Hong Kong: Thai Simple Kitchen 泰簡單, Causeway Bay

Hidden in the back streets off SOGO and directly above the President Cinema in Causeway Bay, there lies an inconspicuous Thai restaurant. Entry to the restaurant is accessible by lift from a small walkway off the street and you're sure to not lose your way as the restaurant's name placed next to the '3' lift button.

The entrance to the restaurant is lined by Thai statues and dim/ambient lighting rules across the restaurant. They also have an external table seating, surrounded by fairy lights, which can be viewed from the inside through large floor-to-ceiling windows - at first I didn't realise and started freaking out when I noticed something moving on the other side of the window behind my seat -__-".

The menu is rather extensive and filled with colourful pictures so you'll need to spend some time flipping through it and ponder over what to eat. Having never eaten here before, I left most of the ordering duties to my two local friends.

Left: Mixed Satay Skewers (Chicken, Beef, Pork); Garlic Bread (4 for HK$30)
Middle: Pomelo Salad with Peanuts and Pork Floss
Right: Fried Seafood Rice in Pineapple, topped with Sultanas and Pork Floss (HK$75)

The satay skewers - well marinated and soft - came with mini toasts, fresh green salad and a peanut sauce (can be refilled on request). I had never tried pomelo before but fortunately the pomelo salad left a pleasing experience - it was light and refreshing amongst the other flavour-intense dishes. The fried rice was nothing spectatular, aside from it being served in a hollowed-out pineapple, but they must seriously love their pork floss as it was adorning the fried rice as well as the pomelo salad.

Egg Omelette with Small Oysters

This is a classic Asian-style omelette that I remember having as a child - fluffy egg omelette filled with fresh oysters and shallots served on a bed of bean sprouts.

The highlight of the night was the soft shell crab (red) curry, which is served in a hollowed-out golden nugget pumpkin:

Soft Shell Crab Curry in Hollowed-Out Pumpkin (HK$118)

This was highly recommended by one of my friends and even though I'm not a big pumpkin fan, I was seriously impressed by the dish. Its presentation sort of resembles the traditional Eastern-Europe goulash in a massive hollowed-out bread bun but tastes so much better. As you're eating the curry, you can dig into the pumpkin flesh until all that's left is the thin layer of pumpkin skin (which eventually collapses because you've dug the life out of the pumpkin). It's definitely a dish that could be easily replicated at home and would surely impress dinner guests.

The downside to this restaurant was the service - it took forever to flag down waiters, whom were running around to accommodate the full restaurant.

If you visit, be sure to go early, or make a booking, and bring an empty stomach.

Link to Open Rice: Thai Simple Kitchen, Causeway Bay