Wineshark HK Restaurant Review - Juno

Most Sundays I would go back home to have dinner with my parents, but this week as my mother is traveling, we decide to skip a week and dine outside instead, and picked this Italian restaurant located in Sheung Wan to explore.

The décor has a familiar design, reminding me of Medora with its modern, comfortable vibe and casual ambience, while the use of mint green and brass on the windows looking out to the street somehow gets me to think of Jee. Just wonder whether they are using the same designers.

We decide to go for the Tasting Menu ($538 each) and a bottle of Fillaboa Seleccion Finca Monte Alto 2021 ($660) from Rais Baixas, Spain. The Albarino has a nice ripe peach, with some citrus and apple, evolving to more toasty and minerality on the finish. A nice wine to go with seafood.

There are five starters to share. First to come is the Tuna Tartare, with the minced tuna seasoned with a lemon grapefruit mirin sauce, paired with some crispy rice crackers. The good acidity from the sauce makes this highly appetizing but the tuna is a bit bland in taste. Decent.

The second one is Iberico Ham 48 Months, with the ham placed on top of some freshly baked focaccia with rosemary. The ham is a bit dried up, and I believe it has been cut beforehand and left exposed for a while. The bread is good, and on its own it was already delicious. Decent overall.

The third one is Raw Oysters. On the menu it is supposed to be Egg Tonnato but was unavailable. I was disappointed because that was one of my favourite starters. Fortunately, the oysters are very fresh, and I also finish both as Ivy did not want to have raw ones.

The fourth one is Burrata Pugliese, which is my pick among the starters. The burrata is rich in taste, with the salad having some organic cherry tomatoes and curly endive, drizzled with some olive oil and pesto on top, with also baked hazelnuts to give nice nutty notes. Delicious.

The fifth and last starters is Padron Peppers. The Spanish green peppers are not spicy, but in fact has a slight sweetness on the taste. Deep-fried in olive oil, it is a nice complement with drinks, and I think it will be a great match with a chilled Sauvignon Blanc.

For the main course, we have chosen the Seafood Fideos ($160 supplement), which features two Spanish carabineros prawns. Mixing the miso from the prawn heads, the rich tomato sauce offers fantastic flavours, with the al dente short pasta absorbing the sauce to full extent. Amazing.

We have picked Tiramisu and Panna Cotta for desserts. The Tiramisu has the traditional recipe with the coffee-soaked ladyfinger at the bottom, followed by some mascarpone cheese in the middle, and topped with some Valrhona cocoa powder. Good taste and appropriate in sweetness.

The Panna Cotta combines the silky soft white chocolate pudding, with a pickled Amarena cherry. The chef has added some of the syrups of the cherry onto the pudding to provide additional flavours. Nicely done.

Service is good, with the staff friendly and attentive. The restaurant is fully occupied on the night, contrary to the current poor patronage we see in many restaurants. With the bill at $2,256 it will be much lower if we did not go for a bottle of wine. Looking at how this restaurant manages to balance quality, service and ambience, and price in such difficult time, perhaps it can give their peers a glimpse of the recipe for success.

Wineshark HK Restaurant Review - Luk Yu Tea House 陸羽茶室

Talking about traditional Chinese restaurants, there are not that many remaining in town. One of the most famous is Luk Yu Tea House in Central. We have visited many years back, and today we return to Stanley Street to experience the historic vibe once again.

Seated at a small booth on the side, the décor is dated but give a good glimpse of the ambience of traditional tea house, with high ceiling and hanging fans, wooden chairs of hard surface, and also the large mirrors on the walls with Chinese calligraphy and paintings while at the same time there are some Western stained-glass panels. A true testimony of how different cultures are integrated in HK.

To start, we have Double Boiled Pig’s Lung & Almond Soup 杏汁白肺湯 ($150 small portion). The staff has helpfully recommended us to go for the small portion as it would be too much for the normal serving. The soup is their signature, really delicious with rich almond taste, while the pig’s lungs are washed thoroughly and without any weird taste. With also some dried pak choi and finely shredded mandarin peel to add sweetness and fragrance, it is a must order and no wonder we see almost all tables are having this.

Next comes Fried Sliced Pigeon with Ham 燒雲腿鴿片 ($420). The sliced pigeon is fantastic, seasoned well and cooked perfectly to preserve the tenderness. The ham on the side provides some savoury and sweetness, not salty in fact. I also like the straw mushroom and bell peppers added to give some contrast on the bite and making the dish even more delicious. Another dish I recommend.

The Braised Frog with Pomelo Skin 柚皮炆田雞 ($360) combines the two ingredients we like. The pomelo skin takes a lot of effort to prepare, and here it is done well, soft and good in taste, without any bitterness. The frog is a bit tough on the bite for me though. With also some shiitake mushroom, the overall taste is still very good but probably is not the most popular dish.

The final dish we have is Pan Fried Pork Patty with Lotus Roots 香煎蓮藕餅 ($280). A pleasant surprise, the pork patty is very good, with the lotus roots finely chopped to give a nice crunch on the bite while the patty is pan-fried beautifully to golden brown. Also, it has a milder seasoning than most restaurants, making the patty more refined and delicious. Even after the other dishes we manage to finish all eight pieces. Another must order in my opinion.

There are only two desserts available, Walnut Soup 合桃露 ($75) and Egg White Almond Soup 蛋白杏仁露 ($75). The walnut soup is rich in flavours, apparently made in-house from scratch. It is of appropriate sweetness to make us feel fulfilled but not excessively indulgent. The egg white almond soup is equally good, also of the right sweetness. Although we are full to almost bursting, we do not regret ordering these sweet soups.

I heard from social media there are some bad experiences on services, but I honestly feel the staff here are all friendly and helpful, serving us soup and refill water in the teapot diligently, answering our questions about lunch booking for dim sum, all without any hint of impatience or dark faces. The bill on the night is $1,637. It is not cheap but considering the quality of the food and the unique experience, it is worth a visit for both locals and foreigners.

Wineshark HK Restaurant Review - Daai Zaak 大宅

Hearing that this restaurant is officially opened after a period of soft launch, I come to the Mira Moon Hotel in Wanchai tonight, after the first amber rainstorm signal of the year, to experience what Executive Chef Wu and his team has prepared to impress our palate.

Located on the third floor of the hotel, the setting of the restaurant is quite weird, with tables surrounding a core of stairs leading up to the hotel lobby. The décor is interesting, with some calligraphy of fun proverbs, and jars of Chinese spices and herbs displayed on one side.

We have picked the Yao Menu ($880 each). The first course Seasonal Fresh Fruits Skewer 冰鎮時令蔬果 is a fancy appetizer, served on a plate with mist seeping out. Opening the glass container is a Sicily cherry tomato, with amber walnut and cream cheese embedded inside. The acidity of the tomato is refreshing, with the walnut and cheese providing nutty and savoury flavours to complement. A nice starter.

The second starter is Pickled Raw Prawn with Hua Diao & Fermented Rice Wine 糟鹵花雕生醃蝦. The mix of the two types of wines is a clever technique, so the prawn is infused with the fragrant flavours but not the bitterness. The raw prawn is fresh and has nice texture. Very good indeed. As my wife does not want to eat raw prawn the chef has arranged a cooked version for her thoughtfully.

The third course is the soup, and we have both upgraded, with me going for Double Boiled Abalone Soup, Fish Maw, Sea Cucumber & Mushroom 大宅佛跳牆 ($388 additional). The soup is delicious in taste, with lots of premium ingredients including abalone, fish maw, sea cucumber, conpoy, vegetarian shark’s fin, bamboo pith and morel mushroom. The poached quail egg is a touch of genius as it adds flavours and bite to the soup. Nice.

My wife has picked Braised Shredded Snake Soup, Bamboo Shoot & Lemon Leaves 古法蛇羹 ($288 additional). The soup is served steaming hot, with the shredded meat, bamboo shoots and shiitake mushroom supplemented with mandarin peel and some chrysanthemum petals, with also the finely cut lemon leaves and crisps on the side. An equally tasty alternative.

The fourth course is the beginning of the mains, and we have both opted for another upgrade, Braised Crab Cream & Fresh Crab Claw, Vegetarian Shark’s Fin 蟹黃銀針燴蟹鉗 ($280 additional each). The large crab claw is meaty and sweet, enhanced in flavours by the thick sauce made from crab cream and crab meat, which also has some vegetarian shark’s fin for premium experience but avoid hunting real sharks. Pleasant in both taste and appearance.

The fifth course is Abalone with Fermented Rice Sauce & Pepper Oil 乾燒麻香鮮鮑魚. The abalones are cut into large wedges but is easy to chew and not rubbery, and has been stir-fried with cauliflower, spring onion, Sichuan pepper and dried chili, a with a bit of numb spiciness but not excessive. For me, the cauliflower is even better than the abalone because of its sweetness. And more intense flavours. Nice.

The sixth course is Slow Cooked Wagyu with Homemade Sauce 文火和牛. The wagyu beef is braised to good tenderness, easily picked apart by chopsticks. Paired with a rich homemade sauce, the flavours are deeply infused inside, delicious on each bite. The deep-fried rice rolls underneath help us to soak up all the sauce and provides a contrast on the bite. The best dish on the night in my opinion.

The seventh course is Pan Fried Marinated Fish 生煎一夜鮮. The fish fillet has been marinated and dried overnight to intensify the flavours and then pan-fried to a beautiful crispness on the skin, finishing with a soy sauce that has been adjusted to give a wonderful umami taste and not overly salty, with plenty of finely shredded spring onion to add to fragrance. Having removed all bones, this dish is good for those who might have difficulty picking fish bones. Really nice.

The eighth course is Noodle in Soup, Cabbage & Shredded Yunnan Ham 手功煨麵. The noodle has a great al dente texture, and is served in a rich, intensely flavourful soup that is made from chicken and Yunnan ham, with some cabbage to reduce any greasiness from the soup. Even though it might look ordinary, it is extremely tasty, and I end up finishing the whole portion including the soup. A must order in my opinion.

The ninth and final course is Double Boiled Milk with Mashed Taro 芋茸燉鮮奶. On the surface it is the double boiled milk while underneath it is the mashed taro, sweet but not overly indulgent. The taro is not in season, so the flavours are relatively mild, and as a result this dessert is more dominated by the milk in taste. Still a good attempt and would be interested on how it tastes when the taro is good.

Service is good, with the staff friendly and attentive. Apart from one or two dishes they have not elaborated much on the courses which is a miss, as I can visualize the diners would be much more engaged with the food if there are better understanding on the ingredients and the techniques used in cooking. The bill on the night is $3,377 and will be much lower in price if we do not opt for so many extras. A nice place to try it out.

Wineshark HK Restaurant Review - The Chinnery

Last week I had some great time in Japan with my friends who moved to UK, and today they are returning home. Thinking of them, I decide to go for British cuisine on the night and immediately recall this restaurant / bar located in Central. Arriving early evening, we come to this small, cozy diner on the first floor of the historic Mandarin Oriental Hong Kong.

The décor has not changed from my last visit a few years back, with plenty of wood panels and furniture, leather banquettes, artworks from the English painter George Chinnery, and the large assortment of whisky display behind the bar counter. I am also thrilled to see my friend John who works here. He greets us warmly and shows us to our table at the corner.

Starting with some beverages, John has made my wife a Fruit Punch, which is the best she has ever tried, with fresh and high-quality fruit juice, and the right amount of grenadine syrup. For me I have a couple of their classic cocktails, including Chinnery Bramble and Manhattan, and both are truly wonderful, bringing back fond memories bar-hopping when I started to learn about cocktails.

For starters, we have Chicken Wings ($168). Grilled beautifully, the wings are thoughtfully cut into smaller pieces to allow guests to eat them easily. With the meat remaining tender, we also like the homemade BBQ sauce which has a slight spiciness, appetizing but will not make you craze for water. A very nice snack to go with beer as well.

The other starter is Tartare ($348). John introduces the ingredients of the dish, with prime beef tenderloin, minced nicely and mixed with capers, gherkins and parsley. He then helps us to mix it with egg yolk, while we skip the brandy as my wife do not take alcohol, serve with white toast. Amazingly flavourful, the sweetness and acidity of the pickles are well balanced, with the tenderness of the tartare appealing. A must-order in my opinion.

My wife has picked Fish & Chips ($378) for her main course. The Atlantic cod fillet is deep-fried in Boddingtons beer batter, paired with tartar sauce and potato chips. The quality of the fish fillet is very good, using premium fish which has got a good texture and not ‘oily’. The batter is airy and fluffy, with the tartar sauce providing an impeccable match.

I have Tikka Chicken ($368), with the chicken cooked with tomato, butter, yoghurt, aromatic spices, very tender. The curry is not spicy at all, and John shares that the chef can adjust the spiciness per customers’ request. As a result, for those looking for more heat it is good to mention that during ordering. The curry comes with basmati rice which is good portion for two people. Another anchor and signature dish.

As we are very full, and the desserts are quite indulgent, we originally decide to skip. Knowing that, John has thoughtfully arranged a Fruit Platter for us. The service here is truly top-notch and I can also see other customers happily engaged with the team. With the hotel’s membership Central+ and using the $200 voucher, the bill on the night is $1,190. Great value for money. More reasons for us to return frequently.

Wineshark HK Restaurant Review - Nagamoto 長本

This Michelin 1-star is one of my favorite restaurants in town, always impressed by their amazing cuisine, quality ingredients, nice ambience, and impeccable service. Even though I have only visited a few times, they remember I like Matsuba crab, and will notify me when the special menu is offered. Today, I come to On Lan Street with high anticipation of the treats Chef Teruhiko Nagamoto has prepared for us for the Special Matsuba Menu ($3,500 each).

Stepping out of the elevator we are greeted warmly by the staff, and after settled down at our seats in the L-shaped counter, I order a bottle of 冩樂 純米大吟醸 しずくどり ($2,480). This sake from Miyaizumi 宮泉銘醸 in Fukushima has a nice acidity, sharper upon opening and gradually mellows out throughout the whole dinner, with a light and harmonious taste. Good for matching with crab and most of the food on the night.

The first course 先付け is 蟹茶碗蒸. The crab meat has been mixed with egg custard before putting to double-boil at 85 degrees Celsius for 20 minutes, resulting in a creamy silky soft texture. Delicate but rich in flavours. On top is a homemade dashi to add umami to the chawanmushi, with a small leaf to decorate. Delicious and a good start.

The second course 替え is 蛤塩煮 キャビア. The hamaguri clam has been cooked perfectly, not a tiny bit over, to retain the umami and freshness. On the side are some mizuna, fresh and delicate like water. The two small slices of udo, with a slight bitterness to add flavours, and wolfberries made the dish elevated in medicinal properties. Finishes with a white sauce made from the clam stock and a special sesame seed oil. Wonderfully tasty.

The third course 煮物椀 is 蟹真蒸 栗麩. Upon opening the lid of the bowl, the nice yuzu fragrance comes to the nose, with the delicious dashi drawing our breath away. The crab meat surimi has a delicate and elegant taste while the wheat millet gluten has a good bite. The nabana is the seasonal vegetable which adds to the touch of spring to the dish. Very delicious.

The fourth course 造り is 蟹造り. The reason why the Matsuba crab is called such is how the crab leg flesh, after soaking in cold water, will look like the pine needles. Served with a wari soy sauce, with a bit of grated ginger added, the crab meat has a refined, delicate sweetness. It is good but still I prefer to eat the cooked crab meat more with its sweeter taste.

The fifth course is another 造り featuring 本日のお造り. The selected sashimi comprises of tai, yari-Ika, and maguro. The sea bream has nice sweetness and firm texture. The soft and sweet spear squid is paired with a pinkish sauce, made from the innards of bonito, to provide umami and savoury delicacy. Two cuts of tuna are served, with the lean akami rich in taste while the chu-toro having nice fattiness but not excessive.

The sixth course 八寸 includes 毛蟹 蟹味噌, 蟹湯葉巻揚, 蟹散らし寿司 海胆. Apart from matsuba crab, the menu also serves kegani, and the chef has mixed the crab meat with crab miso, together with some vinegar and shiso flowers, sweet and tasty. An interesting piece with the crab is mizuhiki, made from pickled vegetables, signifying a gift and also to cleanse the palate. The tofu skin roll is wrapped with matsuba crab meat and shungiku, paired with a homemade sauce. And the chirashi sushi has Bafun sea urchin, matsuba crab, komochi kombu on top of the shari, with the pickled turnip to give a bit of acidity. Pleasant in both presentation and taste.

The seventh course 強肴 is 和牛すき焼き. The Miyazuki wagyu sirloin has been sliced thinly, and then we see Chef Nagamoto putting them in sukiyaki one piece at a time, to ensure each piece is cooked perfectly. Adding the soft-boiled egg in, the creamy and smooth texture of the beef, plus the mouth-watering delicious sauce, supplemented with the white leek and baby burdock, prompts me to nearly ask the chef for an encore straight away.

The eighth course 箸休 is 黒鮑軟煮 うるい. Cutting the slow-cooked Shimane black abalone into bite sizes, the chef has prepared a jelly, made from the abalone liver and dashi, to further enhance the flavours of the abalone. The urui is a type of wild vegetables, with the chef using dashi to blanch them, having a crunchy texture and slight sweetness. A premium intermittent dish to transition to the other matsuba crab course.

The ninth course 鉢物 is 蟹しゃぶ 蟹味噌. The crab miso is heated on the carapace over charcoal, to prepare a paste to go with the crab meat. When it is almost done, the chef starts to cook the claw of the crab in shabu shabu, with some radish and spring seasonal vegetables together. Using the crab miso as dipping sauce, it is truly amazing. This is why I like how the Japanese cuisine can highlight the authentic and original flavours to the full extent.

Using the remaining crab miso, the chef prepares some 蟹味噌添えて 甲羅酒. The kora sake is made by pouring sake into the carapace, with the crab miso giving the hot sake a delicious savoury taste, though the alcohol is quite strong because of the heat. Still, I cannot help to finish three cups in a row because of how tasty they are.

The tenth course 食事 is 蟹御飯 いくら, 蟹雑炊, 味噌汁 漬物. The highlight of the whole menu in my opinion, the rice is served in the pot, with the crab meat fully scattered on top with also plenty of scallions. It is simply unstoppable and I quickly finish three servings, with the addition of salmon roes. Apart from the rice, there is also porridges which are equally, if not more, delicious, and despite so full I also finish two servings also. With the homemade pickles and miso soup it is a satisfying completion of the meal.

For 甘味と抹茶, the 季節の果実 includes banpeiyu, unshu mikan, and kinkan, with the fruit cut into small dices, adding some blueberries and apple jelly. Sweet and refreshing. The 和菓子 uses a special type of Okayama red beans, which are white in colour, but having the same taste as the normal red beans, with a black bean, mochi and Kumamoto strawberries. Appropriate in sweetness and very good in taste, we also finish with the traditional matcha tea.

Service is impeccable, with the staff very engaging to explain the ingredients and the speciality of the food, demonstrating good understanding of the food and the culture. The bill on the night is $10,428 and while it is not cheap, it is good value for money in my opinion. If you are a big fan of matsuba crab, this one you should not miss. And we will visit again to see whether we can experience the sweet corn during the summer season.