[HK] Killiney | 吉利尼 - Hong Kong
Saturday, March 09, 2013
This was our second visit to Killiney in Hong Kong, with the first being a disappointment for it was closed for renovation. Craving for some sweet food from Singapore, kaya was the first thing that came to mind and we decided to head down to Tsim Sha Tsui for a sweet tooth fix.
Stepping into the cafe for the first time, we were greeted unanimously by the waiting staffs, which was a rare scene for the typical Hong Kong cafes. After being shown to our table, a nostalgic feeling set in almost immediately seeing familiar words like 'kopi-o', 'teh-c' on the menu. The plastered walls with snapshots of Killiney Road in Singapore certainly brought back fond memories.
Classic Kaya toast with 'Kopi-O-Kosong' set
When I was making the order, the gentleman taking my order asked immediately if I was Singaporean. I guess it is not quite the norm for people in Hong Kong to know how to order a 'kopi-o-kosong' since it was not even on the menu. It just made the whole dining experience a very homely affair already.
The serving style was the same as the ones tried in Singapore, with a slab of butter sandwiched between generous spread of kaya (coconut jam) and toasted white bread. Quite frankly, I found the bread slightly lacking, not owed to the crispness, but rather the density of the white bread. This was slightly too dense for our liking as compared to the original tried in Singapore.
The kaya was smooth and fragrant, but it was the exact smoothness of the coconut jam that made it slightly inferior to the one tried in Singapore. Personally, I favoured the strong egg flavour and the coarseness of the coconut jam tried in Singapore, for it seemed to give a slightly varied texture to the other similar offerings by Ya Kun Kaya and the likes. The general taste was in our opinion fell slightly below our expectations but certainly offered a much more desired satisfaction compared to the Toast Box in HK.
The acidity of the black coffee was prime and fared much better than the typical ones offered at 'cha chng tng' in HK. It served as a good complement to the sweet offering of the kaya.
Stepping into the cafe for the first time, we were greeted unanimously by the waiting staffs, which was a rare scene for the typical Hong Kong cafes. After being shown to our table, a nostalgic feeling set in almost immediately seeing familiar words like 'kopi-o', 'teh-c' on the menu. The plastered walls with snapshots of Killiney Road in Singapore certainly brought back fond memories.
Classic Kaya toast with 'Kopi-O-Kosong' set
When I was making the order, the gentleman taking my order asked immediately if I was Singaporean. I guess it is not quite the norm for people in Hong Kong to know how to order a 'kopi-o-kosong' since it was not even on the menu. It just made the whole dining experience a very homely affair already.
The serving style was the same as the ones tried in Singapore, with a slab of butter sandwiched between generous spread of kaya (coconut jam) and toasted white bread. Quite frankly, I found the bread slightly lacking, not owed to the crispness, but rather the density of the white bread. This was slightly too dense for our liking as compared to the original tried in Singapore.
The kaya was smooth and fragrant, but it was the exact smoothness of the coconut jam that made it slightly inferior to the one tried in Singapore. Personally, I favoured the strong egg flavour and the coarseness of the coconut jam tried in Singapore, for it seemed to give a slightly varied texture to the other similar offerings by Ya Kun Kaya and the likes. The general taste was in our opinion fell slightly below our expectations but certainly offered a much more desired satisfaction compared to the Toast Box in HK.
The acidity of the black coffee was prime and fared much better than the typical ones offered at 'cha chng tng' in HK. It served as a good complement to the sweet offering of the kaya.
Verdict: 7.0/10
French toast with kaya and 'Teh-C' set
The french toast was exactly how we wanted, crisp on the surface and soft on the inside with a good strong egg flavour. The slab of butter was not quite enough for the entire slice of toast, but it went well with the kaya, offering a good balance of sweetness and saltiness.
The bubbles on the surface of the 'Teh-C' suggested that it had been 'pulled' similar to the way Indians do their 'Teh-Tarik'. To know how to differentiate 'Teh-C' and why the inclusion of 'C', it might be worthy to refer to this article here. This version served had a rich tea flavour and not being overwhelmed by the milk, certainly a notch better than the average 'cha chng tng'.
Verdict: 7.5/10
French loaf with kaya
The french loaf was likewise toasted, with a slightly crisp surface. Not really the best kind of baguette, for this was slightly dense but it was an 'okay' version. Luckily the kaya and sandwiched butter was good enough to bring out the flavours.
Verdict: 7.0/10
We enjoyed the hospitality of the servers, and the customer service was certainly well commendable. The toasts in general suited our palate though it fell slightly short of our expectations from the ones tried at the original kopitiam at Killiney Road in Singapore. I noticed that there was a complementary charging service available for most smartphones connected to the wall sockets at where the above couple was seated in the cafe.
It was a shame that they do not offer the kaya in bottles where we could buy home just like the ones offered in the cafes in Singapore. We will certainly revisit when we are in the vicinity and the sweet tooth craving arises!
Killiney (吉利尼)
G/F, 6-8 Harbour Crystal Centre
100 Granville Road
Tsim Sha Tsui
100 Granville Road
Tsim Sha Tsui
Tel: 2723 4333
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