Those who have dined at Fat Angelo's in Wan Chai will know what to expect from its sister restaurant Buddy's Famous Seafood in Tsim Sha Tsui: the more food the merrier is its maxim. Buddy's is still a newcomer to the Ashley Road scene and, as our cheerful waiter informed us, is still tweaking its menu to reach a balance of quality and value-for-money. The latter isn't easy to achieve when all the seafood is imported.
The restaurant's decor is reminiscent of American diners: simple tables and furnishings, only topped by large hanging brass lamps.
Our friendly and chatty waiter was most helpful, warning us of the size of the portions and giving good (and honest) suggestions from the menu. Since there were only two of us, we went on a cautious tack and chose the shrimp scampi ($130) appetiser, the crispy fried soft shell crab ($250) and a side of corn cobette ($70). This was already plenty, we discovered, after we had tucked in to the complimentary coleslaw, corn bread and scones. The coleslaw was surprisingly good; some of the best I have tasted in this city. The corn bread was also nice and moist, with a strong corn flavour. The scones would have done better hot than at room temperature but tasted good.
Our shrimp scampi, which were cooked in herb butter and garlic, were delicious. The freshness of the shrimps added to the chewy texture and added a sweetness to the sauce. The soft shell crabs dish was true to its description and was extra crispy. The light batter maintained its crispiness even with the fleshy parts. The light tinge of pepper and salt helped to bring out the full flavour of the crabs.
Our only disappointment was the corn cobette. It tasted as if it had been slathered with maple syrup. A casual inquiry brought apologies and quick offers to replace it with another dish. We decided to give the corn a second chance but the second dish also came slightly oversweet.
We topped the meal off with a lemon meringue pie. Our meal for two came up to $550 including drinks - the restaurant kindly wrote off the corn cobettes. But the real value of our meal came from the excellent service.
