Oh My Goodness

So, a few pretty interesting things have happened recently this past week that I've unfortunately not been able to photographically document as it hasn't stopped raining for long enough to warrant risking my D-40 in a torrential downpour.  This is summer time in Hong Kong now which is the rainy season, so photos might be few and far between (my point-and-shoot doesn't work the way it used to and isn't worth using.)

Nicholas and I ate dinner at a local burger joint that many locals refer to as "The best burger joint in town." I wont go quite that far, but with options like the Lobster Burger, Chili Burger and Soft Shell Crab Burger among more traditional choices, the BurgeRoom could definitely be a contender.  Nicholas ordered the afore mentioned Chili Burger which wasn't really a chili burger in the Cincinnati sense, it was more like chili mixed with cole slaw on top of the burger.  I ordered the Mushroom Burger which is exactly what it sounds like it was, with the exception of some "magic sauce" slathered on the mushrooms (and yes, it was called magic sauce on the menu.)  I would probably rank the BurgeRoom more along the lines of a Five Guys with some more exceptional offerings.  If the customer was allowed to choose the temperature on their burgers, I think the effect would be much improved; but, as is, all the burgers are cooked like a fast food joint... till all pink is a well and distant memory.  The ambiance was nice, although cramped (which is not uncommon in Hong Kong Boutique Restaurants.)

On a quiet side street off of Caroline Hill Road

Their fries were amazing! Actually twice fried fries instead of the frozen ones that are served at most places.

Chili Burger

Mushroom Burger

Food Porn

And all gone!

I know I've talked about our new pepper plant, Jimmy.  He's a studly little plant that is tall and lanky like the man who brought him home.

Jimmy!

In other news, I spent this afternoon pigging out at the Excelsior Hotel's Dickens restaurant.  Tuesday afternoons are their Curry Buffet special and its the first time I've had my Indian food fix since I left the great city of Cincinnati, Ohio.  Can I just say, the best Chicken Masala I've had, ever.  It was fantastic to spend the afternoon girl talking with my friend Alba and eating lip numbing Indian food with some traditional Hong Kong iced lemon tea.  After lunch, we took a spin around some malls in the Causeway Bay area; checked out the skinny on some good, cheap shoes and adorable accessories.  When Causeway Bay grew boring, a trip to Mong Kok became necessary.  If you know where to look, you can get some great bags and clutches at some fantastic prices; and if you can pick out the smell, they're often real leather too.  Alba and I stalked some local stores and then made our way to a cantina that specialized in fruit sorbets and deserts.  Being Mango week, I ordered some sort of pulpy mango juice with tapioca pearls and pieces of fresh honeydew mellon, mango, watermelon and strawberries.  Alba ordered the frozen coconut with cubes of gelled coconut juice and fresh fruit.  So Good!!!!  On the way to the cantina we passed through the famous Goldfish market.  One can literally buy anything they would need for an aquarium.  One thing I found particularly adorable was the amount of cats that were present as pets in the fish shops!  I will say, these were the laziest, fattest, most nonchalant cats that could possibly sit in a fish shop.  The shop keepers literally had to pick up the cat's head to move it out of the way to grab merchandise to sell to a customer.  Annoyed kitty looks at the disruption of their sleep was adorable!  Alba also made me try Smelly Tofu; a sort of deep fried fermented tofu.  It was Disgusting, with a capital D.  The smell alone was rough to endure, but the taste was worse.  Think morning breath mixed with bile.  One of my mottos in life is to always to try anything once. This is one thing I will not be trying any other time...