So I apparently think I am the queen of Hong Kong style cafe restaurants. I know the concept of ordering, what a set menu usually includes, and can distinguish between a better or not so great one. Cafe Gloucester can be considered a "higher end" HK style cafe and was the first to offer steaks as well as lobster. Having said that, obviously I had to make a visit.
Cafe Gloucester is a large restaurant and there are plenty of seats. The restaurant is divided into two sections by wooden dividers, and is very spacious as well as clean. Furthermore, Cafe Gloucester is the only HK style cafe I have been to that provides placemats. Although not like it matters… lol.
COMPLIMENTARY BREAD.
After ordering, we received a couple of soft Chinese buns. The buns are served warm and taste soft as well as pillowy, and butter is provided on the side.
HONG KONG STYLE MILK TEA, REGULAR ($1.00).
We ordered the "jumbo" drinks for $1.50 but received the regular size. The milk tea has a very strong flavour and is pretty damn good, probably the best I ever had at a HK style cafe! Also, it is barley sweet but neither bitter at all.
LOBSTER SEAFOOD SOUP ($6.99).
Every entree is served with a choice of russian borscht or cream soup; rice, spaghetti, mashed potato, french fries or baked potato; and coffee or a cold drink for an additional $1.00. As for my friend's choice of soup, she went for the lobster seafood for an additional $2.00.
The soup has an earthy lobster bisque taste and the lobster flavour is quite strong. In addition, the soup tastes like what one would expect at a West Coast cuisine restaurant, minus the sherry or coganac. As for the "seafood" portion, there is only a bit of diced prawns and the soup seems more like "lobster soup with prawns" than a "lobster seafood soup".
BAKED SEAFOOD SOUP WITH LOAF ($7.99).
As for myself, I went for the seafood soup for an additional $4.00. The pastry puff has a nice crisp exterior and there are plenty of moist flaky layers.
As for the soup, there is a rich as well as creamy flavour, along with a bit of imitation crab meat and fish. If anything, considering the price, I do not think the seafood soup is worth it and would have rather stuck with the cream soup.
MUSSELS WITH WHITE WINE SAUCE ($7.99).
The mussels are a very "Hong Kong" style, where there are mashed potatoes in the centre. However, the mussels taste dry and there is no hint of a wine or cream sauce flavour. As for the mashed potato, it tastes creamy and there is a hint of sweetness from the onions.
ROASTED CERTIFIED ANGUS PRIME RIB ($23.88).
The prime rib is a featured item at the restaurant and was recommended by our waitress. In addition, I thought the "angus beef" steak marker was cute. Starting with the vegetables, they are very watery and seems to have been pre-cooked as well as sitting in water. As for the highlight, the prime rib is not well roasted and there is a lot of inedible fat.
However, for the portion of prime rib that was edible, the meat tastes fairly tender and has a nice salt n' pepper seasoning. As for the mashed potato, it tastes fairly dry.
BAKED POTATO AND MUSHROOM CREAM SAUCE.
For my choice of side, I went for the baked potato which is served hot. There are the usual toppings of sour cream, bacon bits as well as green onion, and the potato tastes soft but not mushy.
AAA RIB EYE STEAK WITH MUSHROOM SAUCE ($19.99).
The steak is cooked to a medium rare as requested and tastes juicy as well as tender. However, there is no nice crust and the steak is very oily because it is cooked on a flatbed grill. If anything, the steak is not comparable at all to Kingspark Steak House and La Amigo's. I definitely do not recommend ordering the rib eye.
TOTAL: $62.85 + TIP $7.14 = $80.00.
All in all, Cafe Gloucester may perhaps offer better HK style cafe dishes than steak, despite being the first to offer steaks. As for the service, the staff was friendly.POSITIVES
- "Higher end" HK style cafe (for those who care)
- Friendly staff
- Large restaurant
NEGATIVES
- Stay away from the steaks and mussels
- Quality is not good compared to other similar HK style cafes
Food: 1.5/5 (soups 2.5/5)
Service: 2.5/5
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