Eating in Woods

We were down in Mong Kok again.  I just had the craving to visit the district again! But, this time, we were over in Mong Kok East, checking out the MoKo Mall.  While walking around the streets, we stumbled over a new-ish eatery called Woods.

There was a really nice waiter out on the street corner telling us about the menu.  He was probably the reason we went in to see what the food was like.

Woods was right on the corner of Argyle Street and Hak Po Street.

How To Get There

1.  From Mong Kok MTR Station's Exit D3, walk out onto Argyle Street

2.  Take a right and walk past Ladies Market, Fa Yuen Street, and Sai Yee Street

3.  Hak Po Street will be the next side street

4.  Woods is right on the corner

The menu is what attracted us partially.  There seemed to be a mix of Mexican, Spanish, and Italian dishes at some pretty good prices.

The decor was of the other many reasons why we decided to stop in.  Everything is quite woody.  It sort of reminded me of the Ovo Cafe in Wan Chai (sans the organic flavor).  I love when restaurants bring the outdoors in.

We ordered a Mediterranean Salad, which I wasn't too familiar with, but it basically was mixed greens, with tuna, olives, red bell peppers and eggs.  It was pretty good.

We picked up some Deep-Fried Calamari with Alioli Sauce.  This was probably my husband's favorite, but it was best eaten whilst hot.  I had it when it cooled down and it was a bit soggy.

The next dish we got was the Roasted Suckling Pig.  This is actually one of my favorite dishes when we go to family banquets or wedding banquets.  This was probably my favorite dish.  This was really delicious…and more in the salty family, which I much prefer over sweet these days.

This place is rather new…their signage is still being put up on the outside.  But, they are located in such a great spot, I think.  It's where a lot of people pass to walk from Mong Kok to Mong Kok East (and back).  It is also quite festive these days with the Halloween Decorations.

The people who were eating next to us seemed to be from around the neighborhood.  So, it was quite the pleasant experience to dine here.

After our meal, we opted to try the Churro dessert.  It's only right!  This totally hit the satisfaction spot on my radar.

I think, if I were down in the area again, with a friend, I would keep Woods in mind for a place to dine.  I'm not sure if I'd go out of my way to make it down here…because, as I've said before, there are so many amazing places that I have yet to try in Hong Kong.  But, this place is definitely one of my favorite places that I've found to dine at.

It's especially wonderful for date nights where you want a place with a nice atmosphere, good food, and descent prices.  The entire meal for the two of us came out to around $300 HKD, btw.

The clip on our receipt, how sweet!

Sai Yeung Choi Street, Mong Kok

When I first moved to Hong Kong, I thought that Mong Kok's Sai Yeung Choi Street was the most amazing place I'd ever been to in the city.  I think I'd been to dinner around the area, but this street was open near midnight still.  That was probably the most attractive part.  The lights, the crowds, the street entertainers…everyone was still shopping, strolling, dining, and coming out of the cinema.

We were out in Mong Kok for dinner last night, which made me remember the good old times when I was enamored with the glamor of Sai Yueng Choi Street.  

How To Get Here:

1.  From Mong Kok's MTR Station, take exit D3

2.  And you are there!

NOTE:  Exit D3 brings you out near Nathan Road and Sai Yueng Choi Street.  It's a good place to start exploring.  Another option is to take the MTR exit E2.

 ***Views of Sai Yeung Choi Street and the general area at night***

Sai Yeung Choi Street is popular with locals and tourists.  For tourists, there are loads of pharmacies/dispensaries, electronic/camera shops, beauty/cosmetic shops, accessory/watch shops and clothing shops to check out.  For locals, there are some awesome cafes, eateries, clothing shops, and salons splattered throughout the area.

There is a constant upgrading of shops in the area, like the semi-new Innisfree shop!

Since it is still quite warm these days, though not blazing hot, the Mobile Softee truck can still be found with a line of customers in its wake.

I think it was around 9 pm when we started strolling around, but it was still quite crowded.  The crowds, in this case, I love.  The people add to the excitement of being down in the heart of Mong Kok!

If you are in need of cash, then there are exchange kiosks around the area that are open quite late into the evening.

We took a walk over to Sai Yee Street and stopped to check out Ladies Market.

Along Fa Yuen Street and Sai Yee Street, both of which run parallel to Sai Yeung Choi Street, you can find a myriad of sport/camping/outdoor shops.  It's where you can find all sorts of gear all throughout the year.

Hope you enjoyed this little view of Mong Kok!

This is definitely a great place to go when visiting Hong Kong!

The Little Fat Sheep

Usually, we eat hot pot in the winter.

And it isn't winter anymore.

But, we still opted to eat hot pot.

The reason being, we were in Mong Kok last night.  And, usually, there is a long wait for any restaurant in Mong Kok because it is such hot spot for night life in Hong Kong.  We thought that we might get seats more easily if we ate at a hot pot place!

I mean, who would eat hot pot this time of year?

Actually, quite a bit of people would eat hot pot this time of year…ESPECIALLY at The Little Fat Sheep.

How the Little Fat Sheep works:
This place is an all-you-can-eat type of joint, but drinks cost extra.

1.  You order which hot pot soup set you like

2.  You order a much food as you like (from veggies to meats, to whatever else)

NOTE:  This is the time to be experimental in your eating ways.  There are a bunch of boxes that you can just "check off" to try.  Every dish will be a surprise.  And you can be adventurous without meaning to be!  Everything WITHOUT a price is included in the hot pot set that you originally paid for.  Everything WITH a price (like the drinks that the stuff at the bottom of this menu) will cost extra onto of your original all-you-can-eat price.

We opted for the yin yang pot, where one side is spicy and the other is not.  It's a great options for when you are in a group and some people don't like spicy…but others do.  It's also a great option for when your tongue can't tolerate spice and you need to take a break and eat non-spicy things for awhile!

***Some things available on the menu***

We went by rounds.  So, ROUND ONE, we got a few meats and a few veggies.

ROUND TWO, we got some old favorites from ROUND ONE and some new things to try.

By ROUND THREE, we were all just so focused on food that I didn't have the opportunity to remember to take photos anymore.

Lasting Impressions:

I love this place!

I love how it is an all-you-can-eat place.

I love how there is so much variety on the menu.

I love how everything comes in sample sizes so that you don't get full immediately.

I love how the veggies and meats are so fresh.

I love how I can sample so many things.

I love the environment, which is great for dinner with friends.

I love how everyone here is just happy-go-lucky and enjoying hot pot.

I love the staff and how they are equally as happy-go-lucky.

I really loved this place and TOTALLY RECOMMEND AN EVENING at The Little Fat Sheep!

Eats Week: 18 Blocks Puppy Noodles

Though there is a nice comfort in finding delicious reliable places to eat and returning there because of that reassurance, there is also something really nice about discovering new places to eat and adding on to that list of already awesome places to eat.

Awhile back, we were in Mong Kok and decided to just wander the streets and into any place that caught our eye.

Walking along Tung Choi Street, we passed a pretty awesome looking noodle shop.  The name caught my husband's eye and the images of their dishes caught mine.

The new place we tried today was called 十八座狗仔粉.  

It translates into Eighteen Paparazzi Pink on Google Translate.  

It could also be translate it into 18 Blocks Puppy Noodles (Literal Translation).

十八座狗仔粉 Information:

Shop B, Ground Floor, 139 Tung Choi Street

Mong Kok

How to get there:

1.  From Mong Kok MTR Exit B3 or B2, you will be at the intersection Fife Street and Sai Yueng Choi Street

2.  Walk left along Fife Street (in the direction of Tung Choi Street)

3.  When you hit Tung Choi Street (which is just the next block over), turn left

4.  Walk along Tung Choi Street (cross Mong Kok Road) for a minute or so

5.  十八座狗仔粉 should be on your left

It's quite easy to order, as there are numerous photos pasted around the little shop that have the top recommended items.  The dishes/snacks we tried were all a good small proportion, which is great for us because we like to try a lot of things in one sitting!

Because the shop is quite small, everyone gets to sit at the bar, basically.  It's a great way for people to get in and out quickly, but it is a horrible way to get in and out easily.  Sitting towards the back of the shop means sitting back to back with other 18 Blocks Puppy Noodle patrons!  You have to be there to really experience the compactness of the dining experience.

Mock Shark Fin Soup

Puppy Noodles

A Leg of Duck

Fish Skin Dumplings

I think this is a great place to take my family and friends.  The things we ate were delicious.  The atmosphere is really fun.  And I love the local feel.  The price of the food items are so incredibly reasonable for what you get.

So inexpensive!

We went back there today, which is why I thought it a good idea to blog.  I also discovered that they have a shop up in Yuen Long (which I will definitely put on my list of things to do!)   18 Blocks Puppy Noodle definitely has my RETURNABILITY approval!

We got our favorite dishes of puppy noodles and mock shark fin soup.  We also decided to try something new (pictured below).

Puppy Noodles

Mock Shark Fin Soup

Leg of Duck (Duck drumstick?)

Cuttlefish/Pork/Pork and Mushroom/Beef Balls

The cuttlefish/beef/etc balls aren't my favorite, but they were nice to try.  I think I'll stick with the puppy noodles for sure.

Recommendations:
1.  Try the Leg of Duck!  It's so delicious!