Deja Vu

I know I said I wouldn't write about bars or clubs because I try my best not to go out at night. I'm just too old and impatient for it. However, there are two places that I do visit occasionally, and one of them is Deja Vu, which is owned by some friends of mine.

Yes, so I'm biased, but I really do like Deja Vu over in Soho. Unlike other bars, it's not filled with sports enthusiasts shrieking over sweaty guys playing with a ball or annoying, hick/suburban youngsters overexcited about drinking and going "HEY MAN, I'M SO DRUNK RIGHT NOW," or desperate, pathetic people who need to have sex with strangers because they don't know how to fill the void of their insecurity and low self-esteem. The proprietors are gay, so although it isn't exactly a gay bar, the crowd tends to have more gay men and women, which means that the sophistication level is much higher than at other places.

The music is good and it's never too loud. It's not like those horrid bars with shitty hiphop and Eurotrash guido music that's turned up so loud that the person next to you could let go of a fart that would melt the wallpaper and no one would know.

Plus the cocktails at Deja Vu are just delightful. They have one with lemongrass that is just delicious, and if you don't like any of the cocktails on the menu, ask Kenneth the bartender to whip something up for you. And by the way, Kenneth is GORGEOUS (and straight). I took the Other Dude to Deja Vu a long time ago, and she said that it was wrong for me to hit on Kenneth because Kenneth is too beautiful to be harassed. He's like a painting that must only be appreciated and left unsullied. So, if any of you bitches try anything on Kenneth, I will cut you. If I can't have him, no one can!

Cocktails are about HKD75 each. This is quite reasonable for Hong Kong, considering that most other bars will charge upwards of HKD140 for a cocktail. Yes, Hong Kong is ridiculous with the alcohol prices.

Pardon my shitty photographs, it was 3 AM when I took them, and although I didn't have much to drink, I had overindulged in painkillers and was getting tiny seizures. For much better photographs and directions to Deja Vu, check out their Web site here.

I forget the name of this cocktail. I think it's called Thai Beauty.

The smoking lounge. I was at Deja Vu with a couple of chicks, and one of them wanted to smoke so we sat here under the canopy.

There are fresh flowers all the time.

The main bar area.

Stairs leading up to the private lounge. I used to do tarot reading sessions there. Long story.

Inside the private lounge.

View of the main bar area from the stairs.

The bar. Kenneth had gone home by the time I took the photograph. Ugh, missed my chance. But I did touch his hand so I'm happy.

The entrance foyer, which doubles as a smoking area, as well.

台式 Exploding Bubble Tea

Holy shit, kids! The Other Dude and I had a fucking miraculous experience here. We were wandering around Mong Kok in search of Cha Time because I was insistent that the OD have a cup, even though there is already a Cha Time in Malaysia (where the OD lives). I didn't realize that the OD wanted to try Gong Cha instead because they didn't have one there.

Anyway, I was pretty sure that there was a Cha Time in Mong Kok, but I just wasn't sure where it was. As we wandered around looking for it, the OD wisely said that we should try something new out and maybe be pleasantly surprised.

So when we came across 台式, we figured, why not? A small bubble tea was only HKD7 and a large one was only HKD10, after all. The OD wanted just a normal bubble tea, but my curiosity was piqued by the sign saying 草梅魔豆爆爆珠奶茶. It more or less translates as "Strawberry magic beans exploding pearl milk tea." HOW CAN YOU RESIST?

I really had no idea what I was going to get, so I ordered it (I hate surprises but it's okay if food is involved). And dudes, HOLY FUCKING SHIT. The look on my face, I could really imagine what it was because it was the same look on the OD's face when she tried the exploding bubble tea. IT WAS FUCKING AMAZING. Instead of the normal chewy bubbles, you get bubbles that burst and explode with juice in your mouth. It's like those giant roe in sushi. It's like caviar. It's like hotdogs with liquid cheese filling. It's like...okay, my mind just went to a dirty place, and I think it's time that it returned home where it's safe. It's only HKD7 or HKD10!

The OD was kind enough to hold the cup up for me.

Such a pretty colour! In the end, we came across a girl drinking a Cha Time bubble tea, and it turned out that the Cha Time wasn't even too far away. I'm really glad we got to try this, though. I shall be back for more exploding bubble tea!

台式 is on Shantung Street, just off the Ladies' Night Market.

Ku-suya Rakuen

I'm not one of those people who can peck away at food and feel satisfied. I have to feel full, like there's a chunk of food in my belly. Because of that, I've learned that before I have a meal at a Japanese restaurant, I'd better eat something beforehand unless I want to end up with a terrifyingly high bill.

I'd been to Ku-suya Rakuen in Causeway Bay before, and I remembered how tiny the portions were, so I ate a couple of buns and popped a painkiller or two for good measure. (Incidentally, you might notice my references to alcohol and painkillers throughout this blog. I'm not an addict, but I do indulge in them in a very disciplined and moderate way.)

Ku-suya Rakuen is part of a group of restaurants owned by a couple of Chinese people and an Okinawan, which is why you'll find quite a lot of Okinawan dishes or drinks on the menu. It's at the 12th floor of Circle Tower on Tang Lung Street.

The interior of the restaurant. It's super tiny, seats maybe around twenty five. My friend and I sat at the bar so that I could stare at the Okinawan waiter. My mother's family has some Japanese blood, and I'm convinced that it might be Okinawan blood because most of the Okinawans I meet look like my relatives.

Ku-suya Rakuen is an alcoholic's paradise.

The famous awamori liquor from Okinawa. I really wanted to drink some, but I'd vowed not to drink any alcohol for a few days (See? Disciplined!) because I've been partaking in too much gin lately, and I've developed a worrying alcohol paunch. It could be my liver just all swollen up, though.

How cute is this cheeky little drunk? He sort of looks like the chubby version of the dude tattooed on my back.

I once got so addicted to edamame, I bought a kilo of it to eat every day. It gives you gas.

Specials.

Jesus, there is so much liquor. Obviously, you can buy a bottle to take home, and the staff are pretty helpful and knowledgeable.

My friend ordered two glasses of Nico Nico awamori, mistakenly assuming I'd be able to drink. Alas, my willpower (and fear of the paunch) is too strong. It smelled lovely, though, and I enjoyed seeing the jars being opened and the alcohol measured out.

Now, for the food! Snapper carpaccio. Well...I didn't really like it, but my friend loves snapper, and he thought it was great.

Bitter melon and tofu. I was surprised that I liked this (not a big fan of tofu, either). The slight bitterness really offset the flavour of the tofu and the pork.

Fried camembert cheese with blueberry jam. I will refrain from commenting about my period. This was surprisingly good, as well. I might try making this at home.

Must resist talking about my period.

Absolutely terrific! This is the scallops dish, and it was sheer loveliness. Cooked to perfection, the sauce was not overwhelming and the scallops tasted so fresh.

I took a picture of what the people sitting next to us ate. They mostly focussed on mainstream stuff like fried chicken wings, dumplings, tempura and yakitori. Expats.

My friend loves oysters, so we also tried the fried oysters. Also very good. I hate mayonnaise so I didn't try any of that nonsense.

Anyway, I wore my sweater from Manique over a Cotton On slip. Can you see the asymmetry of the sweater, especially how the buttons twist to one side and the slanting hem? Love it.

I ended up not wearing the tights and just wore my thigh-high boots. I finally figured out a way to keep them up! My friend got a Prada bag as a gift, and the box came with this really strong garter elastic thing. He gave me the elastic, and I sewed it to the inside of the tops of my boots, and it works! It's cutting off circulation a bit, but the vain don't complain!

The weather really got me confused because it's really cold in my flat, so I also put on a faux fur jacket from H&M. By the time I got to the MTR, though, I was so overheated that I was stripping down to the slip.

Books & Co.

I'm not really sure if this entry will help any visitors to Hong Kong as this particular cafe is rather out of the way. However, since I like this place so much, I thought I'd write something about it.

Books & Co. is a tiny cafe on Park Road up in the Mid-levels, across the street from St. Stephen's College. You can take the number 13, number 23 and 40M buses, get off when the bus rounds the corner of the HSBC. Books & Co. is right at the bus stop, but there's some construction going on, so don't miss it.

If you are a dude, I suggest not lingering around the area too much because St. Stephen's is a convent school for girls, and you know teen-aged girls are the most vicious commentators when it comes to guys. Shakespeare obviously didn't have a teen-aged daughter when he was talking about sharp serpents' teeth. Unless you feel like being exposed to a group of giggling girls who will stare at you and say rude things that will shrivel the hair on your balls, get your ass in the cafe quick-quick. Trust me on this, I'm a convent girl as well, and I'm no stranger to making guys cry.

The cafe is filled with secondhand books that you can read as you sit there or just buy. I always end up walking out with at least one book to replace the ones that I lost when I moved flats last March.

Cosy little nook where you can stare at passersby and make rude comments about them. Yes, it's hard to remove that convent training. Sister Dina, I will continue to make you proud!

Another cosy little nook.

According to my friend who studies at St. Stephen's (yes, I'm old enough to be her mother, but she is one of my closest friends, isn't that scary?), it gets really busy here around lunch time, and unless you want to have a side-eye staring contest with professional bitches over a table, don't show up till after two. I was here at around four in the afternoon, and it was really quiet and nice. The lady at the counter said that they're open every day until eleven at night.

The dude in the dark sweater was kind of cute. I wanted to get a picture but his unattractive friend kept getting in the way. Shoo! Don't stand in the way of handsomeness!

A cake and coffee tea set is about HKD40. Lunch  is about HKD60 and up.

This place smells so wonderful, like coffee in a warm library. Love it.

Chai Run Thai Food

I'm such an idiot. I totally forgot to take a picture of this restaurant and focussed mostly on the food.

Actually, I was a dumbass this whole evening. I went to Kowloon City and then wandered around a bit in Yau Ma Tei with some friends from out of town, and I completely forgot to photograph Yau Ma Tei. We even went into a Taiwanese dessert-type place that was open till about three in the morning or something. Ah, my bad, my bad.

Anyway, let's talk about Kowloon City and Thai food. Kowloon City is where Little Thailand (and also, many of my fellow Hokkien) is located. I lived in Kowloon City when I first moved to Hong Kong, so I have quite fond memories of it, even though it's now being gentrified quite rapidly.

People who like those Initial D-type cars for drifting and stuff will also like this area because there are still many of the garages that fix up these cars here, although most seem to be more concentrated just outside Kowloon City in Ma Tau Wai. The old Kai Tak airport is in Kowloon City, and since it's been converted into an entertainment zone with go karting and a bowling alley among other things, it seems like a lot more youths have been hanging around, as well.

There are a lot of really excellent Thai restaurants in the area, but I'll go through them one by one. As a rule of thumb, though, I would suggest avoiding the flashier-looking restaurants with the huge neon signs like Cambo. Their food is acceptable but not nearly as authentic or delectable as the smaller, family-run businesses.

I took my friends to Chai Run Thai Food on 33 Nam Kok Road, intersection Nga Tsin Wai Road. I've been going there for years, so we got seated quite quickly on the sidewalk, which I quite like at night during cold weather. There aren't too many cars passing by to choke you with engine fumes, the air is fresh, and you can smugly tuck into your food while people pass by, drooling in envy. Incidentally, it's quite fun to people watch in Kowloon City, lots of really fascinating-looking folks, from the grizzled uncles and aunties to the young teens hanging out with their friends to little kids and pets wearing hilarious animal outfits.

The staff at Chai Run are super cool. They are mostly Thai aunties, and when I first started frequenting this restaurant, I still messed around with the...how shall we say...less law-abiding young men of Hong Kong, and they used to tsk me whenever I showed up with one of those delectable young bucks. They're also convinced that I have a hearty appetite (which actually is kind of true, I guess) and always act shocked when I order less than ten entrees.

Anyway, reminiscing aside, this is what we had.

Raw shrimp with fried shrimp heads. I wouldn't eat raw seafood in many restaurants, but the ones at Chai Run are so amazingly fresh. The shrimp is so tender, with such a delicate flavour. It's not at all slimy or greasy, just simply lovely, like eating raw oysters.

The sauce might be a bit spicy for some, but if you're a regular Thai food eater, it's no big deal.

Pineapple fried rice with chicken.

Fried chicken wings. Unlike other restaurants, they don't fry their chicken wings in batter.

I had...what do you call 三色冰 in English? Tricolour iced coconut milk drink? Anyway, it's made from coconut milk and with a mixture of jellies and beans (hence the three colours).

Shrimp patties.

A specialty of Chai Run's, roast chicken. So succulent!

Crab curry, another specialty. The sauce is divine.

Butter roti. I really suggest ordering this if you get a curry dish. Use the roti to dip into the curry sauce, and my God! I would give up any one of those young delinquents who used to squire me around (except perhaps for one or two who have certain special talents), to eat this roti every day.

You most likely won't spend too much money eating in Kowloon City. For all of the above food, plus drinks and extra rice -- we also got a free dessert because the staff thought I hadn't ordered enough -- we spent about HKD500.

It's a good thing we took a long walk after.