Ruby Tuesday

Ruby Tuesday
Shop 1002, 10/F World Trade Centre, Causeway Bay
Tel: 2895 1628

Grub: American-style burgers, ribs, pasta and wicked desserts.

Vibe: This is quite a large family restaurant. The staff are friendly and helpful. Modern pop music plays in the background; in the afternoon the volume is turned up a bit, making it a funky hangout.

Who to take: Your parents - if you go for the ? la carte menu, you'll want them to pay. Otherwise do the afternoon tea set with friends.

What's hot: At first glance, Ruby Tuesday's menu appears to be beyond the reach of most pocket money budgets. But the savvy snacker knows that it is quite possible to enjoy the food there without having to break the bank.

The best time to go is between 2.30pm and 5.30pm on a weekday. This is when the afternoon tea set is available, and the menu offers a varied range of dishes at reasonable prices. A regular soft drink, tea or coffee is included in the price of each dish, but you can upgrade to mocktails and desserts off the main menu. As with all American dining, portions are large.

The range of food on the menu isn't huge, but covers most things, such as pasta, hot dogs, salads and burgers. The burgers are Ruby Minis, scaled-down versions of burgers with cheese and the usual salad fillings. Beef and chicken patties are available and, since you get two, you can have one of each. The burgers are served with freshly cooked potato chips, dusted with paprika.

The chips are also served with the fajita beef cr?pe, so a little planning might be in order if there are only two of you. But the cr?pe itself is wonderful, stuffed with lean strips of beef, bell peppers, onions and portobello mushrooms, all smothered in a cheese sauce.

If the tea set isn't big enough for your afternoon appetite, check out the sides, which include onion rings, saut?ed vegetables and baked potatoes. Also on the main menu are the desserts: you are entitled to one of these at a 50 per cent discount. If there are enough of you, the only way to go is the huge Chocolate Tallcake, with slices of chocolate cake, chocolate mousse, vanilla ice cream and whipped cream. It will take at least four people to share.

What's not: The seats seem slightly lower than they should be (or the tables slightly higher). This means your chin is a little too close to your plate for optimal comfort.

Cost: Afternoon tea sets are the best value, with all dishes between HK$38 and HK$48. Upgrades include mocktails for an additional HK$15 and ? la carte dessert for 50 per cent of the menu price. Lunch sets start at HK$68. In both cases, it is possible to eat well for HK$100-HK$120. If you order from the ? la carte menu expect to pay at least HK$300 per person.