Cats' Eye

It seems Swatow Street is set to become another foodie destination in gentrifying Wan Chai. The Cupping Room and Veygo — both popular cafes in Sheung Wan — have opened branches there, and other arrivals include Hot Chick by Paul's Kitchen, which serves roast baby chicken and fish and chips, Koku Ryu Ramen and Parisian bistro Le Quinze Vins.
Cats' Eye Bistro, located at the street entrance near Southorn Playground, caught our eye, so we paid a visit to the simple 18-seater with wood furnishings and an open kitchen. The shop, which opened in October, specialises in comfort food. One of the partners is the owner of a popular yoshoku (Japanese-Western) restaurant in Asakusa, Tokyo.
The menu is a list of different combinations based around the four main items. These are all made in-house using time-honoured recipes, with ingredients mainly imported from Japan.
The sweet onion and minced pork curry is made with 35 spices, honey and lots of onion; meanwhile, it takes eight hours of slow cooking to create the tomato beef stew. The chicken and vegetable cream stew blends milk, fresh cream and chicken chunks prepared in a secret marinade.
When we visited on a weekday afternoon, the waitress told us that the Hamburg steak (HK$78 with rice) — served with red wine jus — had sold out. But omelette rice with pork curry and tomato beef stew (HK$78) was available.
The omelette which covered the rice was velvety. Both sauces were rich: the curry had a subtle spiciness and the tomato stew, which I preferred, went well with the chewy rice, which was imported from Japan along with the eggs for the omelette. It had tender pieces of beef rib and a balance of sweetness and tartness.
The menu also featured three salads, including a refreshing sesame-based shredded cabbage, and three house-made sausages (HK$28 for three pieces).