Shoot First Eat Later

Real Coffee, Boracay

Who hasn’t heard of Real Coffee’s famous calamansi muffin? Blog after blog have written about this ‘not to be missed’ treat. So after our lunch at Mañana Mexican Cuisine we went in search of some coffee and dessert.

Real Coffee was located at the end of a small alley. It wasn’t hard to find since there were signs everywhere.

The kitchen looked just like a home kitchen.

This is Mamma Lee who together with her daughter Nadine run Real Coffee.

Admittedly I’m a coffee snob. I’ve seen how drip coffee is meticulously made in Third Wave coffee shops in San Francisco so I was cringing a bit when I saw hot water from an airpot being poured into a drip coffee maker while being vigorously stirred.

I ordered real coffee which was a shot of espresso added to brewed coffee. They used a moka pot to make the espresso.

Since it was so hot I couldn’t bear to drink hot coffee so I ordered my Real Coffee iced. It was just ok. It wasn’t strong enough for me despite the shot of espresso. Since it was iced the brewed coffee had to be stronger too but it was just regular strength. Nevertheless it was a pleasant relief from the heat.

I love peanut butter and it’s rare that I see peanut butter brownies in Manila that’s why when I saw it on the counter I immediately ordered one. The brownie had a good and yummy peanut butter layer which I loved. I just wish the chocolate part was fudgier.

iced real coffee P100, peanut butter chocolate chip brownie P80

I’m not a muffin lover. I’d rather eat a cookie or brownie over a muffin. I don’t think I’ve ever posted a muffin on this blog before. But since it’s the most popular item I had to try it.

At first bite my first thoughts were, “What’s so special about it? Why is everyone raving about it?” It was tender and had a distinct and pleasant calamansi flavor but I didn’t love it that much. We still bought a couple to take out. Later in the afternoon when I wasn’t so full anymore I took another bite of a calamansi muffin and that’s when I appreciated it more. It was really good! Moist, not too sweet and such a lovely citrus flavor.

At the airport I met up again with my friends Gem and Lisa and they told me they ordered two dozen calamansi muffins to take back to Manila. Real Coffee delivered the muffins to their hotel for only P50 delivery fee. Darn it. I wish I bought a box too.

Since I don’t have plans on going back to Boracay soon I will just try this calamansi muffin recipe hack of Pepper.Ph. By the way I agree with Mama Lee. 😀

calamansi muffin P45

ginger tea P100

More wise words from Mamma Lee.

Real Coffee’s menu

Real Coffee & Tea Cafe
Boracay, Aklan
telephone: +63-36-2885340
(located in an alley in between Astoria and Zuzuni)

Lunch at Mañana Mexican Cuisine

My first meal in Boracay was in Mañana Mexican Cuisine. I never thought I’d eat Mexican food in Boracay but my friends highly recommended it.

From Discovery Shores we took a tricycle to D’Mall to get to the restaurant.

I saw some new restaurants that weren’t there the last time I went to Boracay.

Halowich

Super Submarine Sandwich Shop

I wonder if this Chinese restaurant was any good?

888 Seafood Chinese Taiwanese Style Seafood

After walking a few minutes we arrived at Mañana which didn’t have air-conditioning like most restaurants in the area.

It was right on the beach. Others like staying in hotels in this area the convenience of having lots of restaurants and shopping nearby. I find it too crowded and too commercialized. I still prefer staying in the area of Discovery Shores.

I ordered the Mañana beef salad which came in a big fried taco shell.

Mañana beef salad P346

I enjoyed my salad a lot. The oodles of melted cheese definitely added tons of flavor. The ground beef was very flavorful and with the tomato salsa in the salad I didn’t add any more dressing or condiments. I specially liked the thin and crunchy taco shell. I’m sure this wasn’t a healthy salad but what the heck I was on vacation!

condiments

Elizabeth ordered the beef tacos that was served with three soft tortillas. Based on the picture there was more veggies than beef. She said it was just ok.

beef tacos P385

Jason said “this is Mexican?” It looked and tasted more like Chinese stir fry but he still ate it all.

beef sizzling plate P385

I guess I was the only one satisfied with our meal. The food wasn’t bad but based on what we ordered I can’t rave about this restaurant.

Mañana Mexican Cuisine’s menu

Mañana Mexican Cuisine
Station 1, Front Beach, Balabag, Boracay Malay, Aklan
website
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FIC Vermont Classic Frozen Custard

As a food blogger I sometimes get free stuff to review. Sometime they email me informing me of the products I will expect. Sometimes said products never arrive. Often times I receive them as promised.

The best products are those I don’t expect at all like this box from FIC or Fruits in Ice Cream. Normally it takes me a while to review these products since I prioritze my travels or restaurant meals. But when I receive something this nicely packaged and well thought of campaign I didn’t waste time in shooting and eating the ice cream.

I was so surprised to find 3 pints of frozen custard.

It also came with toppings to make different custard concoctions. How cute is that?

A recipe card was provided too. But of course I just had to try my own creations right?

I’m not much of an ice cream lover. As a matter of fact I never buy ice cream in the supermarket. Eating ice cream usually makes me cough since I usually find it too sweet. But FIC’s frozen custard was so creamy and not cloyingly sweet that I didn’t cough at all.

My first creation was straight off their recipe card since the cheesecake flavored frozen custard was just perfect with the blueberry sauce and graham cracker crumbs. This was my second favorite flavor. It tasted like smooth and mild cheesecake.

blueberry cheese frozen custard

The brownie batter frozen custard was my favorite flavor. I would have gladly eaten it plain but the addition of sliced almonds made it even better. The chocolate flavor wasn’t too intense but it was enough to satisfy my chocolate cravings.

brownie batter frozen custard

French vanilla is one flavor I would never buy. I was thinking what can I do to vanilla frozen custard to make it something I would love?

French vanilla frozen custard

I know! I’ll pour my favorite espresso on the vanilla custard and make an affogato, a traditional Italian treat which I adore.

Did you notice the reflection on the stainless cup? I just realized the hazards of using reflective containers in photography while I was shooting this.

Affogato made with frozen custard was even yummier. Now I love vanilla frozen custard. Thanks FIC for letting me try all these fab flavors.

affogato

FIC Vermont Classic Frozen Custard is now available in their scoop shops around town as well as in Lulubelle in Power Plant and Makati Med.

Fruits in Ice Cream (FIC)
website
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Discovery Shores Boracay

My first view of Discovery Shores was through their rear entrance which was quite unremarkable.

My disappointment in the entrance was quickly erased by their smiling staff who offered me a cold drink as well as the nice guys who carried my bag and showed me to my room.

A beautiful layout and pool area was the trade-off for rooms not having an ocean view. But then who needs a view when you can experience the pristine beach and water just a few steps from your room.

Yes, the sand is blindingly white and fine.

Most hotels charge for drinks but here they gave away snow cones. They had dalandan and grape flavors that day.

I understand why Discovery Shores has won so many accolades world wide. They are so many small and unexpected touches around the hotel. Free cookies don’t cost much but say more specially to cookie monsters like me.

I was so lucky to be invited to join my friend and her family in their first trip to Boracay. Her parents stayed in a 1 bedroom suite. This was their living/dining room. 2 people could sleep on those comfy sofa beds.

We hanged around in this room when we weren’t in the beach.

one bedroom suite

This was our room, a junior suite which was the smallest room in the hotel. It had a very comfortable day bed which I slept on. This room is good for 3-4 people.

junior suite

There were enough outlets for all our gadgets. That’s not my laptop. I was there for just pure r&r!

The bathroom was not the best I’ve seen but it was simple and modern.

There were small bottles of Molton Brown toiletries and much bigger sized in-house brand.

You’ll never go hungry in this hotel with free snacks like pili nuts, cookies and dried mangoes constantly refilled.

Both rooms had books you can borrow. How did they know that these 3 were some of my favorite authors?

The best way to soak in Discovery Shores’ hospitality was relaxing on the beach loungers while drinking their refreshing pandan water. I loved this lightly sweetened water so much I must have drank a liter on my first day.

pandan water

At exactly 5:00 pm six staff members arrived bearing treats. I was speechless.

First I was offered a cold mist of orange mint, cucumber or plain Evian. The cool mist on my face, arms and legs was a pleasant relief from the humidity.

A flower for behind my ear. Aww….

Snacks?

I got a piece of hotdog wrapped in bacon.

Mango pops? Yes please. These were so creamy and delicious. They’d make a killing if they sold it.

Fresh fruits? Yes! But I didn’t have any hands left. One hand held on to the hotdog while the other was busy with my mango pop. Darn they should give us plates too! 😀 Did you notice all their sincere smiles? It’s more fun in the Philippines!!!

Even in the height of summer Station 1 wasn’t crowded. I will always stay in Station 1.

I wore the slippers provided by the hotel.

I love these shots of the sunset in Boracay.

This is what Discovery Shores look like at night.

Our room was on the ground floor and just after the pool. I loved it’s location.

When we got back to our room after dinner more goodies awaited us. The leche flan was so creamy and sweet.

Even better was the pichi pichi which was one of the best I’ve eaten. Really gooey with just the right amount of sugar and fresh coconut.

pichi pichi

We already received free cloth tote bags earlier in the day so we were surprised to find more gifts from the hotel.

We each got cell phone dry boxes!! I used mine the next day. Thanks again Discovery Shores.

My first night was capped with an in-room massage by a masseuse we met outside the hotel who only charged us P400 an hour. It was so gracious of the hotel to allow them to massage the guests even though the hotel had their own spa and massage services. I had an amazing sleep that night.

These are just some of the reasons why Discovery Shores is one of the best if not the best hotel to stay in Boracay. It’s worth every peso or dollar I tell you.

Discovery Shores Boracay
Station 1, Balabag Boracay Island
5608 Malay, Aklan Philippines
telephone: (63 36) 288-4500 / (63 2) 720-8888
email: dsbrsvn@discovery.com.ph

Manila Sales and Reservations Office
Discovery Center
25 ADB Ave. Ortigas Center, Pasig City
telephone: (632) 720-8888
direct lines: (632) 719-6692 to 719-6695/719-6697/719-6699

website
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Boracay Airport

Summer is over in the Philippines and it’s been raining almost everyday. To remind you of drier days and blue skies I’ll be doing a series of posts on my short trip to Boracay last April.

Imagine my surprise and joy on seeing two longtime friends, sisters Gem and Lisa, on the same flight to Boracay.

The last time I was in Boracay was about 5 years ago. The Caticlan airport didn’t look as nice. I’m glad they fixed it up.

The first time I went to Boracay I stayed in Sur hotel which was a nice mid budget hotel on station 1. I had to arrange my own transportation and that meant taking a tricycle and a boat and another tricycle just to get to the hotel.

This time I was staying in Discovery Shores and it was first class travel all the way. I was met by their representative at the airport who took care of my bag and accompanied me to their air-conditioned van.

The van took me the Fairways and Bluewaters welcome center to ride the boat that will take me to Boracay Island.

I was given a baller band to wear through the duration of my stay at the hotel.

I was the only passenger in the air-conditioned boat until a family of four boarded a few minutes later.

A welcome cold towel was greatly appreciated as I was already feeling the summer heat.

Oooh a bottle of cold water and a pack of oatmeal cookies too!! I sat right in front of the air-con.

The final leg of our journey was to take another van that took us directly to the hotel. I felt so pampered. Kudos to the staff of Discovery Shores. I hadn’t even reached the hotel I was already grinning like a fool. That’s what I call traveling in style and comfort. No bumpy tricycle ride this time.

Dinner at Cova tapas y sangria

I still have a long backlog of posts from a trip to Boracay to my recent trip to Europe but I’m writing about my recent dinner at Cova first. Rochelle and I as well as several US based cousins just came back from Spain where we had a wonderful time eating all kinds of tapas specially in San Sebastian and Barcelona. When we came back home we still had a tapas hangover and was missing it badly.

We wanted to treat a HS classmate who came home from the USA and I suggested Cova to relive our tapas memories. This was actually my first time to eat tapas (small plates of savory dishes) in Manila.

The place was very small but the unique ceiling made it look so much more interesting. Rochelle said it felt like she was inside the mouth of a whale. Such imagination!

Some of the names of the tapas or pintxos are spelled in the Catalan language and not in Spanish that’s why some items on the menu seem unfamiliar. Catalan is spoken in Barcelona.

Cova menu (click to enlarge)

The sangria was super sweet and quite good. I just commented to our server that there was so little fruits in our carafe and he offered to add more but I declined. Nevertheless I could taste the infusion of fruits in the red wine.

Cova red sangria – 1 liter P895

Most of us liked the citrusy white wine sangria more.

summer peachy white wine sangria – 1 liter P895

Let me get the following opinions or observations out before I go in detail of each dish.

Overall the tapas were excellent. Some dishes tasted even better than in Spain.
The serving size even the racion which was good for 3-4 was tiny in relevance to the price. But then tapas are really supposed to be small dishes which are meant to be shared.
Some of the must try dishes indicated in their menu I wish we skipped.
I guess the tapas were really meant for appetizers and not dinner for 6 hungry women with big appetites that’s why our bill was astronomical? For 6 of us our bill came to P7,410 or $177 or 145€.
Even with the shock of the bill I really enjoyed our meal and would definitely go back. Now I know what to order and that will definitely keep the final bill much lower.

So here’s my guide on what to order in Cova. We ordered all racion portions which was for 3-4 while the tapa portion was for 1-2 people.

MUST ORDER
In Spain boquerones or marinated fresh anchovies were my favorite and these brought back so much memories. I loved the flavor of the sherry vinegar on the firm yet tender fresh fish. The addition of avocado was something different.

boquerones P280

It’s strange but I don’t remember seeing lengua in the tapas bars we went to in Spain but I’m glad Cova has this Filipino favorite. Their version was delicious with a creamy mushroom sauce. The ox tongue was super tender and soaked up all the yummy sauce.

lengua con setas P480

One of the dishes that literally blew me away was the salpicao made with wagyu veal cheeks, paprika, garlic and olive oil. Eaten with toasted bread a small spoonful was enough to savor the complex flavors of this dish which seemed to have been cooked for hours. Even though this order couldn’t have been more than 1/2 cup it was worth it. We asked for more bread to soak up the sauce.

salpicao de mejillas de ternera P480

toasted bread

I saw a TV feature on Cova before I left for Spain and they featured this dish among others. When I went to Spain I actively looked for this item in the menu. It wasn’t until my last meal in Barcelona that I saw something similar but regular french fries was used instead. It was good but not as fabulous as Cova’s creation.

We all unanimously voted the shoestring potatoes topped with chorizo bits, aioli and a fried egg as our favorite dish. We weren’t even halfway through this mountain of crispy potatoes and we wanted to order another one. It was the generous aioli that gave this dish an extra flavor kick that was out of this world. You MUST order this!!!!

huevos cabreados P299

The black paella was really shallow maybe just 1/4″ high of rice so you would think it’s expensive at P900 but it’s the 3 large prawns and fried soft shell crab that pushed the cost up. Anyway it was worth it. The paella was very flavorful and the rice was just a tad too soft for my taste. The drizzle of aioli was once again just delicious with the rice. This is definitely one of the best paellas I’ve eaten in Manila.

paella negra P900

OPTIONAL TO ORDER
The next two dishes are actually marked as “must try” on their menu. But for me it’s optional if you’re feeling adventurous.

Espuma bacalao is foam made with salt cod or bacalao and it has pieces of bacalao, potato and olives underneath the foam. It’s actually an interesting dish with a nicely flavored foam and hearty pieces of fish. But for the price of P380 for a small glass there’s not much to go around. Rochelle ordered 3 glasses that’s another reason for our expensive bill.

espuma bacalao P380

Since none of us were fans of raw beef this was hardly touched. But if you like steak tartare then you should try this.

tartar de toro P320

SKIP THIS
Another “must try” in the menu so we tried it. Soak Iberico ham in milk and remove said ham after a number of hours. That’s what this was – super expensive ham milk. I’d rather eat Iberico ham and not just it’s essence. The veal sweetbread cookies didn’t make an impression either.

cappuccino de jamon Iberico P299

This ravioli made with ox tail, foie gras, shitake mushroom and ox tail jus wasn’t really that bad but for four bite sized pieces P480 was a bit too much. Yes, I know there’s foie gras inside but I didn’t really taste it. I think it melted inside since we all found this ravioli too greasy. Too bad I liked the texture and flavor of the ox tail.

ravioli de rabo de toro P480

For dessert I ordered the creme Catalan but another table got the last few orders so we were left with the xurros or churros con chocolate. The four pieces of fried dough fritters were finger sized and sorry to say tasted very doughy and uncooked on the inside. It was so disappointing for me. I did love the thick chili spiked chocolate paste which I ate on it’s own.

xurros con xoco P220

Despite some misses I still highly recommend everyone try the tapas at Cova. It’s as near as you can get to authentic tapas from Spain. I must say some dishes were done even better and tweaked to the more discriminate Filipino taste buds.

Cova tapas y sangria
22 Jupiter Street, Barangay Bel-air,
Makati City, Philippines
telephone: 478-9700
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Fabulous Lunch at Wu Kong

Wu Kong is one of our favorite restaurants in Hong Kong. We eat there at least once per trip sometimes more. I can guarantee that whatever you order it will be good. No hit or miss in this restaurant.

You can order this refreshing drink made with fresh pear and longan either hot or cold.

pear & longan drink HK$20

Their peanuts with seaweed is my favorite.

peanuts with seaweed

As I’ve written in my other posts on Wu Kong, their xiao long bao is the best ever. It definitely beat Crystal Jade and Din Tai Fung in Hong Kong. The meat and soup ratio is perfect and both are extremely flavourful. The skin has an al dente texture and the meat is not mushy.

xiao long bao HK$24

If you don’t like lamb then you have to try this dish to be convinced. It doesn’t have any gamey taste or smell. If you didn’t know what it was you’d think it was beef. It was super tender and just sublime.

lamb with green peppers HK$92

I don’t like eel so I can’t comment on this dish. I did eat some of the crisp bean sprouts.

sautéed eel with bean sprouts HK$96

I love anything made with bean curd skin and this was no exception. It was soft on the inside and crisp on the outside. It was filled with mushroom making this a vegetarian dish. A quick dip in black vinegar was all it needed.

fried bean curd skin HK$60

An order of soup was good for 6 small bowls. The taste of smoked ham was very evident in the broth. Delicious!

Yunnan ham & wintermelon soup HK$78

Usually we eat shad fish in Spring Deer and it’s on a sizzling plate. This time the fish was steamed with Chinese ham and shrimp on top. Shad fish is a freshwater fish from the Yongtzi River in China and is almost extinct that’s why it’s so expensive. This order was only half a fish and it cost HK$700.

清蒸鰣魚 shad fish HK$700 for half a fish

The waiter cut up the fish for us. The fish was full of bones large and small. I usually pick out all the bones carefully and pile the fish meat in a bowl and top it with the flavorful sauce and eat it. The meat is ultra fine and milky. It’s not like any fish I’ve ever eaten. It was worth every dollar. You should try this fish at least once in your life.

Without the fish it’s not too expensive but then you’ll be missing out on a gastronomical experience. But I do urge everyone to try Wu Kong if only for the xiao long bao.

You can check out my other post on Wu Kong here, here and here.

Wu Kong Shanghai Restaurant
Basement, Alpha House,
27 Nathan Road, Tsim Sha Tsui, Kowloon
telephone: 2366 7244
website

Dinner at Macau Restaurant

Here’s another restaurant to add to your list of “cheap eats” in Hong Kong. Although they also have expensive items in their menu you can get a really good meal for not too much money.

I’ve eaten in Macau Restaurant once several years ago but I wasn’t impressed despite the long lines that always form outside this popular eatery in Tsim Sha Tsui. Maybe I ordered the wrong thing so I figured it was time to give this place another chance.

When we went there for dinner there wasn’t any line to get a table and I was nervous for a second. Did the food quality decline? Isn’t it popular anymore?

I wonder if their Portugese egg tarts are any good?

We ordered one pigeon which was pretty reasonable for HK$35. It was small but quite tender and juicy. I loved it with lots of fresh lemon.

fried pigeon HK$35

This next dish was more Chinese than Portugese and it was my favorite dish that night. Pieces of garoupa belly and head were fried and stewed together with dried bean curd sheet and lots of garlic giving this dish amazing flavor. The bean curd sheet was soft and absorbed all the flavor of the sauce.

sizzling garoupa belly & head, dried bean curd skin in pot HK$98

Look at all the good stuff in the bottom of the clay pot.

Even though the sardines were big and looked like “galunggong” the meat was really fine and it was delicious simply baked with garlic on top.

Portugese roasted sardines HK$62

For a change we ordered string beans instead of the usual leafy veggie. I liked how crisp the string beans were. I loved the spicy ground pork even more. If only I ate rice this would have been a great topping for it.

fried string beans with spicy minced pork HK$52

We were very pleased with all the dishes we ordered. They also had more exotic and expensive items in the menu like abalone, crab and sea whelk.

Macau Restaurant’s menu

Macau Restaurant
25 Lock Road Tsim Sha Tsui, Hong Kong
telephone: (852) 2366-8148

Good Eats at Dundas St., Mongkok

I went to Dundas St. in Mongkok just to try the coffee at 18 Grams. I ended up finding Tim Ho Wan and discovering a street filled with lots of food stalls selling everything from frozen yogurt to stinky tofu.

I went in a shop called Wonder Farm and found lots of interesting food products. The pictures of the wagyu steaks were what caught my attention.

They sold an assortment of food items from Korea, Japan, Italy and France.

They also carried Milk Top brand ice cream from Hokkaido Japan.

Milk Top ice cream

Next time I will try one of these steaks.

Next door was a traditional Chinese bake shop.

Here’s where the fun begins. The frontage of all these food stores was a narrow sidewalk filled with people eating on the street.

pizza cone, frozen yogurt

Ireland’s Potato

Fancy some dim sum?

King of Coconut

Popular bubble waffles are a mainstay in Hong Kong’s food streets.

Here’s something familiar – Gong Cha!

I guess the frozen yogurt craze has hit Hong Kong too.

This is the typical cook-to-order street food found in many streets in Mongkok. You have to try any one of their snacks at least once.

From Dundas St. you will also hit the Ladies Night Market at Tung Choi street.

It’s fun just to walk along this street and try to spot some bargains. Don’t forget to haggle the price! The next time I go back to Dundas St. I will go with an empty stomach.

Wonder Farm
九龍旺角廣華街1號22B鋪(向登打士街)
Kwong Wa Street, Mong Kok, Kowloon, 22B Shop (Dundas Street)
telephone: 852 2789 0363

Tim Ho Wan

I just left 18 Grams full and happy when I checked out what else was nearby using Yelp. I was surprised when the magical words “Tim Ho Wan” came out. Who doesn’t know about Hong Kong’s cheapest Michelin Star restaurant opened by a former chef of Lung King Heen?

I’ve been wanting to try Tim Ho Wan forever but never found the time. Armed with my iPhone’s Google map I found Kwong Wa Street a short 3 minutes walk from Gala Place.

There wasn’t anything much on this except this street save for this small, simple restaurant with lots of people waiting outside. I knew then I found the right place and not because I could read the Chinese words.

This was at 4:30 pm!!! I guess there are lines outside Tim Ho Wan at from the time they open until they close. I can just imagine the lines during lunch and dinner hours.

The restaurant was very small and very full.

There was even a couple of foreigners. That’s how popular Tim Ho Was is.

Since I was so full and didn’t want to wait in line I just decided to order for take out. There were so many dim sum that caught my eye but I ordered their most famous item, the baked bun with bbq pork which happened to be my favorite too.

Tim Ho Wan’s menu

An order of baked bun with bbq pork has 3 pieces for HK$15 and I got 3 orders. They charged HK$2 for the take out box. My take out took less than 15 minutes to come out.

The buns were piping hot. They were just a tad smaller than in other restaurants but these had a sweet crunchy topping which others don’t have.

baked buns with bbq pork HK$15 / 3 pieces

I just had to try one while it was hot. Oh my, oh my it was fantastic! The bread literally melted in my mouth and the filling was perfectly tender, saucy and had the right balance of salty and sweet. I had some at room temperature the next morning and it was still so good.

I can’t wait to try their fried bean curd sheet roll and sticky rice in lotus leaf next. Please do try their dim sum!! It’s worth the wait I promise.

I’m sad that this branch has closed as of January 2013.

Tim Ho Wan
Shop 8, Taui Yuen Mansion Phase 2, 2-20 Kwong Wa Street, Mong Kok, Hong Kong
旺角廣華街2-20號翠園大樓2期地下8號舖
telephone: (852) 2332-2896

The newest branch of Tim Ho Wan is at:
Shop 72, G/F, Olympian City 2, 18 Hoi Ting Road, Tai Kok Tsui, Kowloon
telephone: 2332 2896