Hong Kong Restaurant

Overview: Hong Kong Restaurant has a lot to offer to those who want an authentic Chinese experience. Nowadays, there are hardly any Chinese restaurants that mimic the Asian atmosphere here in Bahrain. Hong Kong has outdone itself in every aspect possible, from ambiance to food presentation. It is located in Um al Hassam along the main road.

Service:
The service at the restaurant is superb. I made orders that were enough to feed an entire village, and it all came in a time span of a mere 18 minutes; this is outstanding since there were at least four other families eating there. My order consisted of an appetizer, one soup, three main courses, and a dessert. I couldn’t help noticing how many times the waiter would come and refill my glass with water. The staff was very attentive to its customers and its service was marvelous.
5/5

Atmosphere:
The restaurant’s atmosphere was above average, but nothing out of the ordinary. The walls were decorated with Chinese portraits and the ceiling was overflowing with Asian designs. The food was served in Asian china; the plates were decorated with blue calligraphy and designs. The Asian lamps used for lighting also helped portray the Chinese atmosphere. The soft music in the background consisted of Chinese flutes and other instruments originating in the Far East. However, as I mentioned earlier, there were at least four other families dining at the restaurant. This resulted in the restaurant being very loud with chatter, especially since the size of the facility was relatively small. Another thing that I found odd was the lack of carpeting. Almost every other Chinese restaurant I have been to has facilitated red or green carpeting to add to the Asian ambiance. The protruding white floor was difficult to ignore. If this restaurant wants to outdo itself, it must install carpeting and soundproof the walls.
3.5/5

Presentation:            
Every large table facilitated a variety of sauces, from soy sauce to chili sauce. I couldn’t wait to try every one of them on my food. When the food came, it was steaming hot. The aroma was wafting across the table, exciting my salivary glands. I could not wait to devour the delicacy the restaurant has prepared for me. The food was presented on Asian china, which further made it look authentic.
5/5

Food:
The spring rolls were superb; as soon as I finished them, I wanted a taste of the main course. At first, I wasn’t hungry, but when I bit into that spring roll I was overcome by starvation and anticipated the main course. The appetizer did not fail to strengthen appetite. The ice tea I ordered as a beverage was freshly brewed. The main courses were not any less spectacular. The chicken with cashew nuts was covered in oyster sauce, but not too much as to preserve the flavor of the chicken. The beef and broccoli was also very delightful. They were not stingy with the portions; I got my money’s worth. The food was truly authentic and the many Asians dining there was proof of that.
4.5/5


Pricing:
The pricing was adequate; the restaurant is fit for a middle class budget. The portions weren’t stingy. Expect to pay about 5BD per person. That should cover a main course and a drink.
4/5 

This restaurant is probably the closest one could get to an authentic Chinese experience here in Bahrain. I was impressed by the service, décor, and food. Keep up the good work, Hong Kong!

Final Score: 22/25
Reviewer: Yousif Al-Said

Pastarito, Reviewed!

When City Center opened, it was filled with all kinds of stores and restaurants. At the time, there were many Pastarito ads posted on highways and elsewhere. We decided to give it a shot.

Service:

We ordered a pizza and lasagna, both of which arrived impressively fast. However, the drinks took a while to arrive. It took even longer for the desert to arrive, 20 minutes to be precise. The desert was a type of pastry, something that would take only 10 minutes to prepare. The staff was generally doing well at serving us, but we can't say that they were the happiest bunch. (Their frowns were especially hard to ignore with all the grinning and dancing going around at the TGI Friday's next door)

4/5

Presentation:

When we got the food, we were glad to notice that it was hot, as a pizza should be. It also smelled lovely, and we couldn't wait to dig in. The lasagna was also a looker, and we felt remorse for having to split it in half and ruin its beauty. The facilities looked clean and the utensils seem to have been thoroughly washed and taken care of.

4/5

Atmosphere:

When it came to the atmosphere, we were pretty disappointed. It seems as if they weren't even trying to create any sense of being in an Italian environment. The decor, at least in the outwards seating area, did not even have a hint of Italian architecture. Aside from the quasi-Italian bakery inside, there was nothing to be impressed with. However, they managed to give their dishes an Italian feel.

The benches were not too impressive either. They felt very flimsy, and whenever the person sitting behind you would laugh, for instance, you would feel the annoying vibration. May god help you if the person sitting behind you is a garrulous, chunky, inconsiderate fellow (as was the case with us).

2.5/5

Food:

The menu is HUGE. It has many dishes and many categories. It includes sandwiches, pizzas, salads, desserts, appetizers, grills, drinks. They really didn't miss a thing. The pizza was very good. It had a small amount of tomato sauce, making it lighter than your average pizza. The lasagna, on the other hand, turned out to be poorly cooked. The ratio of meat, cheese, and tomato sauce were poorly considered and the overall taste was nothing out of the ordinary. All the dishes had appropriate heating.

The dessert was, without a question, the pinnacle of excellence that Pastarito had to offer. It was called the Botta di Vita. The ingredients sounded very peculiar. It was basically a dough with Nutella chocolate mixed with some kind of cheese that we were neither able to pronounce nor remember. We thought it would be horrid. We were wrong. Go try the desert!

4/5

Pricing:

The pricing at Pastarito was appropriate. Their portions weren't stingy even though we didn't feel keen on spending 5 BD on lasagna alone. It's all a matter of knowing what to get. Expect to spend at least 4 BD per person.

3.5/5

Final Score 18/25
Reviewer: Yazeed Al Dughaither

Our Grading Criteria

We want to let you know how we will be grading the restaurants we review. Here's our chosen criteria. Note that this criteria only applies to dine-in restaurants. (We'll be using a different set of criteria to grade fast-food restaurants, for instance.) Feel free to provide any suggestions, comments, or questions.

A) Service:

- Speed (how fast the food arrives depending on its type)

- Facilities (everything from the bathroom to the tables)

- Staff (how efficient the staff are in doing their jobs, and how friendly they are)

b) Presentation

- Temperature (we want our steaks steaming hot and our ice cream freezing cold)

- Visual appeal (tasting good isn't enough, our perfect meal has to look the part as well)

- Scent/aroma (we won't eat a Shawarma that smells like flatulence)

- Hygiene (the cleanliness of the facilities in general)

c) Atmosphere

- Design/decor (we want to feel like we're in Venice when we're eating at an Italian joint)

- Suitable dishes (in accordance to the type of restaurant- if we see a Bahraini restaurant selling apple pie, we won't be impressed)

- Other details (the AC isn't set to five degrees below zero, nice lighting, etc.)

d) Food

- Variety of menu (caters to vegetarians and all tastes without straying too far)

- Balance of ingredients (things like sauce : steak ratio)

- Quality (frozen food is NOT acceptable)

e) Pricing

- How expensive are the dishes with respect to the portions?

- Are we getting are money's worth in terms of facilities and staff treatment?

Other miscellaneous aspects to consider:

- Location of restaurant (We won't be too keen on visiting a restaurant after one million twists and turns in the tight alleyways of Umm Al-Hassam. We're looking at you, Al-Arisha)

- The targetted customers for the restaurant.

Pastarito

We've changed our minds, and we have decided to review Pastarito instead of Wafi Gourmet. Our next two posts will be the criteria we used to grade the restaurant followed by the actual review. Expect it soon! (and tell your friends!)