Wineshark HK Restaurant Review - Greater China Club

This restaurant is located in Lai Chi Kok, on the top floor of the new commercial building D2 Place. The neighborhood is re-developing from some old industrial buildings into a new commercial center in western Kowloon, we went to Man Hing, the Cantonese cuisine section of Greater China Club, with a nice decor of some contemporary Chinese paintings and sculptures.

We ordered the Deluxe Set Dinner, with the first course being the Appetizers comprising of Deep-Fried Yunnan Ham Marinated with Honey, Jelly Fish with Black Vinegar, and Slow-Cooked Chicken Roll Marinated with Huadiao Wine. The jelly fish has a good crunchy texture, and is perfectly matched with the black vinegar. The ham, even though fairly nice with a crispy bread crumb on the outside, is frankly just too tiny in size. The chicken roll is the least appealing, however, with the taste and color too light. In my opinion it was nowhere marinated sufficiently and is a disappointment.

Next is the Baked Crab Shell Stuffed with Crab Meat and Onion Coated with Cheese. Popular in many restaurants, I like this dish very much, as it got a nice crispy coating of bread crumbs and cheese, while there is plenty of tasty crab meat stuffed inside, with the onion provided a sweet tone. Adding a few Worcestershire sauce further enhanced the flavors.

The third dish is Double-Boiled Chicken Soup with Black Garlic and Blaze Mushroom. The soup is clear and without any oil, highlighting an elegant blaze mushroom aroma. Adding the pieces of black garlic is also an interesting idea, without giving any garlic notes but a slight prune aromas to the soup. Another good dish on the evening.

The fourth dish is Saute Scotland Razor Clam with French Pied Bleu Mushroom. The razor clam is fresh, and the saute mushroom is cut into thin strips, offering a good bite yet not rubbery, seasoned well with black pepper to give a spicy kick without overly doing so. The different color bell pepper strips give a good complement to the appearance of the dish, making it both appetizing and pleasing on both senses.

The fifth dish is Stewed Pork Belly in Chef Chan Style. Similar in style to Tung Bo Pork Belly, there is a twist from Chef Chan, by having some orange zest on the pork to give the fragrance and a bit of bitter orange note, and also there is chestnut and dried apricot on the side, further strengthening the citrus elements while giving also the nutty flavors to create additional complexity to the dish. The pork is stewed beautifully, with the fat layer essentially melting in the mouth, and the flesh still tender and juicy.

The sixth dish is Poached Seasonal Vegetable with Dried Shrimp and Peach Gum. The peach gum is a sort of tree sap and believed to be of high nutritional value, and the Chinese cabbage is tender and of the season, with the vegetable poached using chicken stock, added with some dried shrimp, wolfberries and the peach gum. Overall a decent dish but I believe there is no need to put all the sauce making it a bit too soggy.

Then there is the Fried Rice with Beetroot, Bacon and Diced Chicken. The beetroot gave a slightly red color to the rice, and that color is complementary to the bacon too. The chicken and bacon provided a contrast in texture and generally it is nice, although slightly a bit oily for us.

The final dish is Dessert of the Day, which is a Coconut Milk Split Pea Pudding. Fairly common as dessert, the only specialty is that the restaurant added a tiny bit of gold foil on top, but it did not add anything to the flavor at all. Just a mediocre dessert and fairly small in portion too.

The restaurant is very busy for a normal Monday evening, with pretty much all the tables occupied. Maybe as a result the sequencing of the dinner was having some issues, like the soup and baked crab shell arriving at the same time so making one dish turning a bit cold before us eating. Then there is the vegetable which was 'forgotten' and we ended up finishing the fried rice before it is served. A bit of chaos in the kitchen I believe, which is not good sign for an up-scale restaurant.

The dinner costs $1597 for two, without any beverage, not too expensive on the amount but also there is not much premium ingredients for all the dishes, so I would not say it is good value for money from that perspective. Services are decent only without the staff checking in with us on the food or anything.

My overall rating is 65/100.

Nutritionist Recipe - 24. Squid, Turnip and Fish Ball in Curry Sauce

Ingredients (for 4):

• Turnip - 1/2
• Squid - 1
• White fish ball - 20 pieces
• Chili - 1
• Shallot - 2
• Garlic - 2 cloves
• Ginger - 5 slices
• Spring onion - 1 sprig
• Chicken stock - 1 bowl
• Curry powder - 4 tsp
• Chinese rice wine - 1 tsp
• Chinese yellow wine - 2 tsp
• Sugar - 2 tsp
• Corn starch - 1 tsp
• Oil - 1 tsp

Procedures:

1. Peel the turnip and wash, then drip dry and cut into cubes.

2. Wash the squid, remove the bones and insides, cut the outside with crosses and cut into pieces. Marinate with corn starch.

3. Remove the stem of chili and cut into pieces.

4. Peel the shallot and cut into pieces.

5. Peel the ginger and cut into slices.

6. Peel the garlic and cut into slices.

7. Wash the spring onion and cut into sections.

8. Boil a pot of water and add Chinese rice wine, spring onion and 2 slices of ginger.  Then put the squid in and blanch for a short while. Remove and drip dry.

9. Heat the pan and add the oil, saute the shallot and garlic. Then add turnip and stir fry for a while.

10. Add chicken stock, chili, curry powder, Chinese yellow wine, sugar and a bowl of water to braise the turnip for 15 minutes.

11. Add white fish ball and squid to cook for another 5 minutes. 

12. Add corn starch with a bit of water, then pour onto sauce to thicken.

Nutritionist Recipe - 23. Drunken Chicken Roll

Ingredients (for 4):

• Chicken steak - 2 (around 400g)
• Wolfberries - 40 pieces
• Dried red dates - 20 pieces
• Pickle sauce - 400 ml
• Chinese yellow wine - 4 tbsp
• Soy sauce - 2 tsp
• White pepper powder - 1 tsp

Procedures:

1. Remove the skin of the chicken steak as well as the fat. Then wash and drip dry. Marinate with soy sauce and white pepper powder for a while. 

2. Then add 3 tbsp of pickle sauce and continue to marinate for another 15 minutes.

3. Wash the dried red dates, then remove the seeds.

4. Soak the red dates and wolfberries in hot water for 5 minutes. 

5. Drip dry and then cut the red dates into small pieces.

6. Put some red dates and wolfberries onto the chicken steak, then wrap it up tightly with a string.

7. Steam the chicken roll for 20 minutes until well cooked.

8. Add the Chinese yellow wine, rest of the red dates and wolfberries, to the pickle sauce and then immerse the chicken roll in, ensuring the whole roll is fully under the sauce, and leave it in the fridge overnight.

9. Cut the string and then cut the roll into pieces. Serve with some of the sauce and condiments on top.  

Wineshark HK Restaurant Review - Celebrity Cuisine

This Cantonese restaurant is located in Lan Kwai Fong Hotel, Kau U Fong, Central. The hotel is really small and when entering the entrance there is a tiny reception counter and we went straight to the lift to go to the first floor. And like the lobby the restaurant is not big, with only a few tables on a L-shaped layout.

We ordered the special menu with the credit card discount, to allow us to try more dishes. And first comes the Chicken Wing Stuffed with Bird Nest. This is one of the signature dishes and the chicken wing is crispy on the outside, and stuffed fully with bird nest inside, providing an interesting contrast on texture. Personally the bird nest prepared in this manner is more a gimmick since it has no taste. Not something I crave for, however.

The second course is the Double-Boiled Soup with Conch Slices and Fish Maw. The soup is clear and not oily, with a large piece of fish maw and some thin slices of abalone. Again a soup to showcase the premium value of the set, but at least the taste of the soup is nice and flavorful.

The third course is another signature, the Stir-Fried Pig Stomach Tips with Bell Pepper. The stomach tips is thinly sliced, and cooked perfectly, crunchy but not rubbery. The bell pepper and onion gives a good complement, and with the soy beans further enhanced the aromas. There is also a hint of spiciness to make it even appetizing. This dish really deserved the recognition in my opinion.

The fourth course is Braised Abalone with Vegetable. The size of the abalone is decent, braised beautifully such that you can easily cut with the knife. The abalone sauce has the right degree of flavor, not overly salty but able to bring out the savory of the abalone. The vegetable is fresh and tender. A fairly good dish.

The fifth course is the Grilled Pigeon. My requirement on this dish is first on the size of the pigeon, and this restaurant certainly met my criteria on this aspect, with the right size to have a good bite on meat, but not overly so which also means the pigeon is a bit too old and its meat too tough. The pigeon has also been marinated well, and even without adding the salt or sauce, it is juicy and full of flavors. My favorite on the night.

The sixth course is Pea Sprout in Supreme Broth. A very common dish in any Cantonese restaurant, the pea sprout is decent, quite soft and young, and there is not much residue after munching. The broth provides the seasoning to the vegetable and is a very good fit, with also the thinly sliced Chinese ham and garlic a good complement.

The seventh course is the Steamed Garoupa, which has a nice condiment accompanying, including shiitake mushroom and salted mustard, all thinly shredded. The fish itself has a firm texture, nice taste and matches with the condiment also very well. My only comment was that this dish would be very difficult for a foreigner to handle. But still for us it has no issue.

The eighth course is another signature, the Chef's Recommended Fried Rice. The fried rice is very good with each individual rice distinct and not lumped together. With egg, spring onion, shrimps and scallops, the taste is also nice and getting us all full.

Then we have Fruit which is a piece of Pomelo and a slice of Water Melon. Both the fruit are sweet, fresh and juicy. A palate cleanser also in a certain way. And then we have the Boiled Fungus with Papaya Sweet Soup. I personally did not like this dessert because of the strong papaya aroma, but this one I did finish all because there is no such aroma and also it got the right sweetness for me, not overly so.

The decor and the atmosphere is decent, without any element to impress but looking at the 'sanitation' cabinet/cart for keeping the bowls and dishes make me wonder whether I am in a restaurant in China or not. Also, there is a small girl who walks around the kitchen and out, who seems to be the daughter of someone working in the restaurant. Again I think that is not appropriate and also quite dangerous with the young girl walking around, and certainly downgraded a lot my opinion for the restaurant.

The cost is $3032 for three persons, and that is already with a credit card discount offer on the set. Given what we have and the total experience, I would say it is a bit too expensive from the price/value consideration.

My overall rating is 58/100.

Nutritionist Recipe - 22. Braised Chicken with Fermented Soy Bean Paste and Bitter Gourd

Ingredients (for 4):

• Chicken drumstick - 3 
• Bitter gourd - 1
• Garlic - 2 cloves
• Chinese yellow wine - 2 tsp
• Soy bean paste - 30g
• Sugar - 2 tsp
• Oil - 1 tsp
• White pepper powder - 1/3 tsp
• Soy sauce - 2 tsp
• Corn starch - 2 tsp

Procedures:

1. Remove the skin of the drumstick, then remove the bones and cut into pieces.

2. Marinate the drumstick meat with white pepper powder, soy sauce and corn starch.

3. Cut the bitter gourd into rings, and then remove the seeds and inside. Clean and drip dry.

4. Peel the garlic and chop finely.

5. Heat the pan and add the oil, then add garlic.

6. Add chicken to stir-fry slightly and then add Chinese yellow wine.

7. Add the bitter gourd, soy bean paste, sugar and a bowl of water, and cook until the bitter gourd is softened.  

Wineshark Nice Hotel Experience - Arcana Izu (Yugashima Onsen)

This modern style ryokan is located in Yugashima Onsen on Izu Peninsula, Shizuoka. The purpose of coming here, apart from enjoying the relaxation of the hotspring and the environments, is also because of the gourmet. And this ryokan has a French restaurant, managed by the renown chef Yuma Itoi.

We have booked the River Wing Suite, with beautiful view looking over the Kano River underneath, surrounded by the forest and mountains, which is really peaceful and tranquil. The day was not very cold but there was some tiny snow falling down periodically, making it extra romantic.

The room is spacious, with a big sitting room and writing table on one side, while on the other side is the bedroom with a large and comfortable bed. There are the large windows looking out so one can always enjoy the view no matter where you are. A special feature is that they don't have any TV, in order for guests to enjoy the quiet time.

After walking through the toilet and the bathroom, the door opens into the balcony. And there is an outdoor pool where one can relax and enjoy the onsen while savoring the forest and mountains outside. The size of the pool is quite big, with plenty of room to fit a couple. And besides the pool there are also chairs at the sitting room end for one to take a time to reflect and think.

As mentioned earlier, the restaurant is the special highlight for this ryokan. The restaurant has an open kitchen, where you can see the chefs busily preparing the meal, and a big window on the background so you can also look at the scenery outside.

On the night we had the signature menu from Chef Itoi, and me also taking the wine pairing recommended. Starting with the Blessings of Izu, which is a tapas style appetizers featuring different delicacies in the Izu Peninsula, like prawn, vegetable, squid, pork and different fish. I have to say it is one of the best appetizers I have tried for long while. Not particular fancy in presentation like some high-end French restaurants, the taste and attention to the details are simply eye-opening.

The second course is Langoustine with Japanese Mustard Spinach. The langoustine is very fresh and tasty, pairing very well with the sauce blended from spinach, with a creamy texture. There are some sprinkle of green tea powder too which added a bit of fragrance further.

The third course is Egg Bio, Eel and Cauliflower. The egg is coated with some breadcrust to deep fry, so giving it a crispy surface but keeping the softness inside. A phenomenal test of the chef's skills. The eel is put on top of a cauliflower puree, with some finely sliced apple shreds and fennel to add a bit of crunchy texture and lightness.

Then the chef provided us an amuse bouche made from beetroot, which is highly refreshing and helps to clean the flavors in our mouth before we took the next course, which is an addition as we opted for a Prawn Sashimi which has been prepared interestingly by bashing it to paper thin. The texture is like tartare but it has an intense taste and we like it very much.

Then came the Mushroom and Fighting Cock, which is a mushroom soup with small cubes of chicken, mushroom, carrot and crouton. The soup is very rich and flavorful, and the different cubes on the bowl not only providing an interesting presentation but also highlighting different flavors and texture. A creative and innovative way to serve this soup.

Next we have Flounder, Jerusalem Artichoke and Truffle. The fish is pan-fried perfectly, with some truffle and radish on top. The artichoke was tender and the dish also has a chestnut puree accompanying to give a warmth and seasonal feel to the dish.

For the main course I have chosen the Fish, with inspiration from Chef Itoi, while Ivy went for the venison. Honest speaking this fish has not a lot of specialty for me to give any wow factor, but still a very nice effort in the taste and look. On the other hand, the venison was cooked beautifully with the right level per Ivy's requirements.

For dessert, the first is Strawberry "Beni-Hoppe" which comprises of strawberry juice, a fresh fruit, souffle and ice-cream, all made from the ripe and tasty strawberry in the area. Then we have the Citrus Fruit "Mikan" with Ginger. The pomelo and mandarin orange fruit are sweet and pair well with the cream cheese and ice-cream, and sprinkled with gingerbread toppings there is an extra kick to enhance the flavors further.

Last there is the Petite Pastry, which are very nice but by the time we are so full that we can barely eat them anymore. As a result I ordered a coffee to help digestion. The wines paired on the night were quite nice and matched well with the food. The sommelier is also professional in his duties to taste wines before customers.

On the next day we also had breakfast in the same restaurant. This time it is a fun setting with the theme Picnic in the Forest. There are lots of different things on the set, all tasty and fresh, giving us the energy and power to start our journey driving back to Narita.

On this visit it brought me a new experience on enjoying outdoor onsen while living in a more western style setting, and at the same time tasting fantastic food prepared in French style. It is really the best match of both worlds and one I strongly recommend you to try. The cost is a bit high at HK$10,458 for two persons but it is well worth it.

My overall rating is 8.5/10.