Interior of Pete’s Place. Photo: Winson Wong
Source:
https://scmp.com/lifestyle/food-drink/article/2135090/new-sai-ying-pun-restaurants-top-notch-food-friendly-owners Food & Drink
New Sai Ying Pun restaurants: top-notch food, friendly owners at Pete’s Place
You’ll never know who you’ll run into at perfect neighbourhood restaurant Pete’s Place, and as for the food, be sure to try the mini Wagyu burgers, deep-fried baby sardines and beef empanadas
Mini Wagyu burgers with buffalo mozzarella at Pete’s Place in Sai Ying Pun. Photo: Winson Wong
Pete’s Place is the perfect neighbourhood restaurant. Sorry, make that almost perfect. What would make it perfect (for me) was if it were in my neighbourhood.
It’s the kind of place where the owner and other staff give diners – even first timers (as we were) – a warm welcome, and you never know who you’ll run into (dining next to us were friends who also didn’t live in the neighbourhood). By the time we left, my husband and the owner had exchanged phone numbers.
The restaurant, though, is very cramped. Tables are close together and a large bar takes up much of the small room.
We tried several starters from an extensive selection. Mini Wagyu burgers with buffalo mozzarella (two for HK$88, three for HK$108) were just fantastic – good bun, juicy meat and flavourful condiments.
Just as good were the deep-fried baby sardines (HK$76 for five). The fresh whole sardines were encased in batter before being fried, resulting in succulent fish that could be eaten bones, heads and all.
Deep-fried baby sardines. Photo: Winson Wong
Beef empanadas (HK$98) had very thin, crisp pastry wrapped around lots of juicy, well-seasoned chopped Wagyu.
Beef empanadas. Photo: Winson Wong
The only starter we disliked was the chicken anticucho (HK$88), which was uninteresting despite the salsa verde slathered on the moist meat.
Exterior of Pete’s Place on High Street in Sai Ying Pun. Photo: Winson Wong
For a main, the roasted duck pappardelle (HK$148) had a good amount of shredded duck and sliced mushrooms in a rich, creamy sauce, although we couldn’t taste any of the promised Sichuan flavours.
Roasted barbecue pepper ribs with salad or fries (HK$268) featured tender meat slathered with an intense sauce. It was difficult to eat, though, because there wasn’t much room on the plate to cut the ribs between the bones.
Roasted barbecue pepper ribs. Photo: Winson Wong
The owners live nearby and serve the neighbourhood well by offering brunch (on the weekends) and reasonably priced set lunches.
Pete’s Place, 23 High Street, Sai Ying Pun, tel: 2872 6288. About HK$350 without drinks or the service charge.
While you’re in the area: