Open rice or Throwing Rice?

It has been non stop eating since the beginning of July jam packed with dinner engagements and birthday parties. After being back to HK for a year now, I am getting back into the entertainment scene. Jonathan being a wine distributor definitely opens a lot of restaurant doors. Just for the past month or so, we have tried....ahaa........... Bo Innovation for people watching lunch and dinner; BLT Steak becomes our good steak for the buck; Roka which was ok, but feel sorry for them for not having much dinner business; Thai Basil, don't know why I keep going back there and getting pissed off; Top Deck, sucks when it rains and you are the only one table for the night; Vero Chocolate, too good to eat the chocolate, Cafe Deco, old but still remains; One Bar, endless oysters and not so noticiable New Zealand wine; Wooden Table, amazing cheese that took all the attention; The Pawn, to die for fish and chips and good drinks, not so much anything else; Morten's Steak House, The STEAK and The CARROT CAKE and The BILL; Classified Mozzarelle Bar, cheese is more expensive than meat. O my god, out of breath! Each of them deserve a page on their own...I will slowly work on it.

I have used openrice.com when I first came back to HK. Jonathan rely on me to read OR to see which restaurant to go to because he cannot read chinese. So at the beginning, I religiously check everytime I try some new place, I even wrote a couple comments myself, but then, it starts to disappoint me. It seems to me that the standard of people varies on openrice.com. Taste is so subjective, depends on age, ethicnicity and experience, I think it is wrong some people give such harsh and personal comments. Maybe I was once in the restaurant industry, I have an extra appreciation on what goes behind the scene. But I also have high expectation when it comes to service and price. If I am paying top dollars, I better get good service and a good piece of meat. But if it is a cheap joint, I won't complain if my utensils are chipped or the service is bad. Being realistic is very important when I dine. There are certain restaurants that should not make it and there are restaurant that simply is not your cup of tea. I think there is a difference. Openrice.com is a good place to find what is in your neighborhood, but don't take their word for it. Remember, they are not words of professional, use your own judgement!!!