mycc

It was an impromptu decision after work that we decided to visit Passion by Gerard Dubois which endeavours to provide a traditional French cafe ambiance. Focusing on patisseries, boulangeries and confiseries, the star products at 'Passion' included crusty sour-dough bread and baguette, which are made exclusively with imported French flour, involving 24-hour fermentation. This reminded us of similar confectionery tried at Maison Kayser both in Singapore and Hong Kong and also the famous Paul Bakery.

Apart from an array of freshly baked bread greeting visitors upon entering the patisserie, Passion left us spoilt for choice with its line of exquisite desserts, pastries which included tartes, macarons and nougat by the slab. It was a wavering decision on my part for all the pastries looked too good to resist! Eventually with some recommendation, we settled for a few signature pastries.

Mango Mont Blanc ($39/-)



Many would be familiar with the usual 'Mont Blanc', which is a typical dessert of puréed, sweetened chestnuts topped with whipped cream. The name originated from the 'White Mountain', the highest mountain in the Alps, with its resemblance to a snow-capped mountain.

Passion's version was a touch above the norm with the inclusion of mango fruit and purée tucked perfectly in the middle of a soft sponge cake. The slight acidity of the mango provided a tantalizing balance to the mildly sweet chestnut purée. At the end of each serving, the lingering after-taste of the chestnut was the dominating taste which made the dessert true to its Mont Blanc name.

With an appetite for some Japanese food, we decided to comb the corridors of Silvercord Shopping Center located at Tsim Sha Tsui, in search for some decent comfort food to satisfy our hungry stomachs.

With less than 10 tables in this bistro-styled eatery beside the escalator, we decided to give it a shot and now let us hear the verdict!

Pork cutlet with spring onion salted radish bento (葱鹽萝卜蓉吉列猪扒定食)





This signature dish of Tonbe saved the day. The omelette was perfectly cooked with the inside being slightly runny but tasting smooth, with a right degree of 'egg fragrance'. The pork loin on the inside, tasting like salted bacon, helped complement the overall taste with a savoury touch.


Potato cakes with stuffed cheese (软芝士薯仔)

This simple potato cake came as a surprise. With a crisp batter on the outside, the mashed potato cake was soft, yet not too dense and packed and when you give it the first bite, the stuffed cheese on the inside exploded with rich flavours. The melting butter atop the potato cake was the icing on the cake, but for the calories-conscious, this is definitely not a light-hearted treat. Having one cake would probably satiate your appetite due to the richness of the cheese and butter and not to mention that it is deep fried.