Aqua Belle, Intercontinental Hotel, Onna, Okinawa

Konichiwa from Japan, where this entry is part of the greater Hong Kong series. On my birthday we popped into the Intercontinental Hotel Manza Beach Resort for my birthday lunch.

They have a few restaurants and we chose Aqua Belle, which does a western style lunch buffet. It has a well-lit, spacious setting and we got a window seat to have a good view of the sea.

For my first visit to the food counters I went for soup and salad. I poured a Clam Chowder from a machine and accompanied it with a baguette and Hokkaido butter. The soup did tasted like a it was from the sachet though. From the salad counter I picked a variety consisting of a green salad with vinegar dressing; potato salad and pasta salad, which was a better starter.

From top: Salad and Soup

I moved onto main dishes on my next visit and picked Chicken, Risotto and Pork Belly. The pork was actually served from someone standing at a carvery, which I thought was roast beef. However, the pork was nice and tender with salt and chilli tomato sauce to accompany it. The risotto was a little bit too sticky and lumpy but OK to taste and the chicken pieces were well grilled with some kind of spicy, tikka-style marinade. You will also see at the top of the picture below an iced milk tea, which was available from the counters to make for yourself.

Clockwise from 11 o'clock: Chicken, Risotto and Pork

The grilled chicken was that nice that it made another appearance on my third plate of food, which also consisted of pasta, chicken cooked another way and salmon. The pasta had beans mixed in and a cheese type sauce, which overall was a little bland. The fried chicken had a tomato based sauce and was fine. The pan fried salmon steaks were good though.

Clockwise from 11 o'clock: Two types of Chicken, Salmon and Pasta

On my last visit to the counters I chose sweet items. I took a plate of Cookies, Bread and Butter Pudding and Cake, along with a bowl of Watermelon and Dragonfruit. The cookies were crunchy, the bread and butter pudding was sweet and moist but could have done with some custard, the cake was a nice chocolate sponge type but not too sweet and the fruit was refreshing. What is not in shot is a purple coloured, Sweet Potato flavoured ice cream, Mr Whippy style. That was the last item I ate, which filled me up sufficiently.

From Left: Dessert and Fruit

So Aqua Belle does some good and some average Western type dishes. The waiters are friendly and efficient when clearing our plates and topping up our glasses with water and it offers fair value for money, compared to other hotel restaurants in Japan.

Scores:
Food: 3/5
Presentation: 3/5
Service: 3/5
Setting: 4/5

Overall: 13 /20

Total bill: Free, it was my wife's treat!

I ate: All of the above.

I drank: A self made iced milk tea, water.

I wore: The smile of a birthday boy.

Dragonair, Somewhere over the East China Sea

Hot on the heels of LQ Editor in Chief's lunch on board Turkish Airlines, I am on a Dragonair flight to Okinawa for a short holiday with my wife.

My flight departed at noon so lunch was served soon after take off. There was a choice of fish or pork and I chose the latter.

As I removed the foil lid from the main course I revealed three slices of pork belly, carrot, turnip and Chinese leaf. It was also accompanied with rice. The pork had a decent balance of meat and fat and was nice. I finished off the vegetables but left some of my rice as I had sufficient.

My in flight meal

There was a fruit side dish consisting of watermelon, melon and papaya slices, which brought a good end to my meal.

A bread roll with Lurpak butter was also included in the meal but I could not finish it off.

Apart from the foil lid everything else was in plastic, including the cutlery. However, that did not affect the taste as the lunch was fine enough fare to be served on a 2.5 hour journey. My economy seat was spacious enough and tray table was functional for the class I was in and the service was amiable from the air stewardesses.

Scores:
Food: 3/5
Presentation: 2/5
Service: 3/5
Setting: 3/5

Overall: 11/20

Total bill: Included in the flight price, which was about £350.

I ate: Pork belly with rice and vegetables, fruit slices and some bread.

I drank: Schweppes ginger ale and a cup of Chinese tea afterwards.

I wore: Jeans and t-shirt holiday wear.

Torigushi, Happy Valley, Hong Kong

We popped into this local Japanese restaurant, on a Sunday afternoon. Not sure if it was because we were having a late lunch but we were the only customers, so it was not hard finding a seat.
We sat down and ordered quickly and I chose from one of their set menus that consisted of several courses, of which the main course was cod.

After ordering we were presented with our Salad starter. Whilst the speed of delivery meant it was pre-prepared, the ingredients of different leaves and cherry tomatoes was fresh and came with a tasty dressing.

Salad and Table Setting

Next came a Miso Soup and a bowl of Steamed Egg. The egg was nice and light with some Shitake mushrooms added in. However, I could not finish the soup as there was too much Miso flavouring that gave it a powdery taste.

Miso Soup left, Steamed Egg right

I was then given two fried dumplings as shown below. They were freshly cooked and piping hot when served, along with a soy sauce -vinegar dip. The pastry exterior was golden and had a slight crunch with the inside was a tasty pork based filling.

Fried Dumpling

My main dish grilled cod arrived as the last course. I was given two slices that were on bed of lettuce, with some mayonnaise for a dip which was all  accompanied with a bowl of plain white rice. The fish was nicely grilled and seasoned so tasted good. The bowl of rice was too much and I could not finish it all off, however.

Grilled Cod Main Course

Whilst the food was decent enough, towards the end of the meal my wife noticed something not quite right. There was a cockroach near her on the floor. We alerted the staff and they did catch and dispose of it but questions must be raised about the restaurant's hygeine, considering it is not a local cafe nor has an open face exposed to the exterior. Therefore overall, Torigushi has good enough food and is of decent value, but cleanliness will be an issue if we think about coming here again.

Scores:
Food: 3/5
Presentation: 3/5
Service: 3/5
Setting: 2/5

Overall: 11/20

Total bill: $208, so about £9 a head

I ate: All of the above, leaving some rice and miso soup behind.

I drank: Ice lemon tea, which was part of the meal.

I wore: Polo shirt and cargo shorts.

Lobby Lounge, Conrad Hotel, Hong Kong

I am back in Hong Kong for this blog and it is more of a Cakequest as we had afternoon tea at the Lobby Lounge of the Conrad Hotel one Sunday afternoon.

Their afternoon tea is a buffet with a wide selection of savoury and sweet dishes to choose from. We arrived just after 3pm and had about two hours to eat as much as we could.

I decided to go savoury for my first dish and picked the following shown in the photograph:Vegetable Samosa; Pita Bread with Hummus; Smoked Salmon Ciabatta; Bacon Quiche and Roast Potato with Cheese. These were all delightful little finger food treats that stared the afternoon off very well.

Clockwise from 12 o'clock: Roast Potato & Cheese; Bacon Quiche; Samosa; Smoked Salmon; Hummus & Pitta Bread

My second dish had these savoury items: Har Gow; Chicken Wing; Prawn; Teriyaki Chicken Skewer and Cream of Seafood with filo pastry. This was a least favourite plate as I found the fried prawns and chicken skewer a bit bland. The rest of the plate whilst nothing bad, did not really go with my cup of Darjeeling.

Prawn Dumpling; Chicken Wing; Prawn; Teriyaki Skewer; Cream  of Seafood & Filo Pastry

Savoury items were also on my third plate, which had: Cucumber sandwich with cream cheese; Salad with pepper, cucumber & carrot with dressing. I chose the sandwich as it is a classic afternoon tea item and the salad for its lightness and to get my five portions of fruit / veg a day.

From top: Cucumber Sandwich; Salad

I finally picked some sweet items the fourth time I went to for food. This time another classic part of afternoon tea filled my plate: the scone. I took two scones, one plain and another raisin. I accompanied the scones with cream and strawberry jam. The scones were nice and not too dry, with the raisins adding some sweetness to them.

Scones: Plain on left; Raisin on right

Although the sign said clotted cream it was actually whipped cream, much to my wife's disdain. She is a bit of a connisuer when it comes to scones and cream and expressed her disappointment to the management. In a good show of customer service it was replaced with clotted cream by them, which kept my wife happy.

So with this staff friendliness I quite liked the place. The lounge area is bright and had comfortable seats, with nice tableware.

We had enough to eat, all of which was good and there were items we did not have room in our stomachs to try such as cakes and sushi so something to choose from the next time I visit.

Scores:
Food: 4/5
Presentation: 3/5
Service: 4/5
Setting: 4/5

Overall: 15/20

Total bill: $500, about £20 a head.

I ate: All of the above.

I drank: Darjeeling Tea.

I wore: Smart Jeans and Polo Shirt.

Coast, Rasa Ria Resort, Sabah, Malaysia

This late lunchquest is about the dinner I had with my wife at Shangri-La's Coast restaurant, on the last night of our stay at the hotel.

I booked a gazebo for a romantic outdoor dinner on the beach. Prior to dinner we were able to watch the sunset as I had reserved the gazebo for the evening, which was a pleasant way to start.

We went back to our room to freshen up and when we returned to the gazebo the table had already been set up for us and our butler was there to show us our seats. As well as booking the gazebo we had a prearranged menu, where we had a choice of starter, main course and dessert.

After choosing what to eat we were given a cocktail, which was part of the set menu but we had to remind our butler to bring it to us.

Carrot Veloute Amuse Bouche

The first dish to arrive was actually not shown on the menu and it was a Carrot Velouté for the amuse bouche. This small portion of soup was a nice surprise, with it being light and enough flavour.

I had chose Beef Carpaccio as my starter. Strips of raw beef were dressed with lettuce leaves, croutons and a creamy pepper dressing. The whole dish was nice enough, although they could have seasoned the beef a bit more.

My starter of Beef Carpaccio

For the main I opted for the Sea Bass. The fish was poached as it was served with a lemon garlic nage and sat on a bed of peppers with a broccoli puree. It was well cooked so that the fish meat was flaky and all the flavours combined well to make this a tasty dish.

Sea Bass Main Course

I went for profiteroles as my dessert. However, prior to serving I was told that there was no vanilla ice cream for them, which was replaced by chocolate flavour. The dessert was fine but the pastry could have been tasted a bit fresher and the having the vanilla ice cream might have given the dish more balance rather than having too much chocolate.

My Dessert of Profitiroles

Whilst I have referred to using butler (which was what was advertised) as the person who served us I would class her as a waiter. Service was friendly enough but not to the attentiveness and skill-level to butler standard.

The gazebo setting was lovely. The weather had cooled down during the evening but was warm enough for the mosquitos to have a good feed on us, though.

The price I paid per head for this dinner is about the same I had paid before for lunch at Caprice and whilst I had a nice time here, value for money wise I would still much prefer Caprice for food and service.

Scores:
Food: 3/5
Presentation: 4/5
Service: 3/5
Setting: 5/5

Overall: 15/20

Total bill: 650MYR, about £65 a head.

I ate: Australian Beef carpaccio, Sea Bass, Profiteroles with Warm Chocolate Sauce

I drank: Cabernet Sauvignon and ice water.

I wore: Long sleeve shirt and chinos, but still managed to get bitten by mosquitos.

Tepi Laut, Shangri-La Rasa Ria Resort, Sabah, Malaysia

On our second full day of our stay at this Shangri-La resort, we had lunch by their swimming pool and ordered from the above restaurant, which is just next to the pool.


The seats are poolside sun loungers and tables are are small side-tables for placing items. The staff are by the poolside and easy to get their attention and provide very good service. We were given the menu first and they returned a few moments later to take our order.


I went for a very westernised burger and chose a lemonade to go with it.

My wife, whose birthday was that day, opted for just a portion of chips and a lime soda for her birthday lunch.

The food took a while to arrive and I even managed to doze off briefly.  Given I was lying on a sun lounger and having partaken in swimming in both the sea and pool earlier, it was not hard for my eyes to rest.

When my order arrived the plate contained my burger, which consisted of beef patty; bacon slice with melted cheese; lettuce; tomato; cucumber; gherkin; red onion and sesame seed bun. On the side was a very small pot of coleslaw and a bowl of chips.

My Burger and Chips

The burger tasted great, with a substantial patty of beef that was well cooked and the salad ingredients were fresh too, adding extra flavour. The bacon was beef as we were in Malaysian and cheese was melted on top. The chips were freshly made and piping hot and a good side dish. Only the coleslaw was the weak point of the meal.


The lemonade was freshly made and very refreshing on this hot day. It came with a small pot of syrup for you to adjust the sweetness to your liking. 


All in all a very satisfying lunch by the pool.

Scores: Food: 4/5 Presentation: 3/5 Service: 3/5 Setting: 4/5
Total: 14/20

Bill for my food: 52MYR, just over ￡10.

I ate: Classic Burger and French Fries

I drank: Fresh Lemonade

I wore:  Swimming Shorts, geographically challenged LA Dodgers baseball cap.

Sapi Island, Sabah, Malaysia

This entry is another from the 'greater Hong Kong' series. It was the first lunch my wife and I took from our holiday to Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia. We went on a day trip that included a trek around a local island called Gaya Island and snorkelling around Sapi island that was nearby. Included in the trip was a barbecue lunch and this is how we got on.

Although advertised as a barbecue, what we got was a buffet style arrangement were you helped yourself to the food. Presumably most of the food items on offer were grilled.

We queued and took our food from the metal containers and onto our plastic plates. On the photograph below you will see fish, crab, prawns, sweetcorn, satay, fish balls, chicken wings and sausages, which were probably the barbecued items. Along with these I also helped myself to some rice and noodles.

My first lunch of the holiday

The fish (not sure the of the name, but it is translated to 'big eyed chicken' from Chinese) and crab were nice and meaty but could have done with more seasoning. Fish balls were good too, as was the chicken satay sticks, although no peanut sauce to accompany it. The chicken wings were well cooked, moist and sweet. The rest of my meal was adequate sustenance to refuel myself after some hiking and snorkelling. As it was a buffet I went up to the food counters another time.

There was also watermelon as a fruit dessert, which was sweet enough.

As noted we ate off plastic plates, with basic cutlery and tableware laid out on the beach. Tables were only cleared once everyone had finished, but all this was expected from beachside lunching. Service was minimal but one cannot complain too much.

All in all an enjoyable lunch seeing as it was by the sea, sun was shining and the first proper day of my holiday.

Scores:
Food: 3/5
Presentation: 2/5
Service: 2/5
Setting: 3/5
Total: 10/20

Total Bill: included in the cost of the day excursion, which apportioning this lunch with the trek and snorkelling would maybe be 20GBP a head.

I ate: All of the above

I drank: A Cola flavoured carbonated drink, still water.

I wore: Swimming shorts, snorkelling gear