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2014-10-09
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The other day I met a friend for a drink at FAB. We were going to try to figure out where to go for dinner but when I showed up I was like, "whoa, is that place new?" and right next door there was Rummin' Tings, a Caribbean rum bar and restaurant. I figured it probably wouldn't be all that good, but it seemed like the sort of thing I had to try.I read a few "articles" online about the place and apparently it's run by (according to Asia Tattler) Rohit and Harsh Roopchand (from Fatty Crab), and Ma
I read a few "articles" online about the place and apparently it's run by (according to Asia Tattler) Rohit and Harsh Roopchand (from Fatty Crab), and Manoj and Manesh Chellaram. The Edge says "Chef Kris" lived in the Caribbean whereas A Foodie World says the Chef is named "Bwoy Kristo" (???) and that he "wandered the beaches" of the Caribbean. I think I'm being trolled. Anyway, if you can speak hashtagese, the Facebook page for Rummin' Tings says it's #pronounced #roman #tings.
Here's the menu. There were two of us and with the help of our server/ bartender we settled on 5 things.
First to arrive was the conch salad, "tiger prawns, thyme, jicima, crispy shallots $80." This was one of our favorite dishes of meal, quite fresh and crunchy, citrusy without being sour. Excellent A-
Next were the dutty doubles ($50) a street food from Trinidad and Tobago, made with a chickpea curry on a fried flatbread called bara. These weren't trivial to eat; the flatbread was hot and greasy, and the sloppy interior had a proclivity to slide out. That said, I thought they were pretty tasty. I usually find chickpeas in curry to be sort of flavorless and bland, but these were soft and really cooked in with curry goodness. Good B
Jamaican beef patties ($60). This is sort of like an empanada-- a fried pastry exterior with spiced, ground beef inside. They also serve a veggie patty. I'm a big empanada fan and these were especially good with the sauce they came with, which was genuinely spicy. Great B+
The macaroni pie ($50) is almost exactly like the macaroni and cheese I make at home, but instead of regular cheddar like I use, this has "house smoked cheddar." Personally, I'm not a big fan of smokiness as a food flavoring, but this dish does deliver what it says on the menu. Good, B-
The most disappointing dish of the night was for me the Jamrock jerk chicken with tamarind aioli ($80). What makes it Jamrock jerk chicken? Is it, perhaps, the gritty personification of jerk chicken, as opposed to the jerk chicken that appears in the tourist magazines? Anyway, I didn't feel it had much flavor or heat, and I don't see why they want me to dip it in mayo. OK, C
The final dish of the night was goat curry & dahl puri roti ($80). I thought the curry was well-flavored if a little thin and light on the goat. The roti was pretty good. Good, B
It's called "Rummin' Tings" and they've got lots of rums, but when we went they were "for display only" because the liquor license hadn't come through. Most places in such a situation just have you byob, but in a rather fabulous show of generosity they were making free (!) alcoholic cocktails and they might have even been giving out free beer (I had two cocktails, $0). At $190 for two normally, they didn't seem all that great given the price and the nearby competition. However, for $0 they were infinitely worth it.Will I come back? Yes, I've already promised to take my wife here because she's jealous I got goat curry without her. I'd like to try the saltfish fritters and the oxtail stew. Is the food good? I'd say yes. I like the tapas style, so you can try a bunch of different things. This place also fills a clear culinary hole in the HK dining scene. Good stuff, B+
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