Andy's Seafood Sau Kee has reopened on Fri, June 29 in the renovated (repainted) Sau Kee premises.

Andy Yu, his wife Elizabeth have taken a 2-year lease and are off to a great start, filling the place already on the first night. We've seen more non-Chinese guests in there on opening night than Sau Kee used to get in an entire week (including myself) before. Several of their former "extended family" of cooks and waiters in Lamcombe have returned.

On opening night, it was the usual suspects eager to try any new place and well enough off to afford the new, also renovated prices, comparable to other Chin. seafood restaurants on Lamma, like Man Fung, Sampan, Rainbow, Lamma Hilton, not shy with triple-digit price tags for single seafood-related dishes. "Live Seafood at Market Price" fills the first several pages of the very pretty, extensive, laminated menu.

A quite classy seafood place has replaced the former family-type, low-key restaurant. But it looks like they still offer the old, beloved, reasonably-priced classics from Andy's and Elizabeth's former rest., Lamcombe, just a few years ago! If you refrain from the seafood specialties, you could eat there for well below $100/person.

But we left hungry - most unusual in a Chin. rest. - the fried rice didn't show up even after 1.5 hours of waiting and many reminders to various waiters, till we gave up and took away our by now cold, oily main dish. But we'll surely be back soon, when the cooks and waiters will have settled into a new routine and look less frazzled, hectic and overwhelmed than on opening day.

But the views at and especially after sunset made more than up for the long wait, see below, a very long, ever-changing sunset so spectacular that it warrants a separate Lamma-zine photo story. Make sure to get a seaside table! This might become another fave and regular for our frequent sunset watching and dinner!

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I went to the new Lancombe for dinner tonight, and was expecting it to be slightly chaotic , and that there may still be 'teething problems' due to still being a new restaurant and kitchen, and a busy holiday weekend.

However, It was simply wonderful. A sincere greeting at the door, and it was lovely to see most of the prior staff that used to work there before.

I was happy enough with just the above, and seeing a former Lamma Institution being reinstated, but I also have to admit that the food was simply superb. Lots of delicious seafood and our usual favourite dishes that my friends and I used to eat.

Maybe lucky, as they were extremely busy, but the food was delicious, food arrived quickly, great service, and we all had a wonderful time.

Of course I have to have a gripe And the only one I could find is that it was actually 'outside' but felt like 'inside' due to the lighting. it was a tad bright so it was hard to see the beautiful YSW harbour view.

I'm sure with constructive feedback though, Andy and Co at the New Lancombe will sort that out. Shall have a chat with him next time I pop in for some good food

Well, at least the new lighting is power-saving light bulbs, see below. Maybe it won't attract as many swarming bugs, winged ants and moths as the former strip lighting in there.

But should we really call this the "New Lancombe"?, instead of "Andy's Seafood", a much better name, I think. Where did Lancombe with an n originate? It's never been called that in any of their signs or menus, to my knowledge, always Lamcombe with an m. And what's a Lamcombe anyway? Even Andy wasn't sure when I asked him years ago.

As the clearest days of the year are beginning now, this place will become a frrquent sunset hangout for this "Photography Enthusiast" (as the Hans Andersen Club newsletter called me) who's shooting almost anything with his little shirt pocket camera with ultra-zoom which I carry everywhere, even shooting light bulbs....

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Lamcombe Seafood Rest. has closed down in an extremely low-key way on Sep 2, informing only very few people.

Click here for more info

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Some people might have noticed the demise of Lamma's first independent wine-only shop/bar this summer, run by Wayne, a former accountant, opposite the Bookworm Cafe. It's proven to be difficult to run a traditional wine shop/bar in YSW profitably, even though white wine is the most popular single drink in some bars this summer.

The tiny location, basically an extension or outdoor area of the Bookworm Cafe has recently reopened as the "Classroom", run by Bookworm's Ken. See the first birthday party in this nice location which ties in very nicely with the decor and atmosphere of the Bookworm Cafe opposite. But why is it called "Classroom", not an inviting name for most people, definitely very different ones from a friendly , relaxed place to hang out with friends, sharing a drink and conversation.

No details of the "menu" (same as Bookworm, I assume?), drinks or opening hours available yet, but the Classroom will probably be focusing mainly on the weekend crowds and have the same opening hours as the Bookworm (which I still wonder about as they're quite often closed at random times during week days, usually without any notice).

This concept of a special named section inside a shop or restaurant reminds strongly of the "Living Room" in the nearby Just Green organic shop with a similar cozy setting, but with couches, open to anybody to have a drink, like a glass of wine, and share some friendly discussion, like the Philosophy Cafés happening in there every month.

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Here's an iPhone photo I got from Kumar yesterday, taken at a stag party in the Waterfront Bar & Rest. The party did the rounds of over 10 bars all over HK, even making up a T-shirt and a special Monopoly board (HK edition) with the names and pictures of all the bars, a bit like a treasure hunt with all the spots being bars.

Here's their Monopoly board, see the Waterfront picture tile bottom at the bottom right. High-stakes Monopoly seems to be what Lamma's property owners are playing these days, buy property low (years ago), sell at maximum peak prices (right now), drive the other players into bankruptcy and win the game....

As Kumar informs me there were no strippers involved in the Waterfront stopover of this HK-wide stag party. No info of how many revellers ever managed to complete their circuit of bars, as there must have been many dropouts along the route.

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A new restaurant is opening today, a BBQ Grill ... in Sok Kwu Wan, see below.

Is this the first non-Chinese restaurant in Sok Kwu Wan? I've never seen one down there this millennium.

It's run by the people behind the famous, blue Lo So Shop, 10 minutes away in Lo So Shing. This new rest. is located in the first back street, parallel to the main SKW seafood restaurants stretch.

Any news and photos and reviews, please post here, if you're passing by this place.

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On weekends and holidays the barbeque grill will be open with Chicken, other meats, fish and other goodies. On weekdays pasta with various sauces and other dishes are available in the open air restaurant. A few interesting beers are on the drink menu and prices are reasonable for the Sok Kwu Wan side.

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Reuben L Sushman

Lo So is just about the only place you can stop for a drink in SKW without feeling you're imposing on a restaurant operation. It's an interesting mix of Chinese and expat tastes - some unusual budget beers -- but a seat by the water in the late afternoon (for those without regular employ) is quite pleasant. Carmen is an entertaining hostess in several languages.

Lamcombe is becoming a steakhouse and bar!

Directly from the proprietor's mouth, not a Lamma rumour, they leased (not bought) the entire place, renovating the kitchen, redecorating it, to be reopened around Chinese New Year as a traditional steakhouse.

More details are known, but not for publication yet. You'll hear much more once they're ready to announce more.

This is an exciting and promising development, I think!

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Just some quick snapshots from the new Lo So Kitchen, where I like to stop by for a late lunch (as one of those people "without regular employ") on weekdays.

I've only had some deep-fried snacks so far, so can't really comment on the food yet, a mix of Western coffee shop dishes and Asian snacks, see promotional displays at the entrance of this cheap'n'cheerful place below.

Run by 3 generations of Chinese women, all fluent in English and very friendly, it has a kind of Green Cottage vibe. It was half-full of daytrippers on a week day afternoon, while all the neighbouring seafood places were empty after lunchtime.

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Any Idea the hours on Lo-So Kitchen. We are thinking about heading over, but we don't know if they are open.

Found the phone number from their Facebook page, they are normally closed monday, but open today!

Happy New Year's, Ya'll!

Here's their namecard, including phone number and Facebook.

This is a really great place to stop over for a meal or a snack - almost the only alternative to Chin. seafood - whenever I'm passing through SKW which is becoming more and more frequent these months.

Maybe followed by a *real* coffee and freshly baked and decorated mini muffin in the brand-new Bebe V nearby...

Lots of things are happening in South Lamma recently, almost a mini revival after their slow decline over the last 10+ years. The hiking/biking weather is fine on most days, great to go exploring.

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What's new in Lamma's Dining & Drinking scene?

New Happy Hour in Pizza Milano from 3-7pm and 3-6pm on weekends.

Jing Jing has reopened after a long Christmas break, serving a very extensive breakfast, brunch and lunch menu till 5pm.

The Bookworm Cafe's outdoor Classroom and Just Green's Living Room and seaside terrace have become popular "wine bars" and hangout spots.
By the way, Just Green has expanded from its first Lamma location to 4 HK locations now, the latest one at the Discovery Bay ferry pier just a few months back.

Bebe V has opened on Dec 27 in Sok Kwu Wan, a real Western coffee shop with their own bakery. See Lamma-zine, Dec 28:
http://www.compunicate.com/Lamma-zine/Blog/Blog-2012-12.html#Dec28

The still nameless future steakhouse and bar in the former Lamcombe's location seems to be making good progress, opening sometime after Lunar New Year.

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Two restaurants are closing down for good in the next few days:

Last day of LaLa mama's will be this Sunday, Jan 27, 2013.
The 2 buildings, over 40 years old and owned by Jackson's, will be torn down and rebuilt. Jackson's property agency will tear down the building housing their own agency first and move their office into LaLa mama's current location temporarily, before redeveloping that building as well.

I'll be missing their colourful breakfasts and lunches, see Roasted Chicken Salad and Muesli w/fruits below. Fantastic sunset views and the best view of a sandy beach of any YSW restaurant.

What are your best memories of this place?

Ngau Kee Rest., behind the VV Parking Lot and the container-property-agency, vis-a-vis Pizza Milano, will shut forever end of this month, the owner retiring. No decision yet on what will become of it in the future.

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The new bar inside the new Steakhouse inside the former Lamcombe is coming along nicely, to open in the next few weeks, probably.
Anybody's got an idea of the still-secret name, tba?

New Happy Hours in Pizza Milano, see below.
$26 for a glass of wine sounds pretty good, especially compared to the $55 that another restaurant nearby charges for their house wine, even during Happy Hour.

I always wonder, how can such a small place like Yung Shue Wan support such a wide variety of bars, while Sok Kwu Wan still doesn't have a single one?

Plus a photo of the last day of LaLa mama's, Jan 27, 2013.
Their takeaway breakfasts will be missed by many, but it's great additional business for Green Cottage's morning takeaways.

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Valentine's Day menus, as received so far:

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News from the brand-new PRIME BAR & GRILL, inside the former Lamcombe Rest.:

"Soft Opening of Prime Bar & Grill at 4pm tomorrow, 16 February. Well, the bar anyway, the restaurant will open in early March.

Please drop by for drinks and snacks!"

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The Prime Bar soft opening has been postponed due to unforeseen circumstances. We hope to open tomorrow. Apologies.