Wineshark HK Restaurant Review - Tim's Kitchen

This Cantonese restaurant is located in Sheung Wan, not exactly in a busy neighborhood (especially at night) so it might took you a while to find it. I have been here a few times before and generally the impression was fairly good, so this time I took my mom and wife along so we could order a bit more.

One thing I noticed was the relatively rundown decoration. Don't get me wrong, it is still quite nice in fact but you would find the ceiling and walls got quite a bit of wear and tear, and being a classy restaurant it should be paying more attention to such.

For appetizers we ordered a Chilled Tossed Cucumber, which is crunchy and seasoned well with vinegar and sugar. The taste is fairly good and just a bit too sweet for me.

The other appetizer is Chilled Marinated Wood Fungus, with some finely shredded carrot accompanying. The texture is crunchy too and again the seasoning is good, and I particularly like the red dates flavor that I could detect in the sauce.

Next comes the Honey-Glazed Barbecue Pork, and we deliberately asked for a semi-fatty piece to ensure the meat is not too dry. The meat is juicy and roasted perfectly, not too burnt to result in any bitterness while sufficiently charred to bring out the fragrance. Not the best char siu I have tasted but still one I enjoy.

The most anticipated dish is the Deep-Fried Whole Fresh Crab Claw with Peppercorn Salt. Requiring to pre-order a day in advance, the size of the crab claw is big and deep-fried to the right degree as I generally don't like my fried dishes too brown. The peppercorn salt is also not too salty to mask the delicate flavors of the fresh crab meat, and overall a really nice dish that is the highlight of the night.

Two other dishes we had included Steamed Chicken with Black Mushroom, which is a family dish you could prepare at home. The chicken is decent, though I don't think it is a fresh chicken from the texture and taste. Nowadays it is becoming more and more difficult to enjoy a good chicken in restaurant given the high prices. Also it might have a better presentation if the sauce could be less oily by skimming that layer off before pouring back in before serving.

The Poached Seasonal Vegetable in Supreme Soup is quite nice too, with the Chinese spinach tender and without any fiber in chewing. The soup provided the right saltiness to make it flavorful but not excessive. If only there is a bit more shredded Chinese ham it would further enhance the overall level for this dish.

On dessert we had a Red Bean Soup, Mango Pudding and Red Jujube Cake. The pudding is totally 'artificial' without any mango flavor which to me is very disappointing. The jujube cake got a chewy texture but the taste of dates are not intense at all. Overall all the desserts were below par.

Honest speaking the food quality of this restaurant has deteriorated quite a lot, particularly if I recalled the times when it was still newly started and in the old location. With the success and expansion it had now gone into the worrying decline stage which I hope they could seriously look into and turn it around.

The bill on the night was $1508 and considering the food and everything it was quite expensive, even though half of the bill was on the three crab claws in fact. You might argue it was not cheap to begin with even in the old days in that small setup without much decoration. Then I would pay because of the good taste, now I have a big question mark. My rating is 53/100.

Nutritionist Recipe - 3. Prawn Curry

Ingredients (for 4):

• Prawns - 8
• Shallots - 2
• Green bell pepper - 1
• Onion - 1
• Spring onion - 2 sprigs
• Rice wine - 2 tsp
• Curry powder - 1 tbsp
• Salt - 1.5 tsp
• Oil - 1 tsp

Procedures:

1. Rinse the prawns and cut the legs off. 

2. Peel shallots and cut into quarters.

3. Remove seeds from the green bell pepper and cut into segments.

4. Peel onion and cut into pieces.

5. Rinse spring onions, drain and cut into segments.

6. Heat up the pan and add in oil, stir-fry shallots and onion pieces until fragrant.

7. Add the prawns and rice wine and stir-fry briefly.

8. Add in curry powder and salt, stir-fry briefly, cover with pan lid and heat for 1 minute.

9. Add in spring onion and green bell pepper pieces, further stir-fry for 1 minute, then serve. 

Wineshark HK Restaruant Review - 8 1/2 Otto e Mezzo Bombana

This Italian restaurant is located in Alexander House, a Michelin 3-star restaurant that is so popular that you need to book a couple of weeks in advance to secure a table. With a section of the restaurant being a bar where you can enjoy a drink before going to your meal, the dining area has a nice setting, not being extravagant to make you uncomfortable. The wine cellar is also impressive with a wide selection of wines too.

On the night I went for the Degustation menu plus the wine pairings, with the first course being a Seared Red Tuna Belly. It is served with fennel pollen, tomato and citrus emulsion, as well as Royal Oscietra caviar. The tuna is tender with a good sear on the outside but deep red on the inside, seasoned perfectly and the taste got further elevated with the freshness and acidity of the emulsion. The caviar provides an interesting flavors, and this caviar is one of the most prized and expensive version. This pairs very well with the citrus and white peach flavors of the 2015 Argiolas Meri Vermentino di Sardegna.

The second course is Roasted Langoustine, seasoned with Mediterranean herbs and with warm couscous salad on the side. Langoustine is a kind of mini lobster, about the size of a large prawn, with a very soft and juicy flesh and intense flavors. The salad is prepared with couscous which is a sort of semolina and also got some lobster meat mixed together. It is a really nice seafood course all by itself. And the more full-bodied 2010 Benanti Pietramarina Etna Bianco is a good complement too.

The third course is my favourite on the night. It is a Homemade Tagliolini, prepared with butter, Parmesan and 'Melanosporum' black truffle fondue. The pasta really got the perfect texture, and frankly one of the best I have ever tasted. The sauce is also in harmony with the tagliolini, plus the really aromatic black truffle making this an overall phenomenal enjoyment that you would not regret spending the money. The 2013 Girolamo Russo A' Rina Etna Rosso is a nice choice to pair with a fruity redberry aroma and taste.

The fourth course is choice of beef or pork, and I opted for the Farm Baby Pork which got natural jus, mushroom, and 'Cicerchia' beans puree. The pork is so soft and tender that I originally could not believe it is really pork given its texture. The sauce is rich with intense flavors, further enhanced by the caramelized mushroom and beans puree to give a sweet taste. The 2009 Mastrojanni Brunello di Montalcino is also a decent wine pairing.

The last course is again a choice of two, and as recommended I chose the seasonal La Pesca, which is a peach compote, bavaroise and peach sorbet. The sou chef came out to introduce the dessert to us, and truly it was a wonderful peach assortment. The sorbet got an intense peach flavors and is extremely good on its own already, but supplementing with the compote which is made by stewed the peach in syrup, and the bavarois or cream gave the different texture and enjoyment to wrap up a wonderful meal. My only critic is that the wine paired, the 2011 Livon Cumins Picolit does not have the right sweetness, with some bitterness on the aftertaste.

With a double espresso to conclude the dinner, served alongside with homemade petit fours, this menu demonstrated why the restaurant justified a 3-star rating. The service also is very good with the sommelier giving a good explanation of the wines selected. The chef also catered to Ivy's request to adjust her food to serve with sauce on the side and doing a light version because she is on diet. Even though a bit pricey with the menu plus wine pairing at $2160 per person, it is still a restaurant I recommend and would come back again on special occasion.

My overall rating is 73/100.

Nutritionist Recipe - 2. Stewed Chicken with Herbs and Wine

Ingredients (for 4):

• Chicken - 300 g
• Shallot - 3
• Basil leaves - 3 sprigs
• Garlic - 2 cloves
• Onion - 1/2 
• Ginger - 4 slices
• Chinese yellow wine - 1 tsp
• Dark soy sauce - 1 tsp
• Sugar - 1 tsp
• Oil - 1 tsp
• White pepper powder - 1/3 tsp
• Potato starch - 1 tsp
• Soy sauce - 1 tsp

Procedures:

1. Remove the skin and fat of the chicken steak, then cut into pieces and marinate with soy sauce, white pepper powder and potato starch.

2. Remove the skin of the shallots and cut into halves.

3. Wash the basil leaves and drip dry.

4. Cut the garlic into pieces. 

5. Peel the onion and cut into strips.

6. Peel the ginger and cut into slices.

7. Heat the pan and add oil, then stir fry the ginger, garlic and shallots. 

8. When fragrant, add the chicken pieces and cook until golden brown.

9. Add Chinese yellow wine and onion to continue stir fry.

10. Cover with the lid to ensure the chicken is cooked through, then add dark soy sauce, sugar, basil leaves and 1/3 bowl of water. Continue to cook until the sauce is dried.

Nutritionist Recipe - 1. Japanese Pork Curry with Rice

Ingredients (for 4):

• Rice - 1 bowl
• Pork - 200 g
• Onion - 1/2 
• Carrot - 1
• Egg - 4
• Curry powder - 1 tbsp
• Sugar - 1 tsp
• Oil - 1 tsp
• Soy sauce - 1 tsp
• White pepper powder - 1/3 tsp
• Potato starch - 1 tsp

Procedures:

1. Cut the pork into pieces. Marinate with soy sauce, white pepper powder and potato starch.

2. Cut the onion into strips.

3. Peel the carrot and then cut into dices. Then blanch in boiling water for about 1 minute.

4. Heat a pan with oil, then add the onion to stir fry.

5. When fragrant, add the pork to continue to stir fry.

6. Add carrot, curry powder, sugar and one bowl of water. Continue to cook for 5 minutes until the carrot is softened.

7. Pan fry an egg and then place on top of the rice, pair with the curry to serve.

Wineshark HK Restaurant Review - Zafran

This Spanish restaurant is located on the basement of a commercial building on Wyndham Street, just on top of LKF. Being part of the Aqua Group, this tapas bar provides a rather quiet and private setting, having bar seats in where you can chat with the bartender, or seeing how the chefs prepare the dishes, or at the spacious dining area. Our table is a round table with circular sofa, which is comfortable and cozy.

On the day we started with Jamón Ibérico de Bellota, which is 48-month aged Iberico ham carved to order. The ham is very good with the savory fragrance, thinly carved and soft, plus not salty at all. Eaten together with the hard toast provides an enjoying contrast in texture, A really nice starter for your dinner.

Next comes the Tartar de lubina, which is seabass tartare with Kalamata olives, basil and cherry tomatoes. The seabass is tender and fresh, which is also complemented well by the olives. The tomatoes gives some acidity which is further enhanced by some yuzu sauce. I suggest you can have this before the ham if possible, because of its delicate flavors it could be masked by the much more intense savory aftertaste of the ham.

We then have the Ensaladilla de Atún, which is seared tuna salad with potato, carrot, green peas and egg. The tuna is seared perfectly on the outside, with the inside soft and raw still to offer the good contrast. The salad is also good with tuna and the other vegetable, seasoned appropriately, and is quite filling and for those on diet would be a good choice.

Gambas rojas al ajillo is my favorite on the night. The traditional Spanish red prawns are prepared with chives and fresh red chilies. The sauce is a lobster bisque reduction which enhances the overall flavors of the prawns and the chives and chili gives the extra kick to make it highly flavorsome. This is another very nice traditional tapas which Zafran took to another level.

We also ordered a Paella d’Arroz Negro con Allioli de Azafrán, which is Bomba squid-ink rice with baby squid and Catalan saffron and aioli. As requested by Ivy the saffron and aioli were served on the side, and I am not sure whether that was the reason, but the paella was overall very salty. It is a bit disappointing particularly given that the taste was in fact quite nice.

For me I had also ordered a dessert, Fresones marinados con regaliz y helado de yogurt, or marinated strawberries with liquorice and yogurt ice-cream. The strawberries are chopped to small pieces and marinated well with liquorice, with the right sweetness and combined with the yogurt ice-cream it is not heavy and is a good wrap up on the night.

The service is decent though there is not much interactions with the staff which probably would be normal given this is a tapas bar and not a true restaurant. And the bill on the night was $1,260 which is not cheap but not overly charged.

My overall rating is 63/100.

Wineshark HK Restaurant Review - Gaucho (2nd review)

I have been writing my reviews for a while and not really sure how many readers take me seriously, and so was a bit surprised when I got contacted by the manager of Gaucho, requesting me to come to the restaurant again because I did not have a very good experience on the food last time. And I have always want to try their tasting menu so decided to give it another go this week.

The sommelier provided me a sparkling from Mendoza to start off, which is quite nice. And with the first course of the menu, Tuna Ceviche, the wine also paired well with the tuna flavors, which is also fresh, tender, and seasoned interestingly with sesame oil. The guacamole on the bottom further gave a richness to the dish, making it a good start for our dinner.

Next came the Scallops Succotash. Frankly the texture of the scallops is a bit too rubbery and disappointing. The roasted fresh corn, chili, smoked paprika and fresh lime however was good, with sweetness, spiciness and acidity adding to the flavors of the scallops to give an extra dimension.  

The third course is Beef Empanadas, which is like a baked dumpling with hand diced beef, red peppers, Spanish onion and aji molido as fillings. The two pieces are quite big in portion so for the ladies it might be a bit too much, however the taste is good and both of us like it very much.

The fourth course is Tira de Ancho, a spiral cut, slow grilled with chimichurri which is a sauce, and served with humita and chips. The meat is really tender and juicy, perfectly grilled to my request of medium. Compared with the meat we had last time, this one is far better and truly demonstrated their excellence. The humita is a native American dish from pre-Hispanic times, with mashed corn and pumpkin, which is unique and interesting.

Then we have the Lomo Medallions, a tender filet grilled to medium rare for me, and served with flat mushroom cooked in garlic and thyme. Again the meat is just wonderful on taste and texture, impeccably grilled to the right level. Accompanying by a Cabernet/Malbec blend from Mendoza, it is the perfect complement to the meat.

Next is a Palate Cleanser, which is a lemon mint sorbet of nice acidity to clean up the fat and intense meaty flavors for me to enjoy the dessert.

The first dessert is a Dessert Sampler, containing three signature desserts from the restaurant. I don't know exactly what those are, but one should be a chocolate cake with vanilla ice-cream and crispy caramel toppings, the other being a toffee fudge with banana slices and the last a salted dulce de leche and hazelnut cheesecake. Very sweet and really a treat for someone who like dessert, but would be a bit too sweet for most local people. 

Last is a Selection of Cheese, served with Malbec chutney and oat cakes. The cheese are all very good, and there is a blue cheese that even for me who is not a big fan of cheese can easily enjoy. The chutney provides a fresh fruity flavor and with the oat cakes to accompany like a cracker, it is a wonderful conclusion to the meal.

Apart from the food, the service is also very good. My wife is on diet and so she requested the sauce to be on the sides whenever possible, and changing also the dessert to a simple fruit platter. The friendly staff listened attentively and worked to our satisfaction, plus also giving good recommendation on wine, checking with us on the food, and sharing her experience in HK which makes the whole meal even more pleasant.

With two glasses of wine, a bottle of water, a cup of coffee and the each of us taking the tasting menu, the total bill was $2152, which is fairly reasonable. Just remember to pre-order the tasting menu when you reserve your table, as that is only available through advance booking.

My overall rating is 73/100.