#018, pumpernickel, 120210

company: L
conversation: Food, shoes and Denmark.


My Coffee Guide recommended this restaurant in Tin Hau (heaps far!) but I found another branch in Causeway Bay. In this case, I don't really know if the service or food would be similar to the one in Tin Hau but at least their signature bread should be, right?

The restaurant was not hard to find as we were walking in that general direction but the area did not seem particularly busy. The entrance was basically glass windows from floor to ceiling allowing you to looking inside, there was only one lady near the windowsill eating what seemed to be a yummy sandwich.

Once we entered, we were not greeted by anyone as the counter seemed busy. So we took a seat until someone came over with menus and water. The area was nice and spacious, those sitting near the window would have a good view of the streets, good for people-watching. The walls further inside were decorated with paintings of ladies (naked!) which were artsy and seemed to fit the layout of the restaurant. The whole placed seemed like another version of Delifrance before they changed their store layouts.

There was a glass case showcasing their breads and cakes which all seemed very appetising. My aunt had tried the bread before and she said that it was definitely something she recommended. After 8:30pm every night, the bread is 30% off.


The first thing I noticed when seated was that our table was kind of small. With my camera, notebook, menus and our glasses of water, it was hard not to knock anything over. Looking through the menu, the prices were slightly higher than we expected for a place so far from the main foodie streets as well as for bistro food items. The set lunches ranged from HKD$68 - $88 plus 10% including their soup of the day, a main and coffee or tea. There was pasta, sandwiches and cakes available but I was unable to get all the prices down before we ordered. Oops.

I had a pumpkin soup, a salmon, asparagus and mushroom cream pasta and a cappuccino, HKD$78. She had a mushroom soup, mixed vegetables pesto penne and a pomelo honey drink, HKD$68. Both had an additional 10% service charge.

There were only 4 set lunch meals which was a very limited choice in comparison to other places that we had eaten at. To have anything other than coffee, tea or an espresso beverage, you would have to add money which was annoying because we thought the meal was pricey already.

As our soups arrived we were given a bread basket. The long stick bread was surprisingly yummy with subtle hints of poppy seads and pepper. The other bun was more of a regular wheat bun which was nothing special. Our soups seemed kind of watery but were tasty.

I won't say much about the pasta, they were acceptable and extremely filling. Although my cream sauce was watery, L said her pesto sauce was very strong and flavourful.

Back to the drinks. A regular cappuccino would be HKD$25 on it's own without the meal. The cappuccino was made quickly so I was unable to listen to the barista frothing the milk. Overall, the foam was alright although a little less creamy than what I was expecting and the espresso seemed slightly watery (or is it just me?). It was not very bitter and hot enough but was just not creamy.

It's okay though, I enjoyed the entire meal and the brownie dessert we received after our meal was a surprise. It was a little sweet and we were both so full from the pasta that we couldn't finish it all.

Pumpernickel is slightly far away for those that may not venture out in search for restaurants. In this case, Pumpernickel may lose out on potential customers. We did see several people come to have lunch but not enough to fill the entire restaurant. The prices asked for their food items are slightly higher than I would have expected although the interior and atmosphere of the restaurant provide a comfortable environment for dining.

Knowing that the restaurant promotes their bread (hence the name), it was one of the highlights of our meal. Maybe if we had chosen the sandwiches or the omellette that had a huge piece of bread on it, it may have been a less heavy meal (for me).

I can't say much about the coffee as I was not able to observe their process but it was alright if a bit watery. This could have been because of the extraction of the espresso shot although regularly they should only be 25 seconds long. Frothing the milk to the right consistency would allow a creamier texture and possibly make it less watery.

Overall, I was extremely full even though I thought it was slightly pricey. Probably just another tick off my list rather than somewhere to go to again. Maybe next time I'll just buy their bread since their bread basket was quite yummy. Maybe a bread blog will be next? Haha.

address: Shop B, 13 Cleveland Street, Causeway Bay.
銅鑼灣 加寧街13號B舖地下
phone: 2576 1302