I love a good sandwich, but I'm extremely picky. The bread has to be crusty on the outside, but soft on the inside. The ratio of bread to fillings has to be just right, and I personally like have less meat and more veggies. I am a bit partial to pickled vegetables in general. So, for example, I love a good banh mi. Finally, ideally it's not too messy to eat, and each bite should be a balanced combination of all the ingredients inside.

Bread is important (and there's really no better place to get fantastic bread than Paris).

I’m also not a purist when it comes to bread because I actually love a toasted sandwich (or pressed sandwich). I know you’re not supposed to toast bread unless if it’s stale, but I just really, really love toasted or grilled bread.

I have several favorite sandwich places in Paris. This would include chez Alain Miam Miam in Marche des Enfants Rouge for their monstrous vegetable stuffed grilled sandwich or the beautiful classic sandwich with cornichon and terrine at Le Petit Vendôme Paris.

Another small and cute shop that I really like is Cherie Charlot. Cherie Charlot checks all the boxes of my picky standards. Their sandwiches have a nice combination of fresh, high quality vegetables and meat. The ratio is perfect, and the sandwich actually fits in my mouth (i.e., it's not crazy huge). They also press the sandwich, which makes it a bit flatter (easier to eat!) and nice and crispy.

The staff is very friendly. The shop is small, but there is some seating and the place feels warm and cozy. I've come with Bryan before and managed to grab one of the seats. It's best to come early if you want to sit.

Cheri Charlot Paris
33 Rue Richer 75009,
75009 Paris, France

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Bryan's in Paris right now. I'm a bit bummed I can't join him this time on his business trip. So instead I'll catch up on some way overdue posts about some of my favorite Paris places. I can't believe I hadn't written up some of these posts before.

Another one of our favorite places to have a traditional Parisien sandwich is at Le Petit Vendôme. This tiny little traditional French restaurant serves a full menu of classic French dishes (e.g., escargot cooked in Burgundy, French onion soup, veal kidneys, beef tartare, duck confit, etc.). However, they also make fantastic charcuterie, terrines, and sandwiches.

I must thank David Lebovitz (who lives in Paris) for introducing this place on his blog. I followed his post exactly and ordered the country ham (jambon de pays) with fresh goat cheese sandwich during my first visit. It was delicious.

They make fantastic charcuterie, including delicious terrines. We both loved their terrine sandwich with cornichons and butter. Enjoy with the house wine, which is super reasonably priced.

Sandwiches are only available for take-away (typically a long line forms during lunch), or you can sit at the bar and order the sandwiches. If you sit at the regular tables, you'll get the normal food menu. We love the vibe of sitting at the bar and just watching the action in front of us.

It's in a lovely neighborhood. Definitely check out Place Vendome afterwards, and then walk towards Jardin de Tuileries and the Seine River. Oh, I miss Paris already. Can't wait to go back!

Le Petit Vendôme Paris
8 Rue des Capucines,
75002 Paris, France

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Many people who are in-the-know say that this private kitchen is one of the best Cantonese restaurants in Hong Kong. In Hong Kong!! That's quite a statement, considering how many top notch Cantonese restaurants are here.

It's nearly impossible to get a reservation at No. 9 SBI Canteen (or Softbank Private Kitchen) if you don't know someone. The private kitchen is hidden away on an upper floor in a high rise in Central. I was kindly invited by a friend who's "in-the-know", and was able to get a peek into this other world of Hong Kong wine and dine culture.

I arrived a bit early, so they let me sit on this couch opposite of the dining area. Soon afterwards, people started arriving. Some people were really familiar with each other, while others, like myself, were lucky first-timers who were brought by a friend. Unfortunately Bryan was on a business trip that day, so I came alone to experience this exciting meal.

Update: Bryan was able to go back to this restaurant one year later, thanks to an invitation from the same kind friends. As it turned out, it was me that was away on business this time. So glad Bryan got to try it!

The Banquet!

Signature Winter Melon Soup

Rice & "Veggies" (with a lot of crab)

Dessert

The evening involved a great round up of wines! Cost was around HK$2500 per person, a bit over USD300 a head.

That time Bryan went . . .

The menu changes by the season, and there are certain very anticipated dishes that people talk about. One of these dishes is their Imperial Scholar's Five snake soup 太史五蛇羹, which is more like a thick soup (羹）filled with super thinly julienned snake meat (almost like slivers of fine noodles), chrysanthemum petals, lemon leaf, and more. The texture is phenomenal and like nothing I've ever tasted before. It's usually only available during the winter season.

Bryan was able to enjoy the snake soup during his visit to No. 9 SBI Canteen (Softbank Private Kitchen). Although I didn't get to go that time, I still got to try the famous snake soup. It turns out one of the guests didn't want hers, and she offered to give it to Bryan to take home for me. I'm so thankful for the opportunity. It was really really good!

All in all, I was indeed very impressed with the food. Most of it is very classic Cantonese dishes but executed at the highest level. There were many dishes I'd never had before. If I ever get a chance to go again, I would definitely jump at the opportunity.

No. 9 SBI Canteen 9號軟庫飯堂 - Softbank Private Kitchen
4/F & 5/F, 7-11 Mercer Street, Sheung Wan

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I've really gotten quite spoiled with the amount of fantastic Italian food that exists in Hong Kong. Another new one that opened during the pandemic (in 2022) is Testina Hong Kong. Testina arose out of a collaboration between a restaurant in Milan, Italy called Trippa Milano and ZS Hospitality in Hong Kong (Feuille, Hansik Goo, Whey).

Testina's unique aspect is its genuine focus on nose-to-tail dining, offering dishes made with veal tongue, beef tripe, chicken liver, chicken offal, bone marrow, and pig's head. Recommended in the Michelin Guide, the quality of the food is excellent, and it was certainly hard to book when it first opened.

Initial Thoughts - Testina

Tripe, veal tongue, and a chicken offal ragu, Testina Hong Kong keeps prices reasonable while offering excellent quality Italian food. Our first visit was really nice, and I'd totally come back again. Testina definitely has a warm and cozy feel, and the dishes are "home-style" yet creative at the same time. Offal is the star, and prominently used throughout the menu. However, if you don't like offal there's still plenty of options.

Testina Hong Kong
3F, 8 Lyndhurst Terrace,
Central, Hong Kong

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I think I first heard about Estro at Sushi Shikon (of all places!). You know, when you sit at a sushi bar, it's easy to strike up a conversation with the people sitting around you. We met this woman who was obsessed with food. She couldn't stop gushing about Estro. She also lamented about how hard it was to book. After all, it was new, word was flying around about how amazing the food was, and . . . well, it was impossible to book.

Well, not impossible, but you had to contact them early. We ended up having a couple opportunities to go. In a lot of ways, I agree with the hype. The food really is very, very good. It's incredible to know that this Chef Antimo Maria Merone's first restaurant, opened in collaboration with the JIA Group.

Chef Merone is from Naples, and the aim of Estro is to elevate Neapolitan cuisine. He's done it tremendously well. The food is excellent, and I've really enjoyed every meal I've had there. The restaurant currently has one Michelin star, which is a fair and accurate rating.

Below are two meals that we had at the restaurant. My personal favorite dish is always the "bottoni", or button shaped ravioli. They have rightfully earned their status as the icon dish at Estro.

Lunch Menus - $680 - $980
Dinner Menus - $1,580 - $1,980

First Meal: February 2022

Second Visit to Estro - January 2023

General Thoughts - Estro HK

There's a clear reason why this place is so popular. The food is very, very good, and execution is very precise and at a very high level. The ingredients are great, the pasta is amazing, and all in all, you'll have a great time. Just know that you'll have to follow the chef's rules while you're there.

Estro Hong Kong
Level 2, 1 Duddell Street,
Central, Hong Kong

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