Last night I went to grab some grub with my friend at Brickhouse. We just needed to see what all of the hype was about. Mexican food is... not great in Hong Kong, but lately it is a hot topic for new restaurants. A taco shop opened in Sai Ying Pun, a trendy new bar and restaurant opened on Wyndham, and this little joint hidden in the back of an alleyway opened on D'Aguilar just two months ago.
I'd heard a lot about Brickhouse before we went last night, mainly because there are so many food bloggers in Hong Kong (but also because I am always on the search for a good margarita). As you can see by the spate of good reviews, people were somewhat excited about the opening of this restaurant:
Sassy's review
HK magazine's review
TOHK's review
Dimsum Diaries' review
Of course, I was quite skeptical because I'd also read this nice long thread on Chowhound, where it sounded like the chef had bagged a lot of tricks from a restaurant in Austin, Texas, where he was a former line cook (La Condesa). Who knows. I guess sometimes a little intrigue is good for business. I just knew to temper my expectations because Mexican food in Hong Kong is pretty lacking.
We got the guacamole and chips, the shredded pork tacos, the ribeye tacos (every reviewer raved about these but the ribeye was so dry I had to choke it down), and the fried fish tacos, and then the short rib to share. I contemplated the Mexican corn but decided it couldn't possibly trump this place. The margaritas were enjoyable, although I now know I prefer my margaritas unvarnished - none of this fancy shmancy pineapple infusion for me -- it makes the margarita too sweet. The bill was not cheap, but that was to be expected. Overall, I would say it was a decent experience, and I would likely go back more for the vibe than the food.
Speaking of vibe, so much of the scene has to do with the cool location of the restaurant:
I'd heard a lot about Brickhouse before we went last night, mainly because there are so many food bloggers in Hong Kong (but also because I am always on the search for a good margarita). As you can see by the spate of good reviews, people were somewhat excited about the opening of this restaurant:
Sassy's review
HK magazine's review
TOHK's review
Dimsum Diaries' review
Of course, I was quite skeptical because I'd also read this nice long thread on Chowhound, where it sounded like the chef had bagged a lot of tricks from a restaurant in Austin, Texas, where he was a former line cook (La Condesa). Who knows. I guess sometimes a little intrigue is good for business. I just knew to temper my expectations because Mexican food in Hong Kong is pretty lacking.
We got the guacamole and chips, the shredded pork tacos, the ribeye tacos (every reviewer raved about these but the ribeye was so dry I had to choke it down), and the fried fish tacos, and then the short rib to share. I contemplated the Mexican corn but decided it couldn't possibly trump this place. The margaritas were enjoyable, although I now know I prefer my margaritas unvarnished - none of this fancy shmancy pineapple infusion for me -- it makes the margarita too sweet. The bill was not cheap, but that was to be expected. Overall, I would say it was a decent experience, and I would likely go back more for the vibe than the food.
Speaking of vibe, so much of the scene has to do with the cool location of the restaurant:
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| Walk down a really narrow, dark hidden alleyway obscured by a bag vendor. Barbed wire and a random Chinese sign just add to the intrigue. |
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| Stare at the large painted taco blackboard for the day's specials. |
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| Soak in the bustling vibe at the bar and crammed tables. |
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| Settle into the industrial stools and oil drum tables, and make sure to use the HUGE bottle of hot sauce. |
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