Soi Lou Weng Hot Pot Restaurant

Steamboat is very common and can be found in many countries, but clam and crab steamboat is something I have never tried before. Was searching online for places to go to for my Hong Kong trip and happen to come across this steamboat shop which has quite good reviews. So I decided to visit this store and try it out.

There is currently only 1 outlet in Hong Kong is located at Jordan area. It took me quite sometime to find the place as it is quite a walk from the MTR station.

Was so happy to see this signboard after finding the place for 20 mins!

The shop is located inside Jordan Centre and the sign is not very big hence people tend to miss the place. So do keep a lookout for the signboard when looking for this place.

We went on a weekday and was there around 7pm, hence there wasn't a queue nor much people at that time. However, we did made a booking beforehand as I read reviews that the place is normally full and waiting time is quite long. Around 8pm+ the place was really packed with people and maybe cause the place is quite small, I would recommend people who are heading there to make a booking a day before to prevent long waiting time.

 Just by looking at the menu makes me drool already~

They not only have the clams and crab steamboat, they also have clams and lobster steamboat! But of course we tried the chef recommended and best seller clams and crab steamboat! Actually their base is just clams and mixed mushroom and if you want the crab or lobster, you can choose to add in. Price differs with the type of crab you want and how big the crab is. We chose the one with roe and a medium size one. You can also choose if you want a big or small one as well as the level of spiciness. We chose the medium level one and we couldn't take it! After finishing our meal, the waitress then told us that if want to taste the full flavor of the soup, it is better choose without adding spice. So now I know what is the best way to have enjoy the full rich flavor of the soup next time!

After ordering the soup, you can then choose what other items you want to add for your steamboat. Everything is a la carte and I would say the things here are not really cheap but they use premium and fresh ingredients!

 Condiments that you can use to make create your own sauce. It is chargeable by per pax at HK18 each which was quite not worthwhile for people like me who does not use any of it at all :(

Look how rich the soup is and just by smelling the aroma makes me drool! There was indeed a lot of crab roe and it was really very flavorful!!!

 We got the angus beef and it tasted really great! But of course also $$$ too. But with the quality, I would say it's worth it!!

 We also got the hand made beef balls.

 Fish Maw

 Cheese balls which tasted quite nice, something I didn't quite expected. It is very different from the normal fish balls we have as the outer is more hard not the bouncy kind. But together with the melted cheese in it, the overall taste was just right.

Some other vegetables and cuttlefish which are the usual stuffs that we order for steamboat. We also ordered a jug of lemon barley to share.

The overall experience here was wonderful. The soup base was something very different and unique and was really very tasty!! It is something new and not commonly found in any other steamboat places. However I would say the price here is a bit steep so do prepare to spend a little more if you are dining here. I would say the clam and crab soup alone is already quite filling and we definitely over ordered our food! Haha! What's new when a bunch of gluttons are eating together. So I would recommend people to order probably 1-2 dish to go along first and only adding on if you're still not full after finishing to avoid being too bloated or wasting food. If you are looking for something different to try out in Hong Kong, to visit this place at Jordan!

Soi Lou Weng Hot Pot Restaurant

澳门台山水佬荣火锅专家

佐敦道上海街佐敦中心37C-37D号3-4楼

Telephone Number: +852 2327 8282

Operating Hours: Mon - Sun, 6pm to 3.30am

PS: After reaching Jordan MTR station, exit by exit A and then turn right. Keep on walking straight down and after around 3 junctions, you should be able to see the big sign board of the store. The shop is just by the corner.

Tokyo Day 4

Woke up pretty early today to visit the Tsukiji Fish Market. Tsukiji Market (Tsukiji Shijo) is a large wholesale market for fish, fruits and vegetables in central Tokyo. It is the most famous wholesale market that handles the distribution of fish, meat and produce in metropolitan Tokyo. The market is also best konw as one of the world's largest fish markets as many have seen on news or travel variety shows.

We took the JR line and dropped off at Shimbashi and reached the market within 15 to 20 mins of walk from the station. The first sight of the market was overwhelming as it was really HUGE! People and trolleys were moving around and everyone was so busy. Kind of like our local Singapore wet market but 20 times the size of it with much more fish stocks and bigger in sizes too! The market is being sectioned into different areas, mainly the inner market (for whole sale business and tuna auctions which are restricted to authorized personnel only) and the outer market (where retail shops and restaurants are located and opened to the public). The whole market was so lively and busy and everywhere you turn you can see boxes and boxes of fishes. We wanted to try out at one of the restaurants for fresh sushi and sashimi, but the queue outside each shop was horrifying! Even so early in the morning, the place is already filled with tourists! We decided to walk around and buy some snacks along the way instead.

 Have no idea what this is called, but it's just a mixture of seafood grilled in a clam shell. The seafood was so fresh and it tasted so delicious!

 All seafood are freshly captured from the sea, prepared and grilled on the day itself!

 Steam egg! We bought one and finished within seconds and couldn't resist to get another one! The steam egg was so smooth and bouncy and it tasted just right, especially with it just freshly out from the steamer~

Fresh fish roe for sale!

Dried squid to go with beer~

Beef parts sold in one big chunk! :O

 Decided to stop by one of the shops outside the market to have Ebi Tempura Udon! You can choose what ingredients you want and also if you wanted udon or soba. We were lucky to get seats at the counter as some people after us had to stand to have their food. But I guess it's part of the local culture as it seems quite common for the locals to stand and have their food.

After which, we then took the subway down to Shibuya to shop around the big departmental stores.

 And a little break in between to rest our feet and enjoy the scenery from the tall building!

 

The view from the toilet inside Takashimaya building!

By far the best ramen I had throughout the trip!! I finished the whole bowl of ramen, even every single drop of the soup!! We stumbled upon this shop as the pictures got our attention, turns out it is my favorite ramen place now!

 

 

The shop is rather small so during peak hours do prepare to share table with others or have to eat separately with your friends. As usual, you choose and pay for your food from the vending machine and the prices of the ramen ranges from 770 yen to 990 yen. The noodles are freshly made and the soup is filled with pork flavour but not the porky smell in it. The broth is so rich and delicious especially matched together with the soft and bouncy noodles, I just can't get enough of it!

And of course gyozas to go with the noodles! The gyozas tasted quite good too, it was crispy in the outer and juicy meat in the inside!

Kindenmaru Ramen Restaurant 金伝丸

Shibuya 2-9-2 Dogenzaka 

It is located less than 100m from the Shibuya crossing, proximately 5 mins walk from the station.

Definitely would recommend my friends to go visit this shop if they are within the area! By far the best ramen soup base that I had! Too bad I only chanced upon this store on my last night in Tokyo, if not I would visit this place at least 2-3 times. Haha!

After dinner, we continued to shop around the area before taking the subway back to hotel and back our luggage.

Will do a short update on my last day in Tokyo before flying back home. Stay tune! (:

Kamakura Day Trip!

Pork Cutlet Sandwich

With the few days we were in Tokyo, we noticed that bakery shops and supermarkets always have their items at sale near to their closing time. So yesterday we decided to get some discounted bread from one of the bakery store near our hotel for our breakfast today! Most of their items are going off at 30-70% discount and there is a lot of variety to choose from. So if you guys are on a budget, do check out their bakery shops or supermarkets before their closing time.

Monitor showing the weather of all areas in Tokyo for the day

Love the design of the station!

After having our breakfast in the hotel, we then took train down to Tokyo Station to get our train tickets to Kamakura. The train ride from Tokyo station to Kamakura station took around an hour, and both stations are linked directly, hence no transfers were needed in between.

After reaching Kamakura, we then decided to buy the Kamakura-Enoshima Pass which allows unlimited rides in the Kamakura/Enoshima area on JR, Enoshima Electric Railway and the Shonan Monorail. The pass cost 800 Yen per person which we think was quite worthwhile as we will be using the electric railway a lot throughout the whole day in Kamakura.

Ain't their monorail train cute!!

 First stop is Hase to visit Kotokuin Temple where The Great Buddha of Kamakura situated. It is one of the main sightseeing place of Kamakura! The temple is just 5-10 minutes walk away from Hase Station and there are signs along the way to direct tourists.

Some visit to their local shrines

Admission ticket

The temple is opened from 8am to 5.30pm daily and admission tickets are sold at 200 Yen per person. 

The Great Buddha of Kamakura (Kamakura Daibutsu) is a bronze statue of Amida Buddha, which stands on the grounds of Kotokuin temple. It is the second tallest bronze buddha statue in Japan, with the height of 1335 meters! Everyone just look so tiny standing beside the buddha.

Short explanation of how the interior of the buddha was built.

Omelet Fried Rice

After which, we stopped by a small chinese restaurant to have lunch. There isn't much food places around the area so we didn't had much choices to choose from. However, the meal turns out to be quite nice and the food are quite authentic! (:

Purple Potato soft serve ice cream for dessert! One of the local specialty.

 

Hasedera (長谷寺) which is also called "Hase Kannon", is home to the largest wooden statue in Japan, representing Buddhist deity Kannon. There is an excellent view over the bay from the Observation platform. Entrance fee was 300 yen which we gave it a miss.

 After that, we then continued our journey from Hase to Enoshima to visit the famous Enoshima Iwaya Cave. (However after reaching and searching around, we then found out that it was closed for repair!)

Enjoying the sea view in the train

A model that pretty much summaries the Shonan area.

 

 

 

Enoshima Shrine

The temple is open daily from 8am to 5pm and admission if free. But do prepare for a long walk up the shrine with a lot of steps along the way!

 

 

View of the area from the shrine

Look how beautiful the view is!

Enoshima Tenboutoudai (Enoshima Lighthouse and Observation Tower)

We heard that the view was magnificent from the tower, but we were reallyyyy tired from all the walking and climbing throughout the whole day. Hence we gave it a miss and enjoyed the scenery from below.

Sea view

 

 

 

 The Iwaya-Bashi bridge which links directly to the Enoshima Iwaya Cave. Was so sad to found out that it was closed for repairs :(

 Decided to enjoy the some sea breeze and the sunset by the beach before walking back down to have dinner!

There were quite a few restaurants along the way and we decided to visit this restaurant as the display of their food outside the shop captured us and what's more, the restaurant is situated right beside the sea side! Hence we managed to get some rest for our feet after walking for the whole day, climbing up and down steps and mountains while enjoying our dinner with a nice sea view~ Food was pretty great and the seafood was huge and fresh!

After which, we then took the train back to Tokyo station and change back to our hotel. Everyone went to enjoy a good dip in the onsen to relax our tired body before crashing into bed. Really enjoyed the day trip to Kamakura! Love how peaceful and nice the place is, would definitely recommend people to go have a visit if you have not gone before. Great place for friends, family and even couples!

Will update more on my trip this week, so do stay tune!! (: xoxo