My first few meals in Hong Kong were decidedly on the budget side of the ledger, with street food being a major component. After a few days of that, however, I decided to give some real restaurants a try. In the SoHo (South of Hollywood) neighborhood on HK Island there are several block packed with restaurants of just about every regional cuisine I could think of, and the mix of patrons was similarly diverse. I tried two of them, an Italian/tapas restaurant called enoteca and a steak place called CraftSteak.
enoteca has a lot going for it, including seats at the bar (my preferred dining location when on the road alone). Upon taking my seat I was surprised to see Prosecco draught:
I’m not sure why that is so impressive to me, but it is. Beyond that the menu is a collection of small plates – about 20 to choose from – ranging from garlic bread to steak cooked in a chili and garlic sauce (delicious and tender). There was a feta & zucchini something that tasted very little like feta nor zucchini, and the blackened salmon was prepared with a collection of spices that I’ve never experienced before, but it was all rather tasty. And, in a nod to the type of service I like to see, it was obvious that the bartender and the floor manager both knew their regulars and made sure they were taken care of. The prices were fair for the food provided and the overall atmosphere was definitely enjoyable.
Following that dinner would prove to be rather difficult. For me, CraftSteak was the attempt, just a few doors down from enoteca. I had a twinge of regret about eating there when I realized that there was no bar to sit at. Still, I took a seat at a table for one and settled in for my meal. The steak – an Australian ribeye – was delicious and cooked just right, which is to say barely at all. They also have a choice of ~10-15 different sauces that you can add to the steak, including a shallot butter that melted on top quite nicely. The appetizer and side dishes, however, were a bit blah. Considering the price I was a bit disappointed in the meal overall, but wouldn’t skip if I was looking for a decent steak and didn’t want the Morton’s or Ruth’s Chris experience in Hong Kong.
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