Good Chicken Schnitzel in Happy Valley

Feather & Bone (F&B) is not exclusively in Happy Valley, but it’s not like every F&B venue that can easily remind you of the Chelsea Market in New York City. The Happy Valley branch of F&B can just do that.

F&B wants to be a kind of different restaurant — a mixture of convenience shop for the neighbourhood, good butcher for fresh meat lovers (especially chicken, beef, and lamb), and restaurant where you can just hang out with several friends for brunch or dinner — without worrying if the menu is too complicated for you to decide on food, or whether it’s overpriced.

F&B Happy Valley branch’s interior design intends to pay tribute to traditional 20th century neighbourhood butchers and grocers. Just like its other stores and restaurants, the Happy Valley branch, with more focus on nostalgic feel, also has a wall-mounted faux cow head that reinforces the concept of F&B as a butcher-restaurant, which means you can order whatever you see here and food will stay as fresh as possible for you.

I ordered chicken schnitzel for my brunch. I’m a big fan of schnitzel. I once tried several iconic restaurants in Vienna, arguably the hometown of schnitzel, and I can prove the F&B chicken schnitzel a very good one in Hong Kong. Surprisingly the chef cut the chicken breasts into four smaller pieces — each tastes pretty juicy, and you get a half lemon to squeeze. That certainly adds more fresh flavour. I will definitely order that again when I miss schnitzel.

Address: Feather & Bone, 11 Wong Nai Chung Rd, Happy Valley

Dear Happy Valley

To celebrate my “relocation” to Happy Valley for the first full month, I launched a small part-time, personal project called "Dear Happy Valley" where I will document my life and discovery in the small and happy valley in Hong Kong ... about coffee, food, people, history, stories behind the scenes, and so on.

It's still an infant project and I build everything on my own from web design, photography, and to content.

Visit DearHappyValley.hk to learn more.

Cotton Lane in Happy Valley

Good morning, Happy Valley!

Cotton Lane Cafe is located on Min Fat Street (綿發街) in Happy Valley. That’s also where the name of the little cute coffee shop comes from, as “Min Fat” sounds like cotton (棉花) in Cantonese.

The local cafe is well known for its bagels and sandwiches (you can choose different flavors and toppings) while I find its mini-croissant with egg on cocotte (yes, very French!) better taste for me, especially for breakfast. I quite like its simplistic interior design, simple but elegant.

On the cafe’s official website, its welcome message says: “We at Cotton Lane welcome our customers to come in as guests and to leave as friends!” That sounds like the right style for a happy community in Happy Valley.

Address: Cotton Lane, 14 Min Fat St, Happy Valley

Coffeelin in Happy Valley

Italian café by day, cocktail bar by night, Coffeelin is a Milanese-style all-day establishment designed by JJ Acuna / Bespoke Studio, that brings the coffee culture of Milan to Hong Kong’s quaint and trendy neighbourhood, Happy Valley.

Before its new branch in Happy Valley was just officially open for business this week, Coffeelin already runs a shop on High St. in Sai Ying Pan. Both the two branches now serve home-made burned cheesecake and some signature drinks like the “Misty Forest” (see third photo) and “Morning Call”, a mixture of tea and espresso.

The Happy Valley branch apparently focuses more on its interior design.

According to the official Facebook page of Coffeelin, the design on the walls (see last photo) is formed by Coffeelin logo into Memphis Graphic style, which the cafe hopes its local customers may feel like going back at a Milano caffè in the 1980s.

Given its popularity — already a new Instagram-popular destination in Happy Valley — it may take quite some time before you can grab a table. Good luck to that!

Amigo, A Happy Valley Legend

To celebrate my “relocation” to Happy Valley from Mid-levels for the very first month, we revisited the most chic and classic restaurant in the Happy Valley neighbourhood, and that must be Amigo (雅谷餐廳).

Before Hong Kong got top-tier restaurants inside Four Seasons or Mandarin Oriental, there was already the Amigo. A Hong Kong institution, Amigo has remained unchanged since opening in its current location in 1976.

Most of the restaurant staff here have served for more than three decades. As you can imagine, they are the witness of many important people and events — from celebrity datings to secretive political meetings.

The restaurant is renovated in classic European style and well known for its traditional French and Italian dishes. The lobster bisque is one of the most popular choices for starter, and many loyal diners also love the lamb chops with mint jelly that have been consistently good. The highlights of your culinary journey to Amigo can continue after your main courses — all guests will get complimentary chocolate ice cream sticks, my favourite.

Please make sure you book one month in advance at least and there is strict dress code for all guests to follow. Happy Valley and Amigo feel almost like in a mutually indispensable relationship for decades, and I’m sure it’s a lovely relationship too.

Address: Amigo, 79A Wong Nai Chung Rd, Happy Valley