聖誕快樂！在這個溫馨甜蜜的日子，補記本週四一家人在 Yamm 的開心冬至 buffet：早前到訪晚市驚覺食物豐富了不少，原來午市也一樣；現在以$308/位起的價格，就有生蠔、龍蝦鉗、刺身、大量精緻熱葷及甜品，埋單更有三送一優惠，超抵食的！

為了提供新鮮感，Yamm 逢週一至五誠獻4款新主題自助午餐（收費成人$308／小童$178），過去一週主題是日本盛宴，接著又有星情泰意、海鮮生蠔（成人會加收$20）、燒烤美食等主題美食輪流推出。重點是可乘著三送一優惠，帶著已經放假的兩兄妹，再來這個尖沙咀自助餐殿堂，一家人大快朵頤！一進場是凍海鮮區，選擇包括：個子碩大的熟蝦、蜆、龍蝦鉗、長腳蟹爪、青口等，午餐來講並不欺場。





接著是芝士區，午市也有 Brie, Goat, Greyere 及 Orange Cheddar 四款選擇，加上不同的配料以及兩兄妹愛吃的紅提！





接下來的麵包選擇也很繽紛吸引：合桃提子包、竹炭軟包、栗子包、黑加侖子包、紅菜頭軟包、法式長麵包、芝士薄脆、聖誕果子麵包 Stollen、檸檬罌粟籽鬆餅、提子丹麥包、牛角包、芒果丹麥酥、朱古力酥，等等，有選擇困難症的不要走過來！新鮮切件水果則有西瓜、蜜瓜、哈蜜瓜，以及菠蘿，都很清甜好吃的；接著是兩兄妹大愛的煙三文魚、嫩滑好吃的煙火雞、意大利豬肉腸等，配上水瓜柳、蜜糖芥末汁、檸檬角。





前方還有煙鴨胸配金巴利汁、中東包、鷹嘴豆蓉、番茄片、菲達芝士、意大利莎樂美腸，以及現成的勁辣泰式香辣魚沙律、意大利燒南瓜沙律、薯仔沙律、墨西哥沙律，加上橄欖、粟米、雞心豆、黑水欖、青瓜、雞蛋、煙火腿等等配料。之後還有供應車厘茄、牛油生菜、菊苣、火箭菜、紅卷葉菜、紅葉菜、很重要的羅馬生菜，當然也少不了各式沙律醬、碎芝士、麵包粒及脆煙肉的自助沙律吧，又可以弄凱撒沙律了！





之後轉到對面的刺身壽司吧。午市的刺身有三文魚、芝麻醬油醃吞拿魚、鯛魚以及用小兜盛載的帶子刺身。接著豐富的壽司是兩兄妹最愛的環節，選擇很多包括：玻璃蝦壽司、三文魚壽司、希靈魚籽壽司、魷魚壽司、三文魚卷、腐皮壽司、加州卷、青瓜卷等！







接下來開始熱盤，首先有豬肉春卷、鹽燒三文魚頭、香菇香蔥滑雞煲；中間打岔一下，因為「日本盛宴」主題下，中間又加推日式天婦羅，款式有茄子、南瓜、番薯、甜椒，以及小朋友最愛的大蝦！

 
更多的熱盤包括我超愛吃的沙茶醬肥牛金菇煲、金銀蛋時蔬，這兩款是添了又添的；還有燒黑毛豬排骨配沙爹汁、清酒昆布炒蜆、蒜香紅粉焗鯖魚配生薑鰻魚汁、香烤牛仔骨配香草洋蔥汁等等，全部都非常美味！
 
又來打岔一下，因為中間又推出了海鮮大阪燒，而且出品很有質素、不容錯過；另一邊又有日式串燒，供應著美味燒雞翼，以及小朋友至愛的煙肉燒腸仔～


為配合日式主題，中間還設有枝豆、年藕、牛蒡等等前菜專區；接著則是估你不到好味的印度雞肉香飯、印式秋葵咖喱、芝士印度薄餅，加上雜菜咖哩角、印度薄脆、青瓜乳酪等。

 
而在昔日的飲品吧那邊，還有天多利羊架、天多利雞，連同腰果、椰絲、提子乾、酸菜、芒果酸辣醬及薄荷啫喱等更多配料，應該可充分滿足印度美食心癮！



然後回到餐湯介紹：當日供應海鮮麵豉湯、忌廉甘筍湯；午市沒有龍蝦番茄粥，但也有香菇肉碎粥，配上花生及精華的薄脆！

更多美食又有日式海鮮炒烏冬、煙肉洋蔥炒椰菜仔、香草蜜糖炒番薯，加上燴栗子、火雞餡、蘋果茸等等配料。



當然更重要是金門火腿、燒火雞、燒美國西冷牛肉，連同配菜、燒汁、火雞汁、黑椒汁及金巴利汁！特別一提，場內連鹽也有講究，提供有機海鹽、煙熏有機海鹽以及香草有機海鹽....


而在印式燒烤檔旁邊，又有供應中式燒味，供應著叉燒、燒鴨及貴妃雞，全都相當美味不容錯過！同場還有避風塘炒鮮魷吃～


場內也有供應 壽喜燒﹝日式牛肉火鍋﹞，除了靚牛又包括豐富的配料，囝囝喜歡不的了，一吃就是兩碗呢！


最後還有即點即開的生蠔，沒記錯是法國來貨的 Fine de Claire，午市來講都算難得了！


蠔吧對面是少罪甜品區，各式低脂低糖的健康甜品包括：濃郁好吃的低脂本地蜂蜜希臘乳酪雪糕 Yogurt Trifle、清香滑溜的椰汁奇亞籽芒果布甸、黑糖布甸、不含蛋奶的 Vegan 香橙朱古力蛋糕、阿華田慕絲布甸等...



最後是繽紛的甜品環節，有最令小朋友開心的日式雪米糍（黑芝麻及綠茶味）、紅豆沙、聖誕果子餡餅 Minced Pie、蛋白撻、木槺布甸、檸檬蜜糖啫喱配荔枝爆珠、香濃好吃的抹茶芝士蛋糕、Tiramisu、胡桃派、南瓜聖誕派、綠茶慕絲、可愛的朱古力 brownie 等等...







穿過有六色口味（Coconut, Orange & Chocolate, Salty Caramel, Banana, Hazelnut & Chocolate, Figs）的 Macaron Tower 後，繼續還有紅噹噹的聖誕 Log cake、香脆可口的宇治抹茶朱古力撻、造型可愛的聖誕蛋糕棒棒糖、熱食可添雲尼拿汁的聖誕布丁、焦糖番薯以及豆腐花等！






最後，場內還有由橙汁、菠蘿汁及 Blue Curacao 調成的 Yamm Punch 任飲，加上 Haagen Dazs 雪糕櫃，當中不乏新出的九州抹茶麻糬，以及北海道紅豆麻糬口味，加上經典至愛的比利時朱古力、雲尼拿、士多啤梨、Cookies & Cream，還有即製班蘭味 Waffle，吃得超滿足的！





難得放假了，其實很喜歡一家人吃 lunch buffet，可以更放肆盡情吃，而不怕終夜飽飽滯滯～不客氣取來各式前菜、頭盤及海鮮後，很快忍不住向甜品區進發，因為它們實在太誘人了！



嗯，不差也取來各款日式熱食吧... 個人很喜歡燒雞翼、海鮮大阪燒及鯖魚，兩兄妹就大愛天婦羅蝦，各投所好！叉燒則是人人皆愛的美食，貴妃雞也有水準，新增了燒味部真是好！





而中式口味的熱食也深得我心，吃完這碟，我還意猶未盡要 encore 呢。



正當媽媽請人幫忙拍一家四口的家庭照時，為食囝又忍不住開動，要吃他非常欣賞、媽媽試了一口的確美味的壽喜燒烏冬。這位大食囝，這天吃了兩大碗的！



再取來更多消滯水果，拌上有質素的燒美國西冷，加上更多的印式美食（沒拍的天多利羊架也好吃）及熱盤，胃口已經飽到七七八八，又是時間與甜品廝殺！！！


甜品環節，當然不能錯過一系列繽紛又好吃的聖誕甜點；但除此之外，健康甜品原來也很好吃，加上新口味的 Haagen Dazs 雪糕、最愛的經典口味雪糕及香脆 Waffle，最後當然飽得只喝得下 Earl Grey 來解滯！


吃完超滿足的一頓，回家還有 COCO 的精美聖誕樹／雪人朱古力，加上巨大的聖誕麵包蛋糕 Panettone，一室的甜蜜溫馨！祝大家都有同樣愉快滿足一天～

I went there several time. Normally i dont do the review, but this time i want to do that. The restaurant enviroment   is classic bit old, the pic on the wall impressed us: the title of the movie is in Italian!!! What good surprised...The  waiter was ok, but the food was amazing. i was with 3 of my  friend and we decide to get more dishes to try  ' we get  Penne" Friarelli and Scamorza, Salmone Spinaci e Mais, Turkey and the secret of Chef kind of Risotto with  taleggio. pere e noci;Panettone as dessert". Everything was unbelievable and really tasty. All ingredient was in balance and Turkey in Stew way was amazing. We were speechles, and ask how can be taste so italian, and one of waitress told us they have  italian chef. Congratulation everything was perfect, we will come again, they told us every week change set lunch!! Will back to taste again.....

大時大節的前後，總會有特別多的朋友聚會，此時煩惱自然多，要到那裡吃飯是一大問題。這個地方雖然不是最好，但卻是不俗的，加上高雅的環境，總是令人心情放鬆。

這個地方就是位於銅鑼灣利園的Cova Ristorante & Caffe，裝潢華麗，每次來到都覺得環境優美，食物水準很好，特別是那些意式頭盤。款式雖不多，但卻做得小巧精緻，而且還是自助形式，喜歡吃幾多就幾多。

自助的頭盤一點也不失禮，有煙三文魚、巴馬火腿配哈蜜瓜、莎樂美腸、鴨胸及水牛芝士蕃茄等等，還有一系列的沙律，只是剩吃頭盤也可飽了。

不過，有一款食物卻令我一吃再吃，甚少停不了口，這道就是Cotechino with lentils – 釀豬手，是意大利菜中一道經典的聖誕新年料理，因小豆是有象徵幸運及財富的意頭。在味道及質感方面，有點與我們的午餐肉相似，但卻更為軟腍，而且以蜜汁煮著，味道剛好，不會過咸，也不會過甜，非常好吃的。

自助頭盤固然是豐富，但也要留一留肚，皆因我們點了包括一個前菜及主菜的Lunch Set，除了自助頭盤外，你亦可從餐單中任選其一，不過要單點，就不能享用美味的自助頭盤了。當日有朋友要了Asparagi, Scampi & Agrumi，賣相很精緻，深海小龍蝦的肉實在是很難抗拒的，既鮮甜又爽口，配合酸酸甜甜的醬汁，非常開胃。

來到主菜了，我們各自點選不同的菜式，小弟的是Stinco Di Malale al Chianti & Polenta，即是煮豬纖骨配玉米餅，豬纖骨早已燜煮得很腍滑，配合惹味的肉汁，已很好吃，為了增加飽肚的感覺，更有玉米餅在旁，質感是與薯蓉有分別的，帶點點沙沙的感覺，其實我不是太愛吃玉米餅的，哈哈。

順道也嚐過了友人的Linguine Capesanta All’aglio, Olio & Pepperoncino，入口彈牙，有著濃濃的蒜香，也帶上少許的辣味，拌以半生熟的帶子，實在非常好吃，怪不知是店中的招牌菜。

另外，還有一個Linguine Aragosta & Porcini，我只可說與上一道意粉是另一種層次的美味，龍蝦的鮮味完全溶化進意粉中，再加上香噴噴的牛肝菌，可以說是無得輸的一道，而且份量十足，推介的一道。

此時，大家胃口已相當飽，可是在場的女士們仍然有另一個甜胃，於是便點了些甜品，其中一道聖誕甜品令人有深刻的印象，從沒試過將雪糕加入Panettone內做成千層的模樣。在帶有果子的麵包內吃著軟滑的Gelato，伴以沙巴翁來吃，與別不同，值得一試。

Cova Ristorante & Caffe

銅鑼灣希慎道33號利園一期1樓101-103號舖

午餐 ($298 - $428)

好味指數 (★★★★) 【5★為最高】

上個月在大角咀維修汽車，因要等待兩個小時，想隨便在附近尋覓一間餐廳晚餐，意外地發現了這間意大利餐館、嚐了一頓美味晚餐，頗有驚喜。負責人是位意大利人，跟他談起來，原來是老闆兼大廚 Vincenzo，來自羅馬，家族在家郷也是經營餐廳，難怪菜式這樣地道。那次我們二人吃了白酒青口、紅蝦意粉、香菇意大利飯、tiramisu，每道菜都很美味，感覺十分 home cooking。鬆軟的 focaccia 更是自家焗製。鄰桌客人的 pizza 也令人垂涎，看起來餡料豐富，餅底香脆，可惜我們已經太飽了。

今天是聖誕假期第三天，午飯時想延續節日氣氛，便想起這小店。下午二時仍十分滿座，稍等一會才有位子。Festive menu 選擇很多，我們頭盤選了蘑菇湯和蘭度豆火腿，湯用料充足，蘑菇香味濃郁；蘭度豆做得軟綿，用陶瓷小兜盛載，很有意大利家庭風味。主菜的蕃茄海鮮 fregola，是像薏米的小粒粒 pasta，非常煙靱有咬口，沾滿了蕃茄汁，十分美味，是第一次品嚐，在其他意大利餐廳也未見過。另一道主菜是 halibut 配大盤沙律菜，halibut 煎得嫰滑，沙律菜混了酸甜適中的 balsamic vinegar glace，魚跟沙律配合得宜。甜品選了意大利聖誕蛋糕 panettone，很有聖誕風味！總括而言，在這家餐廳可以感受地道的意大利風味，好像到意大利旅遊的感覺！

記得昔日多番嘗試下還是敗倒在Cova甜點濃厚滿密的忌廉層之中

一年之別，卻忘記了縈迴在腦海裏的鹹食主菜，直至友人相約來個聖誕月午聚

這才驚覺終於盼到Sem尾，才回想起往時曾看過一張張的豐富滋味照片

Antipasti當然可選簡而精的Buffet，既為自助形式，款式花樣不多不少

除了自助形式，也有其他前菜選擇，如Beef Tartar, Seasonal Truffle, Parmesan Mousse

沒有冰感的微涼牛肉他他肉嫩細綿，味清，不覺腥膩

低調守在一旁的巴馬臣慕絲奶香甚重，配以酸甜醋汁，潤口，同時醒胃

喜愛重口味、香口野可選Fritto Misto of Seafood, Zucchini & Limoncello Mayonnaise

炸後呈微脆，味濃炸魚，略彈炸蝦，唯魷魚圈外層稍為軟化

底下有帶甜的Zucchini清一清，為著開胃一點，亦可沾混有Limoncello蛋黃醬或唧點檸檬汁

同場有不同款式的餐包可供選擇，另外還有酥皮脆條等脆口的

一看相中帶果仁的這款，鬆而偏乾身，其實顯橙黃，估計為蕃茄乾的應該也不錯

Grilled Beef Tenderloin Tagliata, Rucola, Shaved Parmesan, Balsamic +$88

雖然最外層是褐黑焦色，但內裏仍是Medium Rare的外微熟，內粉嫩

一口咬下，竟會是先為焦香薄脆，而後感厚腍柔緻，肉汁不多但未見乾柴

點點的質感對比加上沒有過多肥膩脂肪帶，富有嚼感，且調味不重，更見驚喜

終於可以嚐到夢寐以求的Cova Panettone Filled with Homemade Gelato $118

一直掛念著因乾身硬實而被親友列入黑名單的Panettone，配上雪糕後濕綿滋潤，已無掛慮

氣孔大而粗糙的Panettone與細滑雪糕互補，帶一點冰涼，甜而不膩

Torta di Cereali & Lamponi $60以麥皮配合Bailey's，酒味不重，但是這配搭實在有趣

慕絲添上麥皮微香及其嚼感，不會奶膩過重，且有曲奇餅底，賦予層次

甜度不高，加上有著紅樹莓的點綴，一陣子的酸甜望能開胃

Napoleone al Mango & Gelato alla Banana $80那薄細鬆酥的千層酥皮當然重要

甜美芒果中和大量忌廉的重奶膩，整體意外地頗飽肚

旁邊味道自然甜香的香蕉雪糕是另一亮點，甜度合宜，可口不過

談到雪糕，不要忘掉Cova的雪糕，這次的雪糕杯更飄著源源輕白冷煙而來

Pistacchio & Hazelnut Gelato $60本色盡現，開心果及榛子的果仁香氣夠原版

冰感不重，雪糕可說細緻，盛於冰杯之內亦不易溶化，可以慢慢細嚐那甜潤

此時伴以甜美利口，同時不算濃膩的Cova自家Saracco 2015 Moscato d'asti

其金黃成色及輕巧花香芬芳無疑配合輕鬆的週六氣氛

不過甜度甚高，吃著甜又喝著甜就總覺負擔重

因為我反而喜歡配重鹹的食物，不就是味道上的反差萌嘛？

Among several outlets in Hong Kong, Cova has been occupying most of the central shopping malls in the city, and one of them debuted in Lee Garden. The restaurant and cafe is ordinarily intimate, with a prestigious image and luxurious style, where serves not only pastries, confectioneries, but also an Italian-focused brunch buffet on the weekend. The antipasto bar is set in the middle of the dining room. The list goes on from self-serve salad, parma ham, smoked salmon, to a new year’s traditional cotechino with lentil stew, which is basically an Italian sausage made with a mix of pork, fat, pork rind and enclosed in an intestine casing. They all live up to expectation. Some appetizers are served atop our buffet, whilst my favourite is definitely the beef tartare that has been unusually made without ketchup. The parmesan mousse on the side is particularly creamy, nutty and with a strong savory flavor, drizzle with balsamic glaze. For mains, we are recommended with mixed seafood risotto, braised pork shoulders and grilled whole lobster. I opt for a daily fresh seabass, made in the form of “napoleon“, meaning the bottom layer is half of the fillet, follow by porcini mushroom, and on top another fillet and fish skin, served with a delightful pumpkin cream. Finally, for each additional $60, there are some Cova’s signature dessert options including the oatmeal mousse with a crunchy biscuit crust; their homemade pistachio & hazelnut gelatos which are extremely velvety and rich; plus a Christmas special Panettone ice cream cake with Italian egg custard – zabaione!

是次光顧Bonjour Bakery朋廚烘焙坊,無疑是衝著"麵包世界冠軍"的頭銜而來,看看是否如傳聞中勵害;當然以台灣人風範,才不管什麼虛名,只想做好每個出品吧.

Bonjour Bakery的創辨人Michael許詠翔,曾在歐洲和日本學藝,自99年於台灣基隆開設首間麵包店,便一直以健康和天然作主打,堅持以"開心,用心,關心"的精神服務顧客;製品揉合歐亞風格,不落添加劑和防腐劑,採用天然酵母麵種,新西蘭牛油,多國有機小麥粉,和土產如水果乾.在推動台灣小麥復耕方面,更加不遺餘力.去年於香港誠品尖沙嘴店開設首家海外分店.

雖然店子不大,麵包種類不算很多;不過專心有誠意的包點,其實更能讓人留下深刻印象,種類煩多,只有令人眼花撩亂.

我選購了幾款歐洲techique亞洲材料的fusion包點:墨汁墨魚法包 $26
據說是基隆超人氣麵包,麵糰揉進日本墨魚粉和花枝粒,製作時只加入麵粉,水,鹽和酵母,無糖無油;味道咸香,質感煙韌..提議隔日食用,要噴水烘熱,否則很韌,滿有嚼勁..

伯爵文旦earl grey & pomelo $26
以冷泡伯爵茶配以有機文旦柚乾,微甜果香襯托淡淡茶香,雅緻回甘,口感鬆軟,個人而言,十分喜歡.

黃金果園 $24/半個
以台灣小麥粉,土產鳯梨和芒果製作;麥味香濃,果香幽幽,質感有點意式Panettone影子..

海鹽小法包
不愛花巧的朋友,也許會迷上這個味道單純的小包,海鹽的咸味將整個麵包層次提昇起來,簡單純美.

這些麵包價錢平均是十多二十塊,絕對是貨真價實;不單讓人吃得飽,還有吃得健康,吃出理念..

原來吃包也可吃出幸福感!
 

旺區大部分Starbuck唔係嘈過嘉年華會，就係變左自修室，咖啡癮起，俾條生路我行吓啦⋯呢日咖啡癮又發作，電光火石間，難得見到呢間Starbuck有位，即刻衝入去。

店內居然播放住嘅係巴赫嘅古典音樂其他分店究竟播d咩，我真係唔清楚，因為好多時都係俾d人聲蓋過咗。

Christmas Panettone Latte，加cream，轉soya milk，decaf.，mug杯上: creamy，淡淡咖啡味，「簡」得soya milk預左奶未差d。

樓底幾高，店子面向街一邊係全落地玻璃，可以坐喺玻璃前嘅自閉位望住街景發呆。呢日放工時間黎，店外汽車丶行人熙來攘往，見住街外d人個個神息匆匆，趕排隊搭巴士丶趕返屋企，有趣。

Had pre christmas celebrations with 15 friends. It was our first time here and we were very impressed. The service was good and the drinks selection was broad. There were two Christmas set dinners available that night. Both were very reasonably priced (350 & 580). I chose the Set A($350). The appetizer was Country Salad with black truffle vinegrette. The vegetables were fresh and the dressing flavor was good. Could be a stronger truffle taste but no complaints. Main course I chose Nduja Gnocchi. I wanted the turkey breast, however, I already had turkey in the afternoon and also will have another party with turkey involved. The gnocchi was done right and very popular amongst my friends. Quite a few people wanted to taste it as I was only one of the two people who chose Set A. The gnocchi was served with cherry tomatoes, red onion and buffalo mozarella. It tasted fresh and light. My friend who sat beside my chose Set B which comes with wine pairing. For starters it was a crab bisque paired with a glass of champagne. The size was larger than I'd imagine. It was what I would consider A la carte sized. Main course was Sous Vide Boston lobster with crispy rice noodles in sweet and sour sauce paired with a glass of Red wine. The amount of lobster on the dish was about two claws worth of meat. I was surprised that at this price, lobster was even an option. I heard that the sweet and sour sauce pairing was a little strange. Some people compared the sauce to sweet and sour pork. Dessert for Set A was a X'mas panettone and for Set B, they have an additional option for Pavolova and paired with dessert wine. I am not a dessert fan so I gave my Xmas Pannettone away after taking a bite. The meal ended with the inclusive coffee or tea. The food was good given the price and the portions were sufficient. The atmosphere there was great and I would go again for meals and for drinks.

位於利園一期的 COVA 是 PJ 最經常去的 Cafeteria，這裡亦是 PJ 於5年前結婚做 wedding reception 的地方。還記得當年 COVA 剛剛由利園地下(LV 現址)搬上一樓，PJ 是第一對新人在那裡慶祝新婚；轉眼間過了5年，Boxing Day 相約媽媽來這裡嘆茶。我和媽媽都是悶蛋，每次來 COVA 都只喝餐牌上沒有的玫瑰花茶，喜歡它的花味，泡久了都不會像坊間般變酸。COVA 亦會為客人奉上蜜糖，為濃郁芳香的 Rose Tea 增添一絲絲的甜美。今天是 Boxing Day，於是便試一試 COVA 的 Christmas Special - Gelato PanettonePanettone 是經典的意大利麵包，但樣子卻比較像蛋糕。它是一種甜麵包，COVA 在裏面放了乾果，只限時在聖誕節供應。COVA 用意大利麵包夾着意大利雪糕做出此款甜品，Panettone不會太甜，乾果亦為此款甜品增强了口感。COVA 的 Gelato 一向以柔滑見稱，我和媽媽用秒殺的速度 KO 了它。 話咁快，聖誕假期又完了...

出發啦! 擔心假期時節去旅行會勁多人，故決定早啲出門，結果又唔算多人喎，早啲成個鐘點hea好? 當然嘆返杯啡提提醒。機場有幾間連鎖咖啡室，既然還未試Starbucks的最新出聖誕版的聖誕蛋糕乾果鮮奶咖啡, 一於在boxing day延續聖誕節的氣氛，哈!第一次來到客運二號大樓的Starbucks, 開放式的門面，外設數張圓枱，行前兩三步便是售賣處和輕食箱，左邊設有一個放滿聖誕杯，咖啡壺，聖誕吊飾等精品的大木櫃，而右邊還有數張二人枱，地方不大，但坐得挺舒服。每年聖誕系列飲品必有薑汁鮮奶咖啡，拖肥果仁鮮奶咖啡和聖誕薄荷朱古力咖啡，今年還推出全新的聖誕蛋糕乾果鮮奶咖啡 Christmas Panettone Latte ($38/Tall), 前三款年年都必飲，難得有全新推出，不用考慮啦!咖啡面唧上小山丘般的甜忌廉，灑上又橙又黃又紅的乾果碎粒，賣相的確很有聖誕色彩。先舀少許乾果試試，略為乾硬煙韌，不太吸引。再把香滑的忌廉拌勻，令咖啡更香幼，但咖啡味不算濃郁，味道偏甜，有些似雲尼拿的味道，與蛋糕乾果好像拉不上關係，但當喝到近尾聲時，能嚐到淡淡的乾果的果酸味，眾乾果浸在暖笠笠咖啡中已變軟身及出味，故最後能在咖啡中嚐到果酸。

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出發前一杯啡果然可幫我提提神，好吧! 精精神神準備向目的地進發。

這酒吧絕對是賣靚景氣氛。我們星期六晚上九點多鐘來到，全場未有人，所以坐了個無敵大靚景角位。



望著海洋公園和球場，真的有點腳軟軟。要足夠衣物，企係度時風也有點大。

我點了 banana pie，$95+10%。



沒有香蕉味，但呍呢拿香味極重。Volka 的酒味也喝不到，所以易醉如我喝後也沒面紅紅。 友人點了 Panettone，$105+10%，有個榨完的橙浮在中間，這種酒老是常出現，十分恐佈。酒味較重，友人飲了幾口已經紅上面。

酒保是雙手各拿搖樽，一次過搖2杯的，很厲害。坐下坐下，酒吧已經有一半滿座，但因為梳化分隔十分有空間，所以感覺更好。

聖誕佳節，不少餐廳紛紛推介特別菜式
而呢間主賣蜜糖吐司及雪糕甜品既餐廳亦不例外:^0
今次同班朋友一齊去試下佢新品，一探究竟:^)Flaming Snowman

賣點係可愛雪人造型及誘人微藍火焰，富有聖誕氣氛
酸甜濃郁既香橙焦糖醬十分開胃解膩，亦為甜品添上點點色彩

三款自家製雪糕中，個人鍾情於香蕉味
本身我已經中意香蕉及香蕉味食品
好多時候食到既香蕉乜乜乜都係香蕉香油既味道，即係香蕉糕果種
呢度既雪糕味道很自然，甜度亦適中，香甜易入口

另外，我欣賞佢選用既麵包底唔係酥香薄脆既丹麥吐司
而係破格地揀選左充滿聖誕特色既Brioche，配方比較乾身
其實係同聖誕果子麵包Panettone同出一轍，切開中間都係蜜糖方塊
為左配合整體主題，寧願棄用招牌酥皮麵包而試配新食材
呢種敢於創新既態度不得不讚！

媽媽的信用卡優惠，生日月份到香格里拉的食肆吃午餐／晚餐，送一個兩磅蛋糕。之前都想試Angelini，就趁12月來，順道替媽媽慶祝。

來到充滿聖誕氣氛的酒店大堂，沿著樓梯上一層，就到Angelini的門口。桌上放滿紅酒，格外高貴。進入金𤩹輝煌的走廊，彷彿穿越了時光隧道，逃離一切煩囂，餐廳就在盡頭，跟外面熱鬧的Cafe Kool相比，這裡有一份寧靜和優雅。坐在窗邊，寛闊的雲石窗台上放了書籍，甚有格調。望出去，星光大道、維港、對岸的摩天大廈盡收眼簾。半自助午餐有前菜和甜品，加主菜只需＄40，另有兩款加＄100。(整理照片時，一不留神把餐牌刪除了，菜名都忘了，很可惜⋯⋯) 麵包籃不太特別，反而蕃茄醬和黑醋汁成了焦點，配麵包清新又好吃。出動了。先到沙律枱，選擇都不少。最特別是不常有的醃鯷魚，細細條，酸酸地，開胃之選！烤紅椒、黃椒、南瓜，青瓜和茄子都不錯，很鮮甜，既腍又入味。煙肉薯仔帶奶香，龍蝦沙律落足料。大部份都好吃，除了煙三文魚只屬一般，偏咸偏瘦，欠魚油香。水牛芝士口感和味道都麻麻，不夠新鮮。旁邊還有另一張枱，供應普通的沙律菜，醬汁和配料。轉戰火腿和芝士。有4款火腿，salami，parma ham配蜜瓜，pork jelly和意大利火腿。Pork Jelly較特別，油脂凍成啫喱狀，又香又滑。一大舊巴馬臣芝士自己切，好睇又好食。另有4款芝士，其中一款味重得吃不下，藍芝士也偏重，另外兩隻則易入口，有款還帶松露香。這時雜菜湯來了，吃完沙律，正好喝口熱辣辣的湯暖下。菜湯味道香濃，口感帶點蓉，吃到粒粒煮腍的蔬菜，超好味。吃到差不多，主菜就上了，很美的碟子，精緻大方。

Gnocchi配燴牛膝
汁十分好吃，滿佈極濃的牛肉味，還有芝士和清新的車厘茄，很香。但gnocchi煮得太腍，完全沒有咬口，"入口即融"。筒型麵條配蟹肉汁
看到闊闊的意粉已愛上了它 真正的煙韌彈牙。一絲絲的蟹肉份量慷慨，蟹汁味道偏咸，配上意粉就剛好。茴香意大利飯
全素的一道，簡簡單單，沒有花巧，清淡卻很好吃。Risotto煮得恰到好處，仍帶微硬。用上正宗的做法沒有下忌廉，單靠米粒的黏性和湯煮成汁，以淡淡的芝士作調味，很清新。煎鱸魚
Sea bass煎得皮很香脆，肉質嫩滑，簡單地以蕃茄調味，看得出大廚對魚鮮的信心。以為伴菜是薯蓉，放入口除了口感細滑之外，竟然吃到西芹味，滲透在很天然的甜味中，有點像parsnip的味道，很後悔只顧拍照，沒有仔細看餐牌。自小已對西芹敬而遠之的我，這次竟得吃得津津有味，西芹味的強度控制得幾好。主菜份量都幾大，大家都吃飽了，但實在不能錯過甜品環節。聖誕佳節，有應節的panettone和chestnut log cake。一向都不太喜歡做成蛋糕的tiramisu，這也不例外，用朱古力海綿蛋糕隔成一層層，勉強吃了一大半。raspberry味外層的朱古力配開心果蛋糕很好吃，開心果味香濃。咖啡泡芙也值得一試，入面的咖啡吉士又滑又香。榛子芝士蛋糕都不錯，芝士味很重，雖然完全吃不到榛子味。樹頭栗子蛋糕的朱古力味香滑，慕絲也滑，底部的brownie都出色，但栗子味不太出。甜品有點失望，只有幾款較好吃的。餐牌上寫著甜品3選一，有tiramisu, cassata和雪糕。一問之下，原來這天的甜品轉了自助形式，但職員說可以為我們照做 先問清楚此tiramisu並不是出面的tiramisu，便點了兩款。

Cassata
杏仁味清清地，加上雪糕雖滑，但很輕身，很fresh的甜品。黑朱古力醬味濃而不甜，很好吃，也跟雪糕做成對比的效果。Tiramisu
幸好有問，不然一定後悔，跟剛才那個完全是另一回事。濃濃的可可粉下是打得幼滑無比的mascarpone，很香濃。雖然蛋糕不夠濕潤，咖啡很淡，也沒有杏仁酒味，但單是mascarpone已令我們心滿意足。很飽很飽的一餐。食物有水準但欠驚喜，環境服務都一流，在酒店用餐的好處。最後，職員送上生日蛋糕，為保留神秘感，我們決定第二天切時才一起打開，在這裡，先預祝媽媽生日快樂。

'Aqua Roma, Aqua Tokyo, Aqua Spirit'..

The three names were slightly confusing at first, but a bit more research revealed that this was one venue occupying a double storey space on 29/F and 30/F of One Peking Road, Tsim Sha Tsui.

Aqua Roma and Aqua Tokyo refer to the Italian and Japanese cruise served in the main restaurant space, while Aqua Spirit refers to the mezzanine bar level above.

I had the experience of planning a Christmas lunch for our small office at Aqua. In this review, I'll attempt to best describe our experience in terms of booking, setting, service and food, in a way that is helpful for anyone interested in visiting this restaurant.

One Peking Road, and View from Aqua

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One Peking Road, and View from Aqua

Booking:
Despite being almost Christmas, securing a table was fairly easy. After several confirmation emails with various typos and errors, we eventually had everything sorted. To their credit, the restaurant staff were very willing to provide us with their current food and drinks menus, so we had a good idea of what to expect before arriving.

Setting:
One of the factors that really drew us to Aqua was its outstanding location. Situated high above TST, the venue offers wide, unobstructed views out over the Cultural Centre towards Hong Kong Island. The double storey void and glass facade ensure plenty of natural lighting, and work to make the restaurant quite recognizable even from across the Habour.Upon arriving at the spacious, simple, and elegant One Peking Road lobby with a similarly large glass facade, framing the adjacent historical Maritime Police Headquarters through a screen of inter-crossing giant bamboo, we were greeted by a helpful sign directing us to the lifts that would take us up to the restaurant.

The restaurant lobby on the 29/F is somewhat colonial in its use of pattern, the pattern being the restaurant group's logo which is featured in the floor tiles, and in perforated metal screens mounted on the walls. In our opinion, their logo, or references to it seemed to be everywhere; from the lobby, to the use of circles in fixtures and fittings, to those on staffs' uniforms, to the point where it was slightly 'brainwashing'.. These observations aside, we were greeted by reception staff and seated within a couple of minutes.Being in the middle of winter, Hong Kong is quite cold at the moment, but the first thing we noticed as we walked into the main restaurant space was that it was very warm! The slightly angled glass facade faces due south, producing a severe greenhouse effect; no doubt making the space very energy inefficient to cool during summer. In the place of blinds are slightly tacky tinted films that failed to keep the sun out of our eyes, which proved to be a nuisance for a large part of our stay.

The interior itself was a bit 'heavy' for our tastes, with a monolithic blue and gold palette, and finishes that were overly reflective considering the abundance of glass in the facade, resulting in a slightly disorienting space. Despite these slight flaws, the interior design is modern, funky, and when coupled with the magnificent views, make this venue absolutely worth experiencing.Practically, seating is arranged in three tiers to maximize views out, with private function rooms located towards the east and west. Selecting a seat towards the left should allow interesting views of helicopters landing on the Peninsula Hotel's helipad. We had about three land while we were there.

Service:
The waitresses that served us were generally efficient, but didn't really smile and were a bit cold and unfriendly.

Food:
A weekday lunch at Aqua offers a choice between Italian Set Lunches (2 or 3 course), Japanese Set Lunches (bento box style or seafood sets), or an A La Carte menu. Wines were avaliable from an extensive drinks menu, but unfortunately no cocktails are not served until 4pm.

Entree:
- Maguro, Botan ebi, tai sashimi, spicy sake maki
- Soft shell crab and lettuce salad with garlic soy dressingMains:
- Italian Menu > Natural search grass fed striploin of Angus beef served with roasted parsnips, oven baked honey beetroot, Parmiggiano and veal jus sauce ($288 for 3 course)
- Japanese Menu > Aqua Deluxe Bento Box: Sushi platter, Prawn and vegetable tempura, Pan fried foie gras and beef tenderloin, Seasame spinach with myoga ginger, Wagyu beef udon noodle, served with appetizer and pickles ($298)
- Japanese Menu > Vegetable Bento Box: Mixed Vegetable Bento Box: Mixed vegetable tempura, Sesame spinach with myoga ginger, Grilled tofu and winter melon truggle teriyaki, served with appertizer, pickles, miso soup and rice ($198)

Dessert (Italian Set Lunch only):
- Panettone parfait served with torrone sauce and wild berriesIn general the food was good but not expectional. The sashimi was decently fresh, and likewise the soft shell crab; visualy impressive dishes and generous portions for an entree. Flavours in the Angus beef main didn't compliment too well, potatos were a bit bland and not creamy enough, but an enjoyable dish nevertheless. Dessert started off well but unfortunately turned out to be too sweet for me to finish..

Closing Comments: exceptional location, funky interior and good food at a reasonable price make Aqua a restaurant well worth experiencing. Our bill came to around $560 per person which included two bottles of wine, a few mocktails, and coffes between the eight of us. I would recommend anyone to visit this restaurant at least once during the day, and again in the evening for dinner and drinks.