coffee if you wish.

Not only that they serve coffee, they also have a list of hot chocolates and Teas for people that would rather not get a dose of Caffeine. At Lunch time there is a nice area on the top floor of the shop where you can enjoy pasta, salads, and various daily dishes that will vary from time to time.

We strongly recommend you to visit their shop if you want to experience a great coffee in Hong Kong !!

 Website: Hong Kong Barista Jam Coffee Shop

Facebook page: Barista Jam Facebook page

Information:
Address: Shop D, 126-128 Jervois St, Sheung Wan, Hong Kong
Tel: +852 2854 2211
Email: baristajamhk@hotmail.com

Souvenirs…Souvenirs…

are the only words that can come up to my mind after having (finally) had the opportunity to tryout the “now becoming famous” shop offering Roasted Chicken ~ à la Française ~ in Hong Kong.

 If you ever experienced the french riviera waking up one morning, slipping in your flip flops and walking down to the town center on a nice summer day, you probably remember that particular smell of roasted chicken that would come out of a food truck located in the middle of the town plaza. Well It is the same feeling when you enter la Rotisserie shop in Sheung Wan (actually you can smell it from 2 streets before reaching the shop ).

With a more than warm greeting, all the team will introduce you to one of France’s most traditional dish: The Roast Chicken.

 The Chickens are cooked at a perfection and will be accompanied by 1 or more side dishes such as homemade oven roasted potatoes or French green beans that can easily replace a salad if you want to keep your line…

A range of Quiches will allow you to complement this already well sized meal…if you can take it all in one meal.

They propose a lunch set that will allow you to feel filled until the evening at HKD68 which is why HK Salad rates this shop as one of the BEST DEALS in Hong Kong for lunch.

We recommend you strongly to visit their shop in Sheung Wan

Facebook Page: La Rotisserie Facebook Page
Website: Coming Soon

Information:
Adress: 255 Queen’s Road Central, Sheung Wan, Hong Kong
Phone: +852 2324 1898

Roasting Chicken in the  Sheung Wan Shop. All pictures can be found on the facebook public page of “La Rotisserie”

There are a lot of good cooks in Hong Kong and Chef Rene is one of the top ones. Hong Kong French Cooking Class is the first place in Hong Kong where you can learn how to cook some exceptional and distinguished French cuisine. From Pan Fried Foie Gras to the best french deserts, Chef Rene will spend all the necessary time to make sure that he delivers all his secrets during his fun and interactive classes.

We have been to one of his classes and have found the atmosphere very relaxing and fun because of the character of Rene. he is a direct person that will push you a bit to your limits so that he can get the best out of your cooking skills. the few hours we spent learning how to cook where a unique experience in Hong Kong.

We recommend you strongly to try and participate to one of his classes in his cookroom in Sai wan. It is very clean, modern and safe.

Information
Website: Hk French Cooking Class
Facebook page: Hk French Cooking Class on Facebook
Adress: Rm303, 3/F, Wai Wah Commercial Bldg, 6 Wilmer Street, Sai Ying Pun, HK
Tel: 852 9876 6756
Email: info@hkfrenchcookingclass.com

This place is another French pearl of Hong Kong for all of you to discover. Located in the Heart of the city, La Cabane à Vin was originally a Wine & Food shop offering delicious and traditional French countryside products such as Saucisson Fermier, Comte with 36 month of aging, and great apple and pear cider at a more than reasonable price. With all this, their success was inevitable in a place where people enjoy eating and drinking quality at an affordable price.

One of their specialization is being a cellar that focuses on Organic wines, meaning that their  wines will be without any chemical added during the wine-making process (to make it short…). So if you have heard of Organic wines and haven’t tried them, you can drop by their shop near Hollywood road and ask their nice staff to tell you more about this category of wines. (With a little bit of luck, they will make you try some cheese in extra !)

Recently the owner has opened a bistro that they have named “La Cabane” in reference to their original shop. We have been there and had a great experience as we ordered several dishes and had a few glasses of wine by the glass. One of their specialties on food is the “Tartiflette” (layer of cream + layer of cheese + layer of french bacon….then start again a second time). Cheese lovers, this is for you…

It is a place that is really worth trying out if you like French food and cellar organic wines. On top of all, the place is small but comfy and reflects really a French atmosphere. We recommend you to give it a try !!

Website: La Cabane
Facebook page: La Cabane on Facebook

Information:
Cellar: B/F, 97 Hollywood Road / +852 2517 0186
Bistro: 62 Hollywood road / +852 2776 6070
Email: info@lacabane.hk

At first read of the name “Club 71″ i was expecting to enter more into something of a higher end class lounge atmosphere like we can find in LKF and especially when i read the address 67, Hollywood road…the thing is, it is actually not on Hollywood road but in a parallel below it. So after looking for it on Hollywood road for a while, i decided to venture myself in one of these small HK roads that go from down to upper central and finally arrived on a small little square place where i could see some people gathering in front of what seemed to be a bar front.

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That’s when you realize that the bar is opened on a calm square that gives you a feeling of travelling to Spain instantly, reminding me of a lot of nights spent in Madrid having drinks with some friends in front Spanish bodegas.

It is the feeling i had when i entered the place that is a little small in space inside but a very cozy and warm feeling will quickly bring you to your ease. The staff is very friendly and smile a lot so it just adds up to the warm greeting Club 71 will offer.

i dont really know how to say this without risking to overload the place by writing it here but the half pint of tsing tao is just 39HKD. Ok, its said so now you just need to go and try it out. they will also offer you the possibility to order food from shops around but the menu is quite hard to understand so we gave up quite quickly on the food part.

S & D German

Their specialized team has many years experience in growing, selecting and selling wines and bring a variety of unique and interesting wine styles to the Hong Kong market.

HkSalad.com was particularly  impressed with the regular and unique tasting events they hold; such as the Light Show Tasting and Blind Tasting Challenge. These events are often held on the first Thursday of every month in their stunning office that overlooks the Hong Kong harbor.

Check out their facebook and easy to use homepage for more details on up and coming events.

Click here to access S&D German wines website.

Did you ever dream about a nice burger at a really affordable price in Hong Kong. Well TBB as i will short it (The Big Bite) , has all in its name when it comes to american bbq cuisine. The juiciness of the steaks and crispiness of the fries will you make travel directly to the  borderline between the USA and Mexico. I generally have beef burger as i am more of a meat person but they also have lovely chicken and fish burgers.  I would without  a doubt rate this place as no.1 for burgers in Hong Kong.

A big Thank you to The big Bite that brings the “all american burger” tradition into Hong Kong.

I specially recommend you to try out the Nacho grande poutine fries that come with all the tex-mex flavors and sauces that will marry excellent flavors in your mouth. I encourage everyone who  wants to have a nice authentic burger to visit the shop in North Point. (and hope they will open a Kowloon shop soon…)

Link to facebook page: The Big Bite Facebook Page

Address:  Shop 4B G/F Kar Fu Building, 196-202 Java Road, North Point, Hong Kong

Directions: MTR North Point Station Exit A to Java Road, Walk East 1.5 blocks

Tel: +852 3105 8077
Address: 121 bonham strand, Sheung Wan, Hong-Kong
Website: http://www.monsieurchatte.com

New “Ma Cuisine” – French Private Kitchen in Hong Kong

Dear food lovers,

If you have not heard about this new place in Chai Wan, called “ma cuisine” you better check it out. It is a private dining room, you know, the type where you don’t show up without a booking. Set up by Monsieur CHATTÉ, it comes as a fully equipped room with sound system (bring your iPod).

Next time you want to organize a “private party”, a private corporate evening, or marry your sweetheart, talk to Sabine, the manager and Chef de Cuisine. She will accommodate 30 guests sitting at the dinner table and 12 guests sitting in sofas and low tables. If your party is bigger you have the standing buffet option for 80 to 100 guests. Sabine will help you select the food.

• Room rental: Week days, HKD 1,000. Fridays and Saturdays, HKD 2,000 (7.00pm to 12.00am). Additional hour, HKD 800 per hour
• Minimum food spending: HKD 5,000 on week days and HKD 8,000 on Fridays and Saturdays.

If you are keen to discover how the French dine, back home, you can join one of the “theme diners”, a great way to discover more of the traditional French fare. All diners sit together around the main table and dishes are brought to the tables for all guests to share. French family style!

↯Click below for the program↯

Last but not least, reserve an evening with friends for a “cook and dine” experience. You cook…… don’t worry chef Sabine will guide you, and then you enjoy your own food. You can impress your friends with your skill and cooking ability. If you are really not gifted, at least it will be good fun!

It can be organized for your own group, or you can join one of the planned cessions.

Program will start in February and can be checked below.

click here to “Ma Cuisine” ‘s program | click here to see the menus | click here so see the map

Bon appétit!

Pictures of the shop