Beef & Liberty : Guilty Pleasures

It’s a rainy, comfort-food kind of Saturday in Hong Kong, and it’s the perfect time to write up my recent visit to Beef & Liberty, a Wan Chai burger restaurant that is all about guilty pleasures.Beef & Liberty serves grassfed beef raised the old fashioned way – but there’s a lot more decadence on the menu than just the good burgers.There’s only three appetisers to choose from (corn cobbler; fried chicken; and ribs) and it’s a wise move. Instead of offering more appetisers just for variety’s sake, the focus on just three means improved quality. And when we opted for the two meat options, this was certainly the case.The chicken wings packed a punch of crisp and flavour – with a killer batter. My entree favourite, though, was the barbecued pork ribs which had the kind of tenderness and sticky sweet glaze that makes pigging out a pure delight.When it came to burger time, I was attracted to the burgers on the novelty side of things.

First, a green chili cheese burger with jalapeno relish; and second, a vegetarian felafel burger.Between pan fried burger brioches that boast a slightly sweet taste, the beef and felafel were very nicely done in their own right.

The beef was perfectly cooked at medium-rare, and a healthy splash of spice coming through the green chili and jalapeno was a fiery yet refreshing complement.

Meanwhile, boasting a rich and creamy textured filling, the felafel patty was crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. And to tie up the heady middle eastern taste? A side of cooling harissa yoghurt.Last and definitely not least, came our ultra decadent dessert: a REAL-life cookie and cream.While I’ve ‘tried’ this flavour countless times in ice-creams and chocolates, to experience the homemade cream poured over a molten, pan-baked cookie was on another (incredibly sweet-toothed) level.

Think: soft cookie dough with large chunks of melted chocolate chips, topped blended with rich and smooth cream, melting into one another in an explosion of sweetness…If that doesn’t tempt you, I don’t know what will…

Bakker x

 

HK’s Best Secret Drinks – Part 1: BARSMITH

WELCOME to a special BBITES series 🙂 I’m going to be taking you through three different bars in Hong Kong featuring secret drinks that are off-menu.

Part 1 is about the place you don’t know yet: BARSMITH

Part 2 will be about a bar you do know, featuring off-menu treats

AND

Part 3 will be an EPIC SURPRISE

So get ready to ‘get in the know’ and sip it up, Bakker’s Bites style…

Barsmith is located at 4/F, 60 Wellington Street, Central.

I first went to Barsmith with some friends, and while the bar is still in its soft-opening phase, I can’t help but share with all of you how AWESOME this bar is.

A little bit hidden, Barsmith is the perfect place to escape LKF while being in the heart of the action.The concept behind Barsmith is that while there’s a menu, the emphasis is on building a relationship with the bartenders who will create drinks based on your personality and preferences.When I arrived for my tasting I was guided through two amazing cocktails prepared by mixologist Miyake Ayako from Japan.

Asking for something a bit on the fresh and sweet side, Ayako suggested a Japanese peach-based cocktail, since it was in season. I asked what would be in the drink, and she basically said, “Leave it to me.” And, boy am I glad I did!The first thing Ayako did was whip out a blender and start to purée fresh Japanese peach. Things were off to a good start.Next came the selection of different liqueurs and ingredients, and I watched patiently while she put together a combination of peach creams, celery bitters, whiskey and sea salt.The balance was incredible. A smooth, smoothie-like texture caressed the palate while the whisky was cut by sweet peach. Meanwhile, in case things got a little too sugary, sea salt added the perfect sobering note.

Impressed, I wondered what to order next and asked Ayako to ‘surprise me’. As we chatted a little, I learned that the Japanese jeans brand Evisu was downstairs and had some kind of affiliation with the bar re: its owner/investors or something along those lines.

With that in mind, she declared the next drink would be called “The Evisu” and decided to finish things up with a dessert-inspired cocktail.As you can see from the ingredients, this drink was all decadence. The highlight for me was sampling the Benedictine liqueur which tasted like honey syrup: pretty much a nectar for the gods.Resulting in a tiramisu-esque concoction, the rich texture and creative flavours were unlike anything I’d tried before: and that’s the point.

Creating custom, unique cocktails with their customers is why I’m so excited about Barsmith.

While other bars do this occasionally (and usually with much persuasion), Barsmith specialises in tailored drinks: my kind of heaven.So are you ready to enjoy? I know I am…

Thanks for reading, and  stay tuned for parts 2 and 3 😉 !

Bakker x