After about a week break from daily blogging, it was time to get back to reality and do some work! And what better than to talk about one of my favorite restaurants in Hong Kong; now it isn’t one of the most expensive or one of the fanciest – but in terms of delivering excellent food that has remained consistent ever since I have been coming (and Ms Buddha and I come at least every couple of months) – it takes the top spot! Welcome Petite Oyster!
Located in Sheung Wan, it has the benefit of being very close to where we use to live (and where we live now) – and normally, it means that I can have the added comfort of dressing down like a hobo to visit them.
It’s a tiny walk up the hill on Sai Street if you’re coming off from the MTR, but my suggestion is to come by bus or cab if possible (because the walk from the MTR is actually quite far; it’s not hard to spot as it’s on the ground floor:
Petite themselves have a small selection of wine (which is sufficient for me – because I’m not overly fussed as long as it taste good) – but for the wine snobs, there’s also a cellar close by which you can buy and BYO.
The restaurant isn’t too big, so we tend to book the night beforehand to make sure we don’t turn up disappointed, and also, having been there quite a bit now, we also don’t want to turn up and make it difficult for them to have to turn us away, but once seated, you’re very swiftly provided with the menus. The way Ms Buddha and I normally do it is order oysters first as a starter then decide on the main later.
The oysters here are freshly shucked, and having been the resident “shucker” whenever oysters are available at gatherings, I can say that Petite knows exactly what they are doing. The oysters are always very fresh and delicious, and presented in a simple and clean manner so that you can focus on the taste. The wait staff will always tell you were to start from in order to get the best out of the oysters because some tend to have a much punchier taste than others.
Next was the main, and frankly, ever since coming here, Ms Buddha and I both have one dish each that we haven’t deviated from – which means that it leaves very little room for us to try out the rest of the menu, let’s start with the entree – the Fried Soft Chicken Bone and also the Beef Tongue (my must have!).
The Soft Chicken Bone were excellent in that the stock they used had a small degree of flesh left on the bone and not too much of the greasy fat – it makes the dish a lot lighter in taste compared to what you normally get which is just a mouthful of oil – the best thing also is that the dish is not overly salty (a big big no for me).
The other starter to share was the Grilled Ox Tongue, which, as I’ve mentioned before, is by far one of my favorite cuts of meat – and when you have your favorite cut that is done to perfection – there really is nothing better. The Ox Tongue here is always so tender yet maintains the springy texture that is so crucial for tongue. What’s more, there’s not too much marinade used so you can enjoy the actual taste of the meat – absolute pour perfection – I always say to Mrs Buddha that I can have 4 servings of these for dinner and I’ll be just as happy!
Next was the main, and on the night we took these photos, Ms Buddha wanted a bit of soup (which I barely ever want) so she selected the Onion soup and her favorite dish of the Wagyu Beef Cheek to share between the two of us.
Soup is something that Ms Buddha always enjoys where ever she is, and this time it was no different – the soup looked great with thick chunky onions – Ms Buddha nodded with approval while she had it – so must be good!
Last to come was the Wagyu Beef Cheek – which is something that I introduced Ms Buddha to and has since become her favorite must have when coming to Petite Oyster. I have to say, the name Petite Oyster doesn’t do the kitchen team justice in highlighting the fact that they also master the art of cooking meat dishes.
The meat here is tender and the stock they use is very thick – complimenting the meat very well as the fat in the wagyu melts and makes the sauce thicker. If you are suspicious about the clove of garlic – don’t be! Please please at least try a cut of the meat with a little bit of the garlic spread over it – your mind will be blown… (Although if you’re on a date with a girl that is not an established girlfriend – maybe make sure you have mints).
And finally, a little nice touch at Petite that Ms Buddha and I always love – we tend to do away with desserts here because we’re normally too full – so after mains, we ask for the bill – and without fail, the staff always brings along a jar of candy for us while the bill settles – it’s a small cost but definitely a very sweet touch – and the candy is so good!
The experience here is always excellent and the food here is even better – they aren’t the most “professional” but in the sense of comfortable casual dining, Petite definitely takes the top prize!
Buddha Explores 
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