Restaurant updates

A visiting friend once noted" "Mui Wo does have many restaurants!"

As far as we're concerned, the more the merrier. If it begins to resemble Stanley (which is what the official plans for the town was inspired by) then so much the better.

And it looks like we're getting more.

The Italian restaurant below Scenic Crest has already applied for a liquor licence, so hopefully that means it's on target for opening soon. And the gossip in town is that the place beside BEA is going to be a barbecue restaurant (yums!).

The existing restaurateurs are not resting on their laurels.

The newest kid on the block, Deer Horn, has tweaked its menu so it has interesting new stuff like the Nepali Khana Set (HK$95 I think) – which is a little like an Indian thali (curry, rice, dhal, veg) but with a totally different taste. The sharpish and salty mango pickle really perks up this dish.

Can't wait to see what the new places will be offering.

Buffalo Wilbur's new happy place

Buffalo Wilbur has been frequenting Deer Horn (Tel: 3484-3095) for lunch these days because he loves their freshly-made pasta. The other day, he went for lunch and kept quiet about it so he could persuade me to go there for dinner too.

But I think I could get used to the place, wobbly boards and all. Because the prawns with grapes and almonds is to die for. The spice adds a zing to your tastebuds, which the seedless grapes cool down. Owner Pushpa says it's her bestseller, along with the fish and chips.

I feel hungry just talking about it. Well, I certainly know what I'll be having for dinner tonight.

High on Himalayan fare

Sorry about the quality of the photos. Buffalo Wilbur insisted we try Deer Horn (Tel: 3484-3095) out for dinner, despite my protests that my crappy camera phone won't do the food justice. But hey, tummy ruleth all, as Buffalo Wilbur's dad loves to say, so we went anyway.

The restaurant still looks a bit bare (a few photos won't come amiss) but the welcome was warm. Pushpa, who owns it, is Nepalese and has lived in Lantau for more than a decade. Her chef worked in an Italian restaurant for quite some time, hence the slightly schizophrenic pairing of Nepalese/Italian food on the menu.

We took a table by the window, which was a mistake as it was also partially on the uneven wooden boards. So every time someone walked on the boards, the table would tip on one side and threaten to topple our curry. But that's probably just teething problems.

I am sure the Italian bit was good but we zeroed in on the Himalayan specialties.

The food was yummy. We tried the chicken momo (HK$55). The dumplings came with a home-made tomato-soybean chutney. They tasted almost like Shanghainese xiao long baos but the skin was a lot chewier.

Buffalo Wilbur loved the Nepalese lamb curry (HK$75). It was more watery than Indian curries but spicier than the local ones.

Halfway through our meal, Terry from The Bookshop walked in with a friend. He offered to let us try some of the yak's milk cheese that they'd ordered. I thought it would be strong tasting but it was actually a bit like a smoother cheddar. Must try the fried yak's cheese fritters next time.