Wineshark HK Restaurant Review - Gateway Cuisine

This seafood restaurant is located in Lei Yue Mun, the famous seafood village at the eastern tip of Hong Kong. Being such a tourist spot, there are a lot of competition with different seafood restaurants in the street, and Gateway Cuisine is in fact at the end of it, so it might look at they have a bit of disadvantage.

However, because of that, the restaurant also possessed the best view of all in my opinion, with a series of big windows looking the customers a full view of the harbour and the opposite Hong Kong island. No wonder it is a favorite spot during sunset and the evening. The decoration is nice, clean and neat, and offers a more comfortable experience than many of the competitors.

The restaurant has a good clear menu showing how the charges for preparing the different seafood, which is always one of the biggest concerns for customers, as they might think they were being overcharged and the pricing was not transparent.

On the night it was a celebratory dinner for my mother's birthday, so we had a total of six. To start we have the White Boiled Shrimps. This is a basic dish for all seafood restaurants, and the trick is of course the quality of the shrimps. Since the shrimps are all live ones, the texture are great, though the taste is a bit weaker than I would expect.

Next is the Spicy Salt Deep-fried Mantis Shrimp. The size of the mantis shrimp is fairly big, with good chunks of meat inside. The spicy salt is delicious, and enhanced the flavors of the seafood. It is a bit oily but considering the dish is deep-fried that would not be a surprise. Even though it is not bad, I would say the taste was not as great as some other seafood restaurants I visited.

Then came the Steamed Grouper. The size of the fish is decent for the six of us, cooked to the perfect timing so the flesh is still smooth and not rubbery. However, this type of fish is no longer caught but raised, so the overall taste is inferior. But considering the budget that might be the best for the price tag.

The Steamed Scallops with Garlic and Vermicelli is another common dish for seafood restaurants. The size we have chosen is fairly big, and paired with garlic, spring onion and soy sauce the taste is really amazing. The nice thing is that the restaurant has removed the intestines and other parts of the scallops that would not be eatable. I think this is one of the better dishes of the night.

Apart from the seafood we also ordered some other dishes from the restaurant, one being the Sweet and Sour Pork. A true test to the skills of the chef, this dish is quite good, with the pork deep-fried without too many batter, and the sauce of the right balance of sweet and sourness.

Then came the Baked Crabs, and this is really the best on the night. These crabs are those that live in the area where the fresh and sea water merged, and are the small female ones. The crabs are full of yolk, filled to the brim of the shell. The crabs are baked with oil and when served there is already a strong fragrance accompanying. The yolk are very tasty, and this dish really can allow one to experience the true flavors of the crab, the yolk and the meat.

Wrapping up the seafood meal was the Chili Sea Snails in Hot Wine Sauce. The sauce is spicy yet not overly so to mask the flavors of the sea snails, with a good chewy bite. I also like the size of the sea snails as those that are too big would not be as sweet in taste.

We also ordered the Stir-Fried Kale in Ginger Sauce. Asked to cook thoroughly so it would be softer, the kale was quite nice, tender and the ginger sauce is able to remove the grassy notes. It is a good conclusion to the meal.

The restaurant also served us fruit for free (courtesy of the seafood stall where we purchased the seafood) as well as dessert. The papaya and melon was sweet, a nice complement to our dinner.

With three bottles of beer, two cans of soft-drink, our bill on the night was $3,705. Considering the amount of seafood I think overall the price was quite reasonable, though most of the seafood are rather commonplace. It is a good spot to come once in a while to enjoy the view and atmosphere.

Ah Sir's Recipe - 35. Roulade Fillet de Sole Sauce

Ingredients (for 4):

• Fillet of sole - 4 
• Salt - 1/2 tsp
• White pepper powder - dashes
• Fresh salmon - 180 g
• Whipping cream - 1 tbsp
• Egg white - 1/2
• Salt - 1/2 tsp
• White pepper powder - dashes
• White wine - 1 tsp
• Oil - 1 tsp
• Veloute sauce - 225 g
• Saffron - 0.2 g
• Whipping cream - 60 g
• Salt - dashes

Procedures:

1. Clean the sole fillet and wipe dry, then marinate with salt and white pepper powder.

2. Cut the salmon into cubes.

3. Blend the salmon with egg white, whipping cream, salt, white pepper powder, white wine and oil.

4. Put the salmon mousse on top of the sole fillet, then wrap it into a roll.

5. Steam the fish roll until it is well-cooked, then served with the saffron fish sauce. 

Ah Sir's Recipe - 34. Pork and Chicken Vol-au-Vent

Ingredients (for 4):

• Pork loin - 150 g
• Chicken fillet - 150 g
• Butter - 7 g
• Shallot - 2 tsp
• Onion slices - 1
• Mushroom - 4 
• White wine - 2 tbsp
• Blond sauce - 200 g
• Salt - 1 tsp
• White pepper powder - 1/4 tsp
• Puff vol-au-vent pastry - 12 

Procedures:

1. Chop some celery, carrot and onion into shreds.

2. Boil the mixed vegetable with 2 pieces of bay leaves and some black pepper corns.

3. Once boiled, add the chicken and pork loin in to cook.

4. When it was fully cooked, take the meat out and cool, before cutting into cubes.

5. Saute the shallot with butter.

6. Then add the onion pieces and cook until fragrant.

7. Add the mushroom slices and add the white wine.

8. Add the chicken and pork cubes to cook.

9. Add the blond sauce, season and mix well.

10. Put the fillings in the baked vol-au-vent. 

Wineshark HK Restaurant Review - Grandpa Mura

This 'cart noodle' shop is located in Yau Ma Tei, and got some fame with many magazines having interviewed the owner. First arriving, you need to first order your choice of noodle at the counter before going into the restaurant to find your seat.

The shop is quite small, so obviously everyone has to squeeze and when someone sitting at the back is leaving, all the others would need to stand and give way, a bit troublesome. But that might not be unexpected, given this is a cart noodle shop nevertheless.

I ordered the signature Lobster Soup Noodle with Turnip, Pig Blood and Deep-fried Chicken Wings, while my wife went for Lobster Soup Thin Noodle with Turnip, Chicken Liver, Octopus Cake and Fish Cake.

The soup is surprisingly good, rich in flavor and not feeling a lot of MSG. They claimed the soup has been prepared for almost a full day and I can see they have put in a lot of effort to get the soup right. A compliment there.

The noodle is decent, and the different dishes are also fairly nice. The chicken wings is deep-fried with fermented tofu, which is good in taste and not overly deep-fried which would make it totally dry. Also, they were still warm which is important as I absolutely hate my food to be cold if it is not supposed to be.

The pig's blood is without surprise, but the turnip deserved another thumbs-up. It has been braised nicely so the flavors is deeply embedded inside, at the right level of cooking which gives a soft texture but not too crumbly.

With the four dishes a free drink is included, and the total bill on the day was $119. Considering the quality of the food and the soup, I think the price is very reasonable. The whole atmosphere is also rather neat and clean, which is not something the traditional cart noodle shops would be able to offer.

I would recommend you to try out this one.

Family Meal Recipe - 15. Sangria with Fruit

Ingredients (for 4):

• Orange juice - 4 tbsp
• Red wine - 200 ml
• Sugar - 2 tbsp
• Cointreau - 1.5 tbsp
• Ground cinnamon - 2 pinches
• Lemon - 1
• Grapefruit - 1
• Orange - 1
• Apple - 1
• Pear - 2
• Mint - 12 leaves

Procedures:

1. Add the red wine to the orange juice.

2. Add the sugar. 

3. Add the Cointreau.

4. Stir in the cinnamon.

5. Finely grate in the lemon zest. Leave to infuse while preparing the fruit.

6. Cut the top and bottom from the grapefruit and orange, then remove the pith and skin.

7. Remove the flesh from each segment, holding the fruit over a small bowl to catch any juice.

8. Peel and core the apple and cut into wedges.

9. Peel and core the pears and cut into wedges.

10. Add the fruit to the sangria and leave to marinate for 1 hour.

11. Scoop out the fruit and place in a bowl with a few mint leaves. Pour the sangria on top.

Family Meal Recipe - 14. Chicken Wings with Mushroom

Ingredients (for 4):

• Chicken wings - 12
• Olive oil - 1 tsp
• Mushroom - 240 g
• Garlic cloves - 10
• Dried bay leaves - 3
• Thyme - 1 tsp
• White wine - 90 ml
• Water - 100 ml

Procedures:

1. Season the chicken wings with salt and pepper.

2. Heat the oil in a large pan and add the wings.

3. Cook them gently for 30 minutes, turning regularly, until well browned.

4. Trim the mushrooms, slice any that are large.

5. Roughly slice the garlic.

6. Add the garlic to the chicken and cook for 5 more minutes.

7. Add the bay leaves and thyme.

8. Pour in the white wine.

9. Turn up the heat and cook until the wine has reduced a bit.

10. Add the mushrooms and cook for 2 minutes, stirring.

11. Pour in the water, then leave it to simmer for 5 minutes until the mushrooms are just tender.

12. Serve the chicken wings and mushrooms together.

Wineshark HK Restaurant Review - Ham & Sherry

This Spanish tapas house is located in Ships Street, which is becoming another landmark for good restaurants in the Wanchai neighborhood. The decoration is interesting, with a lot of blue and white tiles of different patterns, on both the wall and floor. There is an open kitchen and counter where you can sit back and see some of the activities in the kitchen. We got a table on the window side which is comfortable and offering nice privacy as we came early so the place was still relatively quiet.

We ordered a few of the signature tapas, and first is Octopus, Chili and Smoked Paprika. On first bite I was caught by pleasant surprise, as the octopus was so tender and soft that was quite beyond my expectation. And besides the wonderful texture the seasoning was perfect, with the smoked paprika having a beautiful sweet note to accompany the slight spiciness of the chili. It was nothing 'hot' but very appetizing, and got us started with a great experience.

The second tapas is the Selection of Charcuteria, which has four different cold cut, including chorizo sausage slices, salchichon sausage slices, copita iberico and paleta iberico. The two sausages are nice, and personally I like the chorizo more because of the stronger chili and paprika flavors. The two hams are also wonderful, and both of us picked the copita as it got a layer of sweet taste. The paleta is aged 48 months, with an oily sheen and intense savory aromas. A nice assortment but if you know which one you prefer might be best to order that directly.

The third tapas is the Heirloom Tomato, Black Olives, Basil and Pine Nuts. It is a highly refreshing one, with a mix of different tomatoes, of interesting texture, size, sweetness and acidity. The color is also wonderful with the basil adding the fragrance while the pine nuts an additional dimensions. The black olives are chopped finely and then sprinkled along with the dressings so overall it is a fiesta of flavors and though simple, it is a great tapas.

The fourth tapas is Scallops Ceviche, Lemon and Coriander. The very fresh scallops are big in size, and then sliced into the right thickness, with the dressings of lemon juice, some coriander and a slice of radish. The radish got a contrasting bite of crunchy to the tender scallops and again it is simple yet great in taste, as well as offering great presentation which on appearance alone would win over most customers.

The fifth tapas is Jamon, Manchego & Truffle Toastie, with Quail Eggs. The toast is just freshly prepared, crispy on the outside, warm and inside got a piece of jamon ham, manchego cheese and truffle paste, offering very rich, flavorful fillings and with the quail egg yolk seeping on the toast it is something out of this world. Another great one and with the octopus these two are my favorites on the night.

Wrapping up we ordered the Suckling Pig which is on the blackboard and not on menu. The portion is quite big, with the skin roasted to great crispiness, as you can hear the sound when you cut it. On the side there is a nice salsa, a cinnamon and apple puree, as well as the jus. Probably since we already were quite full so this dish was not as appealing to us which is a bit unfair. I am sure if this is served right at the beginning of the meal it would be well-received by everyone.

As its name implies, the place has a good range of sherry but unfortunately I could not try any since I was driving. Maybe next time I should come with some wine buddies for a sherry tasting. With a bottle of still water, the bill on the night was $1026, without any service charge. Seems a little bit high on the price tag but considering the quality of the food and the atmosphere it is quite reasonable in my opinion.

My overall rating is 68/100.