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Mongkok

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We must have passed Mongkok a hundred times since it opened, but a couple of days ago we finally decided to give this restaurant a try. We grabbed a table outside (much cooler) and began to peruse the menus. Bewilderingly, there were two of these - one with photos and no prices, and one with prices and no photos, so having found something on one which looked appetising, we then had to search for it again to discover the cost.
There are a number of interesting items on offer, such as Century Egg, Fish Head Dimsum, Tripe Dimsum and more than one dish involving chickens feet. However, we were feeling a little more conservative and chose Salt and Pepper Squid, (below) together with Beef & Broccoli with Oyster Sauce, and Salad Shrimp Puffs. Our side order of fried rice had to be specially arranged, as the only fried rice listed on the menu was the Yang Chow Fried Rice, which comes with meat and vegetables, and is almost a dish in itself. The chef was able to accomodate us without any problems though.

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The squid was excellent - soft and tender, cooked in a light batter, with just the right amount of mild chillis. It came with a vinegar dip, which was the perfect compliment to the dish.

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The Beef and Broccoli was also pretty tasty - though I personally found the meat a little fatty and slightly chewy, the broccoli was cooked to perfection (on the crunchy side, just how I like it) and the sauce (with carrots, ginger and green onions) was delicious.

The Salad Shrimp Puffs were a little disappointing though. Perhaps they had been cooked in advance and then reheated, as the edges were nice and cripy while the middles were soggy and not very appetising looking. The mayo dip was pretty uninspiring too.

All in all I have mixed feelings about this place. To be honest, we already had pre-concieved ideas about this kind of neon-lit, generic chain restaurant, and in many ways we were pleasantly surprised. However the prices were higher than I expected (though not ridiculously high), and this conflicted with some other aspects of the place. For example, our drinks being served to the table in the can, complete with cracked plastic glasses? - a little shoddy.

The staff were attentive, though at one point I almost wanted to asked them to back off a little while we were eating and give us some space - they hovered a bit too much. The ambience was OK - not what you'd call romantic, due to the busy location in the mall plaza, but nice nonetheless. Live music was provided by the Hobbit House band across the street, and it was fun people-watching as the diminutive sized touts tried to hustle the customers inside for an overpriced beer. Would we go back? Yes, I think we would, if only for another plate of that pepper squid. The soups look pretty good too, so I wouldn't mind returning to Mongkok at some stage.