Adventure #174: 22 Ships

Finally, we made it to 22 Ships.  This tapas restaurant opens at 6pm and when we got there at 5 mins to 6pm, there was already a queue.

We got in and were seated at the bar which turned out to be rather fun eating and watching the chef prepared our food.

Menu is on the placemat.  Not too extensive. 

We started with their signature sangria.  We didn't like it.  Also too much ice, the drink gets diluted after a while.  Should have had a wine.

Salt cod brandade ortiz anchovy and herb paste. Delicious mouse-like paste.

Mussels with sherry and peas from the daily specials.  Mussels were fresh and juicy.  The sauce on the other hand was a bit bland.

Steak tartar, smoked egg dressing. Different from the ones we tasted in France and Thailand but G thought it was interestingly delicious. Presentation great.

Chorizo, clams and Jamon paella.  The chorizo were like rashes. Blended really well with the flavourful paella.  Must try. 

Goat cheese sorbet, nitro honeycomb, raspberry, oats. a very interesting dessert. The savoury sorbet (my first) went surprisingly well with the sweetness of the honeycomb and the sourness of the raspberry.

Other than the sangria, the food was generally delicious.  Lots more on the menu we haven't tried.  Will definitely be back again for seconds.

22 Ships

G/F, 22 Ship Street

Wan Chai

Tel: 2555-0722

Adventure #173: Soul Food (Bangkok)

After yesterday's excellent dinner at Bottega di Luca, we tried Soul Food Mahanakorn today.  Although Soul Food is not opened by a Thai but by an American food writer, it serves regional Thai food and has good reviews.

The restaurant is small but has a couple of floors. Decor is warm and cosy. We were seated on the ground floor by the window.

Soul Food is also known for its cocktails. No one on our table was interested but I got a Lycheegrass Collins.

Southern Thai samosas made with minced chicken with a mint and yogurt dip.  Tasty and great as a snack with beer.

Pat see ew, wok-seared rice noodle in soy sauce with smoked pork jowl, crispy kale and fried garlic.  This was delicious.  A bit like our Malaysian fried koey teow and the older one loved it.

Charred pork neck salad with a tamrind and chili dressing wuth fried shallots and herbs. This was a great dish. The tamarind dressing very refreshing and the chopped chili definitely a kick.  Great as a starter.

Gaeng massaman, southern-style Massaman curry with chicken and potatoes. Another delicious dish.   It taste different from the curries we normally have at the Indians in HK or the Indian Muslim joints in Malaysia. 

Sticky tamarind ribs, pork ribs braised in a tamarind barbeque sauce and then grilled, with caramelized pineapple on the side.  Interesting dish but didn't really stand out as much compared to the rest.



Isaan smokey grilled chicken wings with sweet chili sauce and a spicy and sour naam jiim.  This was definitely flavourful and another fantastic snack dish with beer.



Isaan and Chiang Mai sausages with vegetables and grilled chili dip.  This dish was definitely the odd one out.  We couldn't really figure out how the different bits on the plate gelled.  Each bit by themself was a bit bland but different combinations didn't quite do the trick either.  I guess this one's just a little too local for us.

Fish in banana leaf with lemongrass, dill and lime and grilled over coals.  The fish was fresh and succulent and would have been great with plain white rice if we all weren't so stuffed and tired.

One small criticism, the dishes came in a haphazard manner i.e. starters came interpersed with the main dishes. Notwithstanding this, the food was definitely up to local standards (although the menu isn't extensive) and there was no attempt to modify the dishes to cater to farangs in the spiciness and authenticity department.  Compared to the Italian the previous day, the price is also very reasonable.  Would definitely recommend this place to any traveller who wants a more comfortable Thai eatery with an authentic spin to traditional dishes.

Soul Food Mahanakorn
56/10 Sukhumvit Soi 55
Tel: +66-85-904-2691
Daily 6:30pm-1am

Adventure #172: La Bottega di Luca (Bangkok)

Today is the older one's 12th birthday and we are celebrating it in Bangkok with my sister and brother-in-law.  The older one likes Western cuisine, so we picked an Italian restaurant for the festive occasion.  We read good reviews on La Bottega di Luca. 

The restaurant has 3 seating areas, 2 indoors and 1 outdoor.  After a hot day at JJ market, we were glad to be given a table indoors next to the wine cabinet. 

The very enticing antipasti counter

The wine cabinet

The main restaurant

One of the art pieces on the wall. We wondered if the artist did this or the chef.....

A nice selection of warm bread

The complimentary onion soup. Delicious.

Caesar's Salad. Nicely done, dressing not too thick.

Classic handcarved Fassone beef tartar with wild rocket and shaved parmesan. Different from the ones we had in France but beef texture very good, mixed with parmesan cheese and rocket, delicious!

Fresh Tuna "yellow fin" tartarre with avocado and anchovies reduction from Cetara.  The tuna was chunky.  Very clever in mixing the saltiness of the anchovies with the sweetness of the sundried tomatoes.  Loved this.

Grilled scamorza (Smoked mozzarella cheese) wrapped in speck ham topped mushrooms in red wine sauce.  Couldn't see the smoked cheese but could taste the smokey flavour.  Once again another delicious dish.  Very rich and creamy.



Tonnarelli basil spaghetti with Blue Crab Meat in a lightly spiced lobster bisque sauce.  Light with a hint of spiciness. The older one loved this.

Luca's speciality, risotto with black truffle cheese topped with lightly spiced cured bacon from Italy. This was simply heavenly. Rich and full of flavour. That is why this is Luca's speciality! Must try.

Tagliatelle with red wine duck confit topped with foie gras medallion and thyme sauce.  I was not too sure of this dish. The duck confit was minced and although tasted good, didn't have a distinct flavour to it and it was a tad dry. The little one liked it though but she is no connoisseur.

Roasted lamb rack with fragrance of Italian herbs.  This dish didn't have a good start. We ordered the lamb medium because my brother-in-law does not like his meat too raw. And the lamb came medium rare. So we had to send it back.  I was a bit disappointed that the kitchen made a mistake.  The "re-cooked" lamb was much better.

The birthday girl got her complimentary tiramisu which was so delicious we had to have another one.

This is what their normal tiramisu looks like.

We also tried the Penacotta with berries. Yum!

We had a very enjoyable dinner. Luca, the chef, was chatty and walked round the restaurants many times. The food was excellent and so was the wine although it was a bit pricey by Thai standards.  Nevertheless, money was not an issue as long as the food was up to par, and it was.

La Bottega di Luca
Soi Sukhumvit 49
Sukhumvit Road
2/F The Terrace 49
Bangkok
Thailand
Tel: +66-2204-1731

Adventure #171: Assaggio Tratoria Italiana

Had some errands to run in the area between Admiralty and Wan Chai. Not many eateries there except in the Art Centre which I have not been for a long while.  There are a couple of restaurants and cafes in there.  And since we do not have a reservation, we ended up at Assaggio.

The restaurant is fairly big with 2 dinning areas.  With no reservation, we were seated at the outer area at the seats by the window.  We were there early and only the inner dining had been filled hence it was a very relaxing lunch for us.


The outer dining area



Seat with an excellent view of the HK habour

The salad bar with some very interesting stuff

The bread basket......someone got to it first!

Spinach soup with pouched egg.  Very nicely done. The soup was delicious and the egg very smooth and yoke running. Mixed with the soup, yum!

Margarita pizza (thick) looked mouth watering. Cherry tomatoes fresh and sweet.  The bread is crispy on the side. Very filling.  We are not used to thick pizza. Delicious but a bit too much for us.

Gnocchi with spinach and walnut.  A delicious dish.

Ended the meal with a cappuccino.

If you can get there early, this place is excellent for a relaxing lunch with sea view.  Food quality is above average. Set lunch between HK$109 (for pizza) and HK$158.

6/F, Hong Kong Arts Centre

2 Harbour Road

Wan Chai

Tel: 2877-3999