Cafe Grouchos - Nice Burger & Cute Sliders

★★★★☆

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We came to Stanley today planning to spend the afternoon on the beach. My friend asked me to find a place for brunch beforehand, and so we went to Cafe Grouchos.

Cafe Grouchos is an outdoor cafe located at Stanley Waterfront Mart, especialises in fast food such as hotdogs and burgers. Right next to Grouchos, there is a rival cafe which serves similar food, so look carefully if you want to pay a visit here (I heard next door wasn't that good). Tables come and go quite quickly within 10 minutes, so its worthwhile for those minutes of wait.

Crystal Lotus 晶荷軒 - Disney Dim Sum

★★★★★

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Disneyland is a dream world for all kids and adults. Even when it comes to food, Disney still does a spectacular job too.

Crystal lotus is a Chinese Restaurant located in Disney which serves dim sum shaped in popular Disney characters. However the popular dim sum do not offer daily, so it is better if you book them in advance.

Pudding - YUCK! Frozen Toast!

☆☆☆☆☆

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Pudding is a dessert shop in Tai Hang that I had been wanting to try for long. I went there today with my friends and was hugely disappointed.

The shop was small but furnished in cosy simplicity. The ambiance was nice with relaxing music playing in the background. The menu was simple and we had no clue what the desserts look like from the picture. The staff was friendly and eager to serve, they passed us his iPhone and showed us the pictures of their desserts. (Shouldn't it be iPad serving this function nowadays?) Anyway, we ordered the following...

Home made Cherry New York Cheesecake!

My family loves the previous Blueberry Cheesecake that I made and kept requesting for another one. The previous cheesecake did not require any baking, so this time I made one that requires.

I found this amazing looking New York Cheesecake in Smitten Kitchen and followed with slight adjustment. Smitten Kitchen is my best cake source for baking, as their cakes are usually tasteful with clear instruction and baking tips! I have tried making New York Cheesecake for many times without fail, but I never tried making one with any fruit sauce as topping as suggested by Smitten Kitchen.

Mostaccioli Brothers - Italian Hidden Gem

★★★★★

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We were originally going to Ricks for dinner to celebrate a friend's birthday, but Ricks cancelled our booking without calling us because we were 15 minutes late. Great, no one ever informed us about the reservation conditions. So we changed our plan and went to Mostaccioli Brothers instead.

Mostaccioli Brothers is a hidden gem along Elgin Street, the entrance was not easy to find. Walking down the dark walkway with flickering candle lights, you will reach a romantic outdoor terrace. Further down the pavement, you will see an indoor restaurant with a more cosy setting.

The Press Room - Fancy Ambiance

★★★★☆

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After reading Jason's review on The Press Room, it had been on my to try list for quite sometime but its only today that I went. The drive was originally for the frites, but I forgot to order it until I became full lol. Even so, I pretty much enjoyed my visit there and perhaps next time I could try it.

The Press Room is under the Press Room Group who also owns restaurants like The Pawn and The Classified. The Press Room is the first restaurant that the group founded, the idea behind the restaurant and the group name was from the fact that the location was once the offices of the Overseas Chinese Daily Newspaper back in the 1920s. I generally enjoy dinning in the restaurants of the Press Room Group, the nice and chilling ambiance is probably the main reason I love spending time there. It is always nice spending time in their restaurants with intimate friends and my loved one. (Remark: Please omit SML from the list though)

Sun Tung Lok - "French Style" Chinese Cuisine

★★★★★

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I was elated about tonight's dinner because first I had not seen my friends for a long time and second I wanted to try Sun Tung Lok for ages. Last year in 2011, Sun Tung Lok was rated 3-star Michelin, this year the rating went down to 2-star. Nonetheless Michelin is only a reference, it's always better to try and judge it yourself. :)

Although we dined on a Tuesday, the restaurant was quite empty given its fame. The decor was classy, so was the utensils on the table. The ivory chopsticks definitely signifies the status of this restaurant, but its different shape and coloured chopsticks did not seem to be appreciated by the younger generation. Anyhow, it is good to experience a real pair of ivory chopsticks as I don't think I have ever seen one before? Hm...not sure.