Day 1 in Bali: Dinner @ Made's Warung

It was raining on our first day in Bali for our 4-day trip but that didn't stop us from enjoying our first night there.  After a very long travelling day (including getting up in ungodly hours to catch a super early flight), we finally reached Jas' beautiful villa in Umalas.  Once we were done being amazed at how big her place was and how luxurious the house was (with an open kitchen and a swimming pool), we laid around her house being bored as we waited for her to come back from work for about an hour (literally doing nothing).  Finally Jas came back a little after 6:30 p.m. and it's time for some good food! 

Jas initially wanted to bring us to Ku De Ta, her favourite restaurant in Bali.  Having lived in Bali for almost 6 months, Jas spoke like a true expert of the where-to-go's and what-to-do's locally and we thought most of her recommendations and comments were heartfelt and sincere.   But since we have booked Made's Warung, we would like to go there as none of us have been there before.  Warung is a type of small family-owned restaurant in Indonesia. 

We were driven there by Jas' driver and Made's Warung, located just in Seminyak, was a big open-air restaurant with two sides and a bar in the middle.  There was also a stage where they performed some sort of Balinese dance every 15 minutes.  The environment was comfortable and casual with a lot of woods and naturalistic decoration.  When we arrived, we could see some tourists dining there already.  D commented how he liked the restaurants that needed no reservations.  Because of the rain, it was actually quite cool to sit in the open-air space.  The menu offered a variety of international dishes, including Balinese, Indonesian, American and Japanese.  Since we were here on vacation, Balinese and Indonesian dishes were our obvious choice. Dinner was priced at around HK$100 to $150 per person. 

(1) The Beef Rendang (HK$100) was the first dish that D specifically requested as it was his favourite Indonesian dish.  The dish almost never disappoints and the beef was incredibly tender and juicy, and the sauce was also deliciously cooked. 

(2) The Nasi Campur Babi Guling (HK$80) was the well-known suckling pig dish in Indonesia.  Despite the pig skin was ultra hard and not easy to chew, the meat was delightfully soft, moreish and tangy!  C was definitely wowed by the dish even though it was a bit spicy and the waitress said the chefs couldn't reduce the spiciness. 

(3) When the Nasi Goreng (HK$40) first arrived, it did not excite us visually but it was utterly indulgent and certainly one of the best dishes that evening!  The Nasi, the rice, was kept very warm and soft with a suitable amount of seasoning which made this extra decadent!

(4) The Green Curry with Tofu Jas ordered was simple but also tasty - it was light but spicy.  The ingredients were fresh and the sauce was perfectly adjusted. 

Overall remarks:  When we speak of our favourite restaurants in Bali, Made's Warung is certainly one to be mentioned.   There's plenty of magic and heart to be found at its dishes, in spite of a slight down-to-earth quality of the restaurant--at the end of the day, it is still a Warung.  Made's Warung is wonderful as it is providing us with a satisfying amount of authentic Indonesian flavours to begin our joyous journey.  

Food: ★ ★ ★ ★ ☆
Ambience: ★ ★ ★ ★ ☆
Service: ★ ★ ★ ★ ☆

INFO

Made's Warung (website)
Br. Seminyak, Kuta, Bali, Indonesia
Telephone: 62 361 732130

Lunch @ Beef & Liberty

來自上海的Beef & Liberty，在金鐘星街開了於香港的首間分店，標榜專做用草飼牛肉的高質素漢堡飽。餐廳在Pizza Express樓上，要進去用Pizza Express的升降機才能到達，比較難找。主菜如Cheese Burger ($92) 和Bacon Cheese Burger ($108)都不錯，但比預期中小份，而我們也吃不出牛肉有甚麼與別不同。反而前菜Crispy Chicken Wings ($62/4 pieces) 頗出色，雞皮香脆，雞肉嫩滑，加上韓式辣醬，互相配合得很美味。相比之下，Beef & Liberty的招牌漢堡包比較遜色，缺乏獨特魅力，而價錢也較貴，午餐大概每人＄200 到＄250。

If only J has made her hatred for Chinese food less explicit, we wouldn't have the chance to go to the recently opened Beef & Liberty for her sort-of farewell lunch last weekend.  Nestled on top of the Pizza Express on Star Street in Admiralty,  most of us are misled by its name and thought it's a burger joint run by the Liberty Exchange group, but Beef & Liberty is actually a Shanghainese brand which is known for using 100% Australian grass-fed cattle for its high quality burgers, or so it claims. 

The weather was rather cool and gloomy that day.  Yves and Brown Sugar, being their sporty-selves, suggested we walk from Causeway Bay to the restaurant which seemed far at first, but it only took us around 20 minutes to get there in the end.  When we arrived at the building, we saw T standing at the entrance for Pizza Express, looking clueless by himself.  It turned out that to be able to get up to Beef & Liberty on 3/F, we needed to use the elevator at Pizza Express, and this was confusing.  

Once the elevator opened to 3/F, a friendly waitress greeted us with a smile and led us to our booth next to the window.  Although the restaurant wasn't a big place, its high ceilings and decoration rendered a casual and hip vibe.  The booth was however quite small for 6 people.  When we saw that there was a very reasonably priced "All Day Set" on the menu, we were quite excited until C drew our attention to the smaller print underneath which stated that "All Day Set" was not available on weekends, which was a total bummer!  As J and Julie were "fashionably/excusably/absolutely" late again, we decided to order some drinks first.  The price tags of this place were on the hefty side and lunch was priced at around $200 to $250 per person. 

(1) The drinks we ordered failed on multiple levels and it was definitely not the best way to start our meal.  The Liberty Iced Peppermint Tea ($32) Brown Sugar ordered looked good but tasted like normal iced tea soaked in peppermint leafs with too much ice. 

(2) We knew we wouldn't be getting freshly squeezed lemonades for the Liberty Fresh Lemonade ($32) but this un-fresh drink could use a more suiting name: iced lemon water.  It was so tasteless and bland, and we were disappointed to tears to have to pay for this. 

(3) Our table of 6 decided to order some starters to share.  The Crispy Chicken Wings ($62/4 pieces) with Korean spicy sauce were intensely satisfying.  The size for each chicken wing was big enough.  Although the use of Korean spicy sauce was perhaps inspired by the widely popular Korean TV show, we were certainly blown away by the alluring spiciness and the delightfully crispy skin.  Speaking as a lover for wings, this dish was absolutely enticing for my tastebuds and was easily one of the most memorable dishes! 

(4) The Sticky Rib Fingers ($68) were slow roasted US pork ribs covered in honey bbq marinade and spring onions.   But there was just simply much more bone than meat for this dish with an overwhelming taste of honey sauce which made my fingers fairly sticky. 

(5) Julie, being just back in town, went for the classic Cheese Burger ($92) with beef, cheddar cheese, butter lettuce, pickles, and house BBQ sauce.  You can tell the waitress how cooked you want your beef to be and Julie opted for Medium Rare. The burger was accomplished where the beef was exquisitely juicy and tender, while melted cheddar cheese and the house BBQ sauce composed a complex and fine taste!  Though we couldn't tell the difference between their grass-fed beef and the other ones (i.e. the grain-fed ones), we were satisfied but we just wish the portion could be bigger! 

(6) Yves and J ordered the same Cheese Burger but they added extra $20 for it to be served in a bowl.  For those of you who are unfamiliar with this concept, it is a more healthy option for those counting carbs, and the Cheese Burger would come with a tender leaf salad without the buns!  But we couldn't help but wish the salad could use more salad dressing or some more citrus elements to help balance the fattiness of the beef and they could also keep the house BBQ sauce too! 

(7) The Bacon Cheese Burger ($108) T and C ordered was delicious.  The beef was tender and moist, and the bacon had a fabulously crispy and chewy texture, and they were always a fantastic match to me!  The cheese and house bbq sauce further accentuated the indulgent flavours! 

(8) The Green Chili Burger ($98) ordered by Brown Sugar was marvellously prepared with green chili sauce and jalapeno relish.  The mayo and the beef complemented the spicy flavors well but stronger flavouring was needed. 

Overall remarks:  Burgers at Beef & Liberty were delicious but they were not particularly outstanding. We don't need to be having top quality beef burgers to enjoy a meal- most meals I have are far from good or healthy but I like them and I enjoy them.  Beef & Liberty's biggest disappointment is wasting a perfectly good opportunity to become the next hit burger joint in Hong Kong and being unable to live up to its expensive price tags and our high expectations it set up.  If only the dishes were worthy of the restaurant, it does just about everything right -- the decoration, the service and the goodwill idea.  For a farewell party, we were happy with its ambience.  For a burger place, it is just a blank void as vacuous as the brand itself. 

Food: ★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆
Ambience: ★ ★ ★ ★ ☆
Service: ★ ★ ★ ★ ☆

INFO

Beef & Liberty 
2/F, 23 Wing Fung St., Admiralty 金鐘永豐街23號2樓
Telephone: 3460 4900

Dinner @ Bug and Bee

想不到這家叫Bug and Bee的餐廳是在泰國有名的連鎖餐廳，主打新派fusion泰國菜式。在香港新開張的分店位於銅鑼灣，裝潢以蜂巢和泰國民族圖案為主，很有泰國街頭色彩。雖然人流不多，但是店裡桌椅放得頗亂，讓人感覺很擠逼。餐廳的菜式很創新特別，如Peachy Massaman Curry Ox Tail (with rice) ($88) 和 Mango Chicken Kiev ($62) 都製作用心，把不同的水果跟肉類揉合得驚喜無窮，一試難忘。服務態度友善，可是食物稍嫌不夠熱，且價格有點貴，晚餐大概每人＄200 到＄250。

With a name like Bug and Bee, the restaurant is memorable by default but never in a million years would we expect it to be a Thai restaurant, so it was certainly more surprising for us when we realized that it is actually a well known chain in Bangkok serving some interesting and creative Thai fusion dishes.  Foodie who loves Thai restaurants like Mango Tree and Greyhound Cafe may now flock to this cute Thai restaurant recently opened near our place.   As lovers of Thai food, we decided to go there for dinner on a slow Sunday evening because you know, we wanted to take a (small) break from our usuals and try something new. 

Bug and Bee is located right next to the extremely popular ramen place in Causeway Bay.  A 2-storey place with a yellow neon sign and large windows making it look like a giant beehive.  When we arrived at 6 p.m., the place was practically empty and we were allowed to choose our own seats, but the chairs and tables were placed in such a disorganized fashion that made the place seem a bit messy and cramped.  Once we opened the menu, we were completely amazed by the variety of appealing and original dishes and D was having a difficult time because there were just so many dishes we wanted to try.  Dinner was priced at around $200 to $250 per person. 

(1) Tom Yum Kung Soup ($88) is always a must for our Thai meals! The soup boasted a spicy but attractive flavours.  We loved the variety of textures and seafood ingredients to the soup.  But we just wished the soup could be warmer because the soup was simply not hot enough and this reduced the overall flavour of the soup! 

(2) There were several things to praise for the Peachy Massaman Curry Ox Tail (with rice) ($88)!  First, the curry was rich and indulgent and definitely spicy enough!  The ox tail on the other hand was incredibly soft and juicy, even though some of them had too much bone for C's liking.  The accompanying peach was fresh and sweet.  The different layers of the flavours for this dish really captivated us! 

(3) This Mango Chicken Kiev ($62) took a while to arrive, but it was certainly worth the wait! As if chicken wasn't good enough, the innovative twist they took was to fill alluringly tender and succulent chicken breasts with fresh mangoes and this dish was amazing beyond our imaginations! 

(4) The Tom Yum Seafood Fried Rice ($108) had a generous portion of different kinds of seafood including prawns and mussels but the flavouring could have been stronger.  We also thought we made a mistake ordering this dish right after we had the Tom Yum Kung Soup. 

(5) The Green Tea Tiramisu Crêpe Cake ($45) was an interesting cake sandwiched between sheets of crêpe separating each layer, creating a dazzling overall sensation.  But D noted that the cake was less impressive and sweet than he had expected. 

Overall remarks:  The dishes at Bug and Bee were far better than it was given credit for and they captured perfectly the variable nature of Thai cuisine when you're getting tired of the been-there, eaten-that typical Thai dishes.  But the restaurant needs more "buzz" given the expensive price tags and we wished many of the dishes could be warmer and bigger in portion.  This place doesn't appear to be popular, and that disappoints us because we really wanted to come back again.


Food: ★ ★ ★ ★ ☆
Ambience: ★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆
Service: ★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆

INFO

Bug and Bee
456 Jaffe Road,Causeway Bay 銅鑼灣謝斐道456號
Telephone: 3460 4900