Comments on: Reviews in review

By: Historian

Historian — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 05:34:54 +0000

Local food critics were far more practical in the good old days. Consider this article from a 1904 edition of The China Mail:

‘A serious conflagration was narrowly averted at a Wellington Street restaurant last evening. It appears that a number of Chinese met at the restaurant and quarrelled about something, and unnoticed by the others one of their number, who had been worked up into a fit of passion, went out on to the verandah, and after piling up a number of tables and chairs pured kerosene over them and set fire to the pile . . . the incident created a great deal of excitement in the restaurant.’

By: Vile

Vile — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 01:22:14 +0000

Or, indeed, for an owner to write in with a positive one.

By: Not Ted Thomas

Not Ted Thomas — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 00:24:51 +0000

And how easy it would be for a competitor or a disgruntled ex-employee to write a negative review eh.

By: Jon Dica

Jon Dica — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 17:00:54 +0000

Disappointed to have recently learned that Open Rice is censoring some of the negative reviews. The process is such that you have to submit the review as pending, and then they are “approved” after a day or two. If they stay in the pending queue, no explanation is given.

Wouldn’t want to potentially damage that advertising revenue with a dose of integrity, now would we?

By: Leon Richardson

Leon Richardson — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 13:17:57 +0000

There are a few good people in Lafayette, Louisiana, USA, who would like to have a word or two with Mr. Raymonde Sacklyn.

By: Chopper

Chopper — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 07:32:26 +0000

Come on Chopped Onions. Sacklyn has a name and has made a stand. You are just another HK vegetable. Start sprouting, babe.

By: Chopped Onions

Chopped Onions — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 05:42:47 +0000

I know Mr Sacklyn, nice chap but barking……

By: Maugrim

Maugrim — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 05:42:30 +0000

Some fairly pretentious reviews and opinions expressed in the link. More honest, though I’m not sure they are better.

By: Lan Kwai Fong is a slum | Hongkie Town

Lan Kwai Fong is a slum | Hongkie Town — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 04:07:25 +0000

[...] Big Lychee reviews food reviewers and finds only one source that he admires. And I like a reviewer who is not afraid to savage a place, something one doesn’t encounter too often in restaurant reviews locally. But then, again, do I agree with some of his other assessments or do I think he’s completely off his rocker? “Whores AND prostitutes”? TARGET (泰達財經) does not appreciate Lan Kwai Fong. [...]

By: Dr Ronay

Dr Ronay — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 03:41:33 +0000

Anyone who eats out regularly in Hong Kong must be a fool.

The biggest problem is hygiene. Food is always undercooked and handled horribly. When I ate out regularly in Hong Kong, I got gastroenteritis three times a year.

The second concern is the outrageous price for rubbish which is an insult to one’s human dignity.

Here in Stanley we see the frozen chips delivered, the European food cooked by Indians and the Indian food cooked by Nepalis.

The last time I ate ‘European’ food out at the seafront here I got pizza on shortcrust pastry! Yuk.

As far as restaurants go in Hong Kong, I fart in their general direction.

The delights of the home kitchen await – clean, fresh, tasty, cheap and wine not from a cardboard box. The problem is that most local girls can’t cook.

But they love you when you serve up even spaghetti and the knickers fall like rose petals.

Incidentally I once called up Hemlock and he said he was cooking. After further enquiry, it turned out he was warming up what one of his elves had prepared for him.

Hong Kong Expat Cooking (definition): ‘Using the microwave.’

TIP: Never stay in a restaurant if you hear that familiar ‘ping’.