Buddy’s Kitchen

We were going to be in Tai Wai, so we looked up the restaurants on Unilocal.I was surprised to see an Italian restaurant, and even more surprised by the name: Buddy’s Kitchen. Despite the two very positive reviews, I wasn’t expecting much. But the food is amazing. I had the Wild Mushroom Risotto with Poached Egg and Truffle Oil. It was the best mushroom risotto I have ever had, including in Italy. I never thought of topping risotto with a poached egg, but it was superb. The texture and flavor of the mushrooms was amazing. My husband had the set meal, with corn soup, then pasta with king prawns. He loved it. We shared the crème brûlée which is flavored with banyan juice. Also delicious. It’s a little hole in the wall, but pleasant in appearance and the service is friendly and professional. We’ll be going back.

A surprisingly pleasant find the other night. I was craving Italian food but couldn’t be bothered to venture further than my immediate locality — in this case, Tai Wai/​Sha Tin. There was always Spaghetti House at New Town Plaza, I thought, reminiscing to younger days when this used to be THE place for a 10-​year old birthday party, complete with the fake Parmesan cheese. However, I was looking for a little more refinement this time round. So after a quick search, I settled on Buddy’s Kitchen — a decisively hit or miss affair, but a risk I was willing to take.
Opposite the gas station on Chik Cheun Street, and so inconspicuous I nearly walked right past the shop front, Buddy’s Kitchen is a cosy little eatery with a few tables and an open kitchen. We were warmly greeted by the restaurant manager, and settled on their set deals: tomato soup or potato salad for starters, followed by a rib eye steak with fries for around $ 200, and the squid ink risotto with two grilled prawns. The mains were absolutely delicious: the rib eye was tender and seasoned very well, as were the accompanying chips; and the squid ink risotto was in a league of its own. I haven’t had a nicer risotto in Hong Kong (other than my own, of course, ha ha ha.) — still had a bite, but cooked all the way through, rich, and incredibly flavourful. The prawns were big, fresh and similarly well seasoned, as well as being plated meticulously in the sea of black risotto. I finished the whole bowl, and was so impressed by the mains I was of course tempted to try their desserts!
There were two desserts on offer — the crème brûlée and the tiramisu. The crème brûlée was yet another surprise: it was green! The manager explained that, well ahead of time, they collect the pandan leaves, blend, and take the green juice to use in the custard mixture. The pandan gives the custard dessert that Asian twist, and makes it even more homely. I was so glad I left a little space for dessert because this is definitely not a dessert you want to miss.