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2012-11-01
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I used to be a regular at MIST and was quite disappointed when they closed down. Therefore when I heard a sequel to MIST had opened at the spanking new Hysan Place above Eslite, I had to give it a try.Atmosphere: Really no difference to a hole-in-the-wall ramen joint, which is perfectly fine, except they charge way above hole-in-the-wall prices. At MIST, at least there was a nice open kitchen and pleasant ambience for those diners not facing the kitchen. Here, the kitchen is actually cramped and
Atmosphere: Really no difference to a hole-in-the-wall ramen joint, which is perfectly fine, except they charge way above hole-in-the-wall prices. At MIST, at least there was a nice open kitchen and pleasant ambience for those diners not facing the kitchen. Here, the kitchen is actually cramped and not a pleasant place to be overlooking. There is a central dining table that is similar to eating at a food court where you are basically face-to-face with the opposite customer. At least some efforts should be made to provide some privacy or space, such as putting up low screens like at Ippudo.
Ramen: The ramen I ordered was Ume-Shio (pickled Japanese plum with salt) ($98), and additional soft boiled egg ($15) and seaweed ($15). As you can see, the pricing is not cheap. To add salt to the wound, the green tea that usually comes free at 90% of ramen / sushi places is charged at $10 here.
> Noodles: Noodles were way overcooked, even soggier than what I usually cook at home. The overcooking destroyed any type of flavor or texture that might have been associated with their "specially made" extra thin noodles.
> Soup: The soup was nice and light, but not very flavourful. It had a thin layer of oil on top and I could detect the taste of bonito.
> Condiments: There was a sad lack of condiments, considering the price. The so-called Ume-Shio was basically an additional salty-sour plum on the side. There was also some green algae-like condiment which was overly salty. It came with one miserable slice of pork, which to its merit was at least good, tender, and perfectly cooked, like what I remembered from MIST.
The highlight of the ramen was ironically the soft boiled egg, which was the best I have seen at ramen places in HK. Besides the yolk being perfectly cooked, it had been soft-boiled in a seasoning / sauce that lent a slight saltiness and aroma to both the yolk and white.
Service here was so-so.
Overall, I didn't think the experience was worth the price. The "soul" of ramen -- noodles and soup -- were disappointing so even if the slice of pork and soft boiled egg were outstanding, it failed to salvage the experience.
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