Nepal Restaurant & Bar

Address: 14 Staunton Street, SoHo.
Tel: 2869 6212

Home to the Himalayas, Kathmandu and Mount Everest, Nepal is a country known for its astounding natural wonders and mysticism. At Nepal Restaurant, in the heart of SoHo since 1995, the country comes a little alive through the only Nepali restaurant in Hong Kong.

To many, Nepali cuisine borders on the unknown. This fact is what makes Nepal Restaurant so special - its uniqueness. Chefs and staff are all from Nepal, and the staff members wear traditional attire. What is really eye-catching is the ornamental table settings, adorned with an array of black Buddhist symbols on top of crisp white tablecloths.

Nepali cuisine is reminiscent of the cooking from neighbouring Tibet and India. The menu at Nepal is extensive. Fortunately, the staff has some great recommendations. The bhenta tareko, fried eggplant starter marinated with fresh Nepali herbs and served with herbal and spicy dipping sauces, is quite delicious. The eggplant is not oily, even though it easily becomes so when fried. Instead, it's a bit crisp with its shape intact.

With so much to choose from, sharing is the way to go at Nepal Restaurant. The luiche rana pariwar, or barbecued chicken, is preceded by its aroma. By the time it arrives at the table, it is steaming and juicy, and marinated thoroughly with cashew nut paste, saffron and Nepali spices. The khasi Kathmandu is one of the restaurant's most popular lamb curries, while the ramtoria is an appetizing vegetarian dish with a spicy kick. Be sure to have some fresh warm naan to dip in the sauce, and treat yourself to the pulao rice, a side of saffron rice cooked with mixed vegetables. The Gorkha beer, imported from and brewed in Nepal, is a great way to wash it all down.

As you may guess, most diners do not leave Nepal Restaurant with an empty stomach.

Shui Hu Ju

Address: 68 Peel Street.
Tel: 2869 6927

While most restaurants in SoHo are easy to find, a charming few are inconspicuously tucked away. CityLife stumbled upon Shui Hu Ju, on Peel Street above Elgin Street, back in August 2004 and has been a fan ever since. Identifiable only by a wooden door and Chinese writing, Shui Hu Ju is easy to miss, but a treasure to find. As you open the doors the first word that comes to mind is stunning. The intimate space is decorated with Chinese antiques and sprinkled with deep crimson red lanterns and string dividers that maximise privacy.

Shui Hu Ju defines its cuisine as modern Northern Chinese. Its menu is long but seemingly minimalist. While you ponder the choices, sip on the refreshing lychee wine, served in pods and poured over ice and the skinned fruit.

For a starter, a definite hit is the sizeable portion of clams with Chinese wine and spicy sauce. Another good choice is the fennel and minced pork dumplings, but you may want to save these for the end to alleviate the heat from what is about to come.

Mains are divided into meats, seafood, vegetables and noodles and dumplings. The deep fried lamb shank and the deep fried chicken with Szechuan (Sichuan) chillis are marvellous. While the lamb shank is soft and tender with a hint of anise, the black chicken is hot and spicy. Digging the black chicken out from under more than 50 gleaming chillies is an experience, as is the steaming sensation it leaves upon the lips. And how is the chicken black to the bone? According to the staff, this delicacy is a naturally darkened "beautiful healthy lady chicken" from China. It's a handsome dish, but have a beer on hand to dumb down the heat if you're a Szechuan novice.

The desserts are pleasant, especially the sticky fried balls of crispy sweet potato and the devillike chilli ice cream, served with two chilli peppers as horns stemming from the scoop.

It's a good thing Shui Hu Ju is air-conditioned, because the Northern Chinese cuisine served here is hot, hot, hot. Highly recommended.

Sông

Address: L/G, 75 Hollywood Road.
Tel: 2559 0997

Just off Hollywood Road, in the middle of an antique collector's heaven, Sông is a bit easy to overlook. This may be because all the galleries on Hollywood Road are distracting or maybe because Sông is down a small alley between Peel Street and Aberdeen Street, but once diners enter the restaurant, they immediately feel relaxed and peaceful.

Contemporary Vietnamese is on offer at Sông, which translates into "to live". The atmosphere is intimate, light and crisp, similar to its dishes. The menu, complete with a glossary, boasts this fact with little notes describing the restaurant as "Positive Eating", "Only Fresh Ingredients", "Culturally Aware" and "Friendly Atmosphere".

The meal began with a starter from the seafood section of the menu. The cua lot, or crispy soft-shell crab, wrapped in rolls with mixed greens, fresh avocado, bean sprouts and a spark of mayo and wasabi dressing, starts the meal off well. The rolls are garden-fresh on the outside, balanced by warm crab in the middle. The only problem with the dish is that diners don't know whether to use their hands or chopsticks. Take a cue from the menu notes, and just relax. (The beautiful wrapping is bound to fall apart either way.)

Sông welcomes vegetarians, but we stuck with meat for the main courses. The bun xa, lemongrass beef served on a bed of rice vermicelli with cucumber and fresh herbs, is a spicy option thanks to its peanut and chilli dressing. The tender beef burns a little, but is very delicious indeed. The xao xa, sautéed lemongrass chicken with fresh bean sprouts served in a bowl of lettuce, has a tang of spiciness but is also sweet from its caramelised marinade.

Dessert at Sông does not necessarily fall under Vietnamese cuisine, but all the same it is tasty. The rich vanilla terrine sprinkled with strawberries, blueberries and raspberries and topped with raspberry coulis makes the mouth water after the first taste.

For a fresh and relaxing contemporary Indochinese meal, find Sông by its vertical sign on Hollywood Road at the bottom of SoHo.