Where the Reuben reigns

The Reuben sandwich comes with crisp fries. [Photo by Rebecca Lo / for ]

I love Reubens. The spicy, savory sandwich haunts my dreams and not more than a few months go by before I am on the prowl for beef and sauerkraut. Sadly, Hong Kong is not exactly Manhattan's Upper West Side or Toronto's College Street. To satisfy my salted beef brisket cravings, I usually have to settle for overpriced deli sandwiches or boring processed corned beef.

Imagine my excitement in discovering Awakening Cafe, an easy 15-minute walk from home. The rapidly developing food scene in my neighborhood is seeing all sorts of organic food shops and diverse cuisines occupy premises that were formerly printers, garages or mom-and-pop shops.

Open since late last year, Awakening is tucked away on the podium of a high-rise residential complex. It is adjacent to the recently open escalators along Center Street, which makes it convenient for West Mid-levels and Western District dwellers and students attending the many prestigious schools nearby.

Though the privately owned podium itself doesn't allow al fresco dining - a real crime, as it would be a leafy place to enjoy a sandwich - the full height glass facade offers bar seating for a few to gaze out as they eat.

Inside, it's all rustic charm with industrial pendant bulbs, Americana memorabilia and fresh flowers in tin buckets suspended on railings. Columns are clad in chalkboard embellished with creative graffiti or specials of the day. There is even a big screen TV with a game on - American football on the afternoon we dropped by for lunch.

The menu is typical of the all-day-diner you would get in large North American cities. There are lots of brunch options, including pancakes, French toast and omelets for weekend lounging. There are 10 choices of burgers with practically any type of trimming you'd want on your 100-percent Californian Angus beef patty.

There's a Mexican section featuring burritos and quesadilla.

The full-height glass facade of Awakening Cafe offers bar seating with a view. [Photo by Rebecca Lo / for ]

For those requiring more sustenance, there are pastas and mains, such as ribs cooked slowly for seven hours, Samuel Adams battered fish and shrimp, and mac 'n cheese made with five types of cheeses. I notice that iced lemon tea and coffee are bottomless, which is refreshing for a Hong Kong menu.

Undeterred by all the distractions, I order the Reuben sandwich with an iced lemon tea and my friend tries the van driver omelet. Our waiter was quick to point out that I made a good choice, as the Reuben sells out quickly - lucky for me, they had some corned beef made fresh that morning.

My sandwich was served with crunchy fries. Piled with tart homemade sauerkraut and served on toasted rye bread with Awakening's own version of a Thousand Island dressing, the beef is incredibly moist with complex flavors.

I can taste garlic and a riot of other spices in the shredded beef that kept falling out of the sandwich, and the little bits of fat marbled into the meat give it an extra dimension of deliciousness. This was clearly a sandwich made with a lot of tender loving care.

Chef and co-owner Dan Silva stopped by our table to refill our glasses, and I ask him what was in his recipe for the beef.

"Garlic, cinnamon, cloves, cumin, bay leaves, salt and pepper," he explains. "And some spices that I can't remember right now. All of them go into the brine and we marinate the beef in it for five days before slowly cooking it in liquid with more of the spice mixture for a day."

I am already planning my return visit.

If You Go

Awakening Cafe

Shop 6-7, G/F, 1-6 Ying Wah Terrace, Centre Street, Sai Ying Pun,

852-2858-0005

Average cost per person: HK$150

Recommended:

Reuben Sandwich, 7-hour Ribs, Mac 'n Cheese

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