Stormies

Moving takes a lot of time.  So, we've been going between Lantau and Yuen Long quite frequently these days!!

Before we totally jettison out of Yuen Long, we decided to try another new place for lunch…this time we popped into Stormies at Yoho Mall.

This blog feels like it's become a total food blog because I have been really focusing on places to eat, but it's what I find myself mostly doing these days…besides packing boxes.

Stories reminds me of Spuds on Alki.  It has that same nautical feel, even though Stormies is nowhere near the sea.

Like most of the restaurants in Yoho Mall, there was a pretty nice selection of foods (and the usual burger and fries).

Something eye catching was the Australian Angus Beef offer.  We didn't really know what the size of the sirloin steak would be, but thought it might be fun to wager a bet on how much 88 HKD would give us.

Turns out that it was a pretty good size of an appetizer.

The restaurant was pretty chill.  It was sort of like a sports bar…kind of what I thought Brotzeit was like.  There were two screens playing pop music though… but it felt very Hong Kong to me.  What do I mean?  Well, because I frequent a lot of Hong Kong-style cafes for my morning breakfast fix…I've noticed that a lot of the time there are televisions placed around for people to watch the news or the local programs.

The Hong Kong-style cafe, by the way, is also the place that hosts World Cup (or other sports events) at 4 in the morning…if you are looking for places that have cable television!!!

Stormies, like a lot of the Yoho Mall restaurants, has an outdoor eating area…which I always will appreciate.  Though it was raining on this particular day, it was still nice to know that I could have the option to sit out in the fresh Yuen Long air and catch a tan.

We both got set lunch meals.

The first course was a soup and a salad.  The soup was probably corn soup, but we weren't that sure.  But, it was pretty nice.  The salad was a basic green salad with some bacon and croutons on the top.  It was a nice, simple starter.

We each got a cocktail and coffee.  The coffee, which I am not so picky about, was pretty all right.  I feel like all the coffee that I order are pretty much the same.  I'm not a coffee connoisseur…though I spent a great deal of my life living in Seattle!  I do love coffee…plain and black.

But, mostly, coffee is just coffee to me...  I mean, there is a difference between restaurant-grade and my own home-made coffee (which I can almost guarantee is more delicious because I know how to tailor make my own cup of Joe), but yes…most restaurant coffee in HK pretty much tastes the same.  Makes me wonder if everyone just has the same coffee machine (vendor!), actually.

For the sake of trial, I got the quesadilla.  It was a basic quesadilla…something I feel like I could make and probably have!  The french fries were good…the salsa was good…the guac, though…seemed processed.  But, overall, it was satisfying in quantity and taste.

The sirloin we ordered (featured below) was also pretty nice.  It was nice and "crispy" on the outside and moist on the inside…

No complaints…

My husband got the fish fillet, which hid potatoes and mushrooms beneath.  Sampling his platter, the fish was really nice.  It was nicely cooked, the seasoning was really nice…it wasn't too salty…it tasted fresh…again, no complaints.

This would probably be a one time stop for me though…because we're out of Yuen Long pretty soon.

As a parting, we each got a complimentary panacotta… It was a nice dessert to finish off our meal.

Stormies was pretty all right.

Brotzeit, Yoho Mall

I've not been to a German restaurant since driving out to Leavenworth, WA a decade ago.  And back then, besides checking out the Christmas shop and playing around in the snow, we'd just get the sausage platter and some beers.  So, when my husband and I passed by Brotzeit, we were looking forward to seeing how good the food was…because it had been a looooooong time.

Brotzeit is the German restaurant in Yoho Mall.  It sits along side a really great selection of restaurants (like Iberico & Co.)  It's in the cove of restaurants, as I like to call it…with a Japanese place, Korean place…and more for me to test out some time soon. 

Most of the restaurants at Yoho Mall have an outdoor eating space.  The outdoor deck at Brotzeit is really nice, covered with umbrellas at one end and exposed to the sun on the other.  The deck, which is really nice for the evenings, is a really great way to get away from the crowds, since it is nice and hot outside, most people choose to sit indoors.  …and, in the afternoons, another benefit to sitting outside it is that it is truly a really nice place to soak in the sun and drink a pint of beer.

We were there for the lunch rush, so we ordered off of the lunch set menu, which is actually a really great deal (opposed to ordering a la carte).  The proportions are descent and the price is really great.

My husband got the Pork Cheese Sausage platter.  This was pretty nice.  It was a pretty good sausage with some mustard on the side.  It wasn't anything spectacular, but it was tasty.

He also got the soup of the day, which was tomato.  This was also all right.  And I only know it is all right because I got to taste test his dishes, which is the great thing about being able to have meals with people close to you…you get to sample off of their orders!

…I got the baked camembert starter, which was nice as well…

And, trying to make healthier choices today, I got one of the healthy salads.  This one was zucchinis, olives, mozzarella and greens.  It was a really nice salad mix.  I'd definitely order more salad selections when I visit the next time.

We also added a dessert platter, which was a deal because it was only a fraction of the normal cost when added to the lunch set.

The late lunch was a really great treat.  It was different…to eating at the local canteen and it gave us a chance to sample a new place.  I'd definitely return to Brotzeit..probably in the evening next time.  I've actually only been testing out the Yoho Mall restaurants during lunch time.  I think it's because most of the time we cook dinner…but, it's nice to have lunch there…

Dinner, though, might be a whole 'nother experience...

Iberico & Co.

Today was the day that we decided to try a NEW place at an OLD favorite mall:  Yoho Mall.  We decided to check out Iberico & Co…just because it looked quite nice with its "outdoor" patio/veranda area. 

Plus, the name is Spanish, so we were expecting some fancy Spanish dishes.

Turns out, the lunch menu included an appetizer buffet.  The buffet drink options included lemonade or peach ice tea.

There were about 15-20 things on the buffet bar …all of them labelled…though, I cannot recall what anything was.  But, this photo should suffice.

Iberico & Co. (Yuen Long) Info:
Location
Shop G002, G/F Yoho Mall

Hours
Daily 11 - 11pm

The lunch set was available from noon till 3 pm.  There were varying options for the main corse, but we opted for the ribs and fish n chips platters.

I always am on the lookout for a tasty bbqed rib…

And fish n chips are always a safe choice when trailing out any new restaurant.

The main dishes were pretty all right, but, I'd say, most people were probably there to fill their bellies up on the appetizer buffet.

In the end, this was a nice change of menu than our usual.  It was nice to sit and people watch for sure. The location and ambience was really nice.  I would definitely come back, but maybe on a date night.  Iberico & Co sort of project a charming and romantic vibe for me.

Holly Browning Again

Today we ventured over to one of our favorite places in Yuen Long (Yoho Mall!) and popped into Holly Brown.  Holly Brown is found all over Hong Kong.  The last time we were there was a month ago when we visited D Park.  Usually, we order gelatos, but we thought we'd try out something new…plus, it was too early in the day for a gelato.  Instead we opted for the brunch/lunch menu.

The awesome thing about the Yoho Mall Holly Brown is that it is in the prime location to people watch.  It sits at the top of the escalators of one of the entrances.  It is also located right above Simply Life.  So, if you like to check out mall-goers, grab a seat on one of the big sofas and a cup of coffee (which, besides gelatos, is what Holly Brown is known for).

This Holly Brown also has a good number of seating available…AGAIN, they have some really nice comfy couches where a party of 6 can easily squeeze in.  It's a great place to have a coffee and a chat with friends for sure.

There is also a great area out on their patio where you can enjoy the cooler mornings and the sunshine.  It's a great area to sun tan actually…but beware of the HARSH Hong Kong UV rays!!!!

For brunch we got a coffee and a tea.  Both, quite nice!

Though…

If you are someone who needs a little sugar here and a little milk there…you have to ask the counter for those.

…a little lovely latte art!

We also got a salmon scramble…this was really nice, especially when sandwiched with a spread of butter and jam.

…and an eggs benedict…one had bacon at the base and the other had strips of prosciutto.

The garnish salads (though just garnishes really) were actually quite nice.  They were a great addition to the brunch…even though they were probably there for the color only!

Though brunch wasn't so incredibly fancy, it did hit the spot.  It's nice to get something simple for brunch.  The taste was not that bad…and the proportions were also really good.  And, being from Seattle, it was nice to have something with salmon in it.  It is like preparation for returning to the Pacific Northwest this coming summer!  Costco prepared salmon anyone?

Simply Life, Yuen Long

Another weekend…another taste test of a restaurant over at Yoho Mall in Yuen Long.  Today's blog post is all about Simply Life, which I've been to a few times in Kowloon Tong's Festival Walk Mall.  We decided to head over to Simply Life for lunch.  It's actually one of the more popular places to eat.  Everytime I pass it there are people in most of the seats.  I knew that the experience was going to be quite satisfying…and who doesn't want to feel like lunch isn't satisfying?

Simply Life is located right next to Applegreen.

The awesome something about the Yoho Mall Simply Life is that you can opt to sit out on the veranda.   And it truly is outdoors, which is something I TRULY APPRECIATE ABOUT restaurants!  It's lovely to be able to sit outdoors on days when the weather is lovely.  It makes the weekend feel more like the weekend…it makes life just more enjoyable.  Plus, it wasn't too sunny or too cold today, so we sat on the deck.

We both ordered off of the brunch menu, which was set at $118 HKD for a salad/soup, main, and a tea/coffee.

I like when menus are condensed to a few really awesome options.  Though…there are quite a bit of options, it's nice when they are just organized into a set.

I got the salad of the day, which was a garden salad with a grapefruit on top.  I also got a side of bread. Both were delicious.  The salad was refreshing, light, and small enough to not make me feel overly full.  The bread was lovely!  I think they make their own breads at the restaurant…because they do have a bread bar that we passed to get out onto the deck.  But, the crust was lovely and hard…while the inside was nice and doughy.  I really loved it.

My husband got the soup of the day, which was pumpkin and a side of bread as well.  This was quite a nice combination…now that I think about it.  The bread was perfect for dunking into the soup…which I only know because I had a little taste of it before he started eating.  The pumpkin soup was really nice.  It wasn't too hot and it wasn't too warm…it had a great flavor and tasted quite fresh.  It was really good.

For the main dishes, I got the fish fillet burger with a side of fries.  It also came with a roasted tomato and pickle as garnish, which made me think of how I used to order pickles on the side with my hot dogs at baseball games.  But, the bun was what I was actually curious about.  I had seen ads for Burger King and McDonalds…when they were offering their black bun burgers.  I think the color of the bun came from squid ink.  I'm not totally sure, but it didn't taste much different from any other bun.  I just really loved the look it of.

The burger was really good though.  The tartar sauce and fish fillet were really good…healthy-tasting even!

We also got a beef burger with guacamole.  This was really nice!  I loved the actual burger bit.  It tasted really fresh…if that could be a thing.  The guacamole was a nice touch as well.  And the cheese that was oozing out all over the burger was really nice.  I'm glad that I got to taste test this before my husband devoured it as well.

It's actually been quite awhile since we'd both had burgers.  It was nice to have them for lunch today!

For drinks, I got the iced tea, which came with orange slices.  This was totally refreshing.  Usually people add lemons to their iced tea…but this makes me want to try some iced tea with orange wedges at home.  It's a nice change of pace.

My husband said the coffee was light and pretty nice.

Funny story about the coffee…the waiter was slowly inching his way over to our table with our drinks in his hand.  When he finally got to the table he said, "I'm sorry.  I'm testing my stability."  I didn't get what he meant…unit lI looked at the coffee saucer and there were dribbles and puddles of coffee all over it.  

I liked that guy's commentary.  It made me really appreciate the great service that we got from everyone that we encountered at the restaurant.  They totally hired some really great people at the Yoho Mall Simply Life.

We got a corner seat, which was really nice.  Here was the view behind me.  I love the greenery.  I really love the environment that Yoho Mall has around the outside.

This was such a great lunch.  This is the third place we've tried at Yoho Mall and I'm totally invested in going here whenever I feel like eating out.  Again…I'm feeling quite grateful that this place opened up in Yuen Long!