Wineshark HK Restaurant Review - Rech by Alain Ducasse

This French seafood restaurant is located in InterContinental Hotel, where the former Spoon used to be. The restaurant is part of the Alain Ducasse family, modeled after the one in Paris which was founded in 1925 and reborn by Alain in 2007.

Facing the Victoria Harbour, many of the tables have the wonderful sea view. The seats are arranged so that both the customers can face the window to enjoy the view. The setting and fit-out is contemporary, cozy and offering a comfortable environment.

We decided to go for the Seafood Platter and then see how it goes, as recommended by Jason, our attentive and friendly server on the night. When it was served we couldn't stop to give a wow. There are simply a lot of seafood, including a total of 12 oysters, comprising of four different types: Gillardeau, Creuses Speciales, Fine de Claire and Plates de Belon. All the oysters are super fresh, tasty with good brine. I also ordered a glass of Laurent-Perrier Extra Brut champagne to pair.

The other layer of the seafood platter includes a crab, 4 langoustines, 6 pink shrimps, 6 hard clams, 2 clams, whelks, periwinkles and grey shrimps. Everything is so delicious, fresh, and sweet, truly and fully demonstrating the quality of the seafood. Among these my personal favorite is the whelks, they got a good bite but not rubbery, and the flavors are delightful. I had a glass of wonderful Chablis Fourchaume to pair.

Finishing the platter we are already nearly full, and so decided to just have the White Truffle Risotto for something warm, as it is the season for this exquisite delicacy. There are 2g of truffle in the risotto, and Jason helped to arrange that to be split among two portions for us. The aromas are so intense that we could smell it before it got served, and the risotto is creamy, with the right bite and overall a remarkable dish which again showed that the ingredients would always be the determining factor for a great dish.

A pity that by then we did not have room for any more main course, so instead we opted for some dessert. I went for the signature Roasted Figs with Cottage Cheese Sorbet while Ivy decided to try the XL Chocolate Eclair. The roasted figs are essentially thinly sliced fig pieces, roasted and then sprinkled with flakes and small redcurrants.

With the redcurrants giving good crispness, the dessert is not overly sweet, healthy and nice. But it was the cottage cheese sorbet that attracted me more. The taste is similar to frozen yogurt but having a softer and more 'liquid' texture. The chocolate eclair is equally tasty.

Apart from the food, beautiful view and nice setting, the other thing I gave a high mark for Rech is the customer service. Jason is very attentive, replacing our plates frequently when we were having the seafood platter so we won't get embarrassed by the amount of shells piling up. He also offered to show us how to use some of the tools for the seafood, and suggesting to change the serving plate to take away a layer when we finished the oysters so the tray is not so high to make us difficult to get the seafood while sitting. Doing all the works with big smile and courtesy, he is perfect in balancing the service while not overly intrusive to the customers. A big compliment to the restaurant and their training.

The sommelier is also very professional, after checking with me on the types of wine I prefer offered good recommendation to pair with the food. We have a really great evening. An important point to remember is that there is special discount offered to certain credit card so you should check it out before paying the bill, and I am able to get a 20% discount because of that. My bill on the night was $3,256 which is very reasonable considering the total experience and food quality. I would definitely come back again for their other dishes.

Wineshark HK Restaurant Review - Ho Yin Seafood Restaurant (Provident Centre)

This Chinese restaurant is located in Provident Centre, North Point, where I used to live many years ago. Now coming back to the neighborhood there were many changes and I found there are many more restaurants along the street than it used to be. Obviously there are keen competition in the area. This is part of the group in which there are a total of five restaurants in different parts of HK.

The general setting is one of the typical Chinese restaurant, nothing special in decoration. On the evening there are not that many customers, and we got a table on the window side looking to the street. We ordered three dishes as there are three of us for this dinner.

The first is a Fried Chicken, cooked by hanging it and pouring hot oil over it repeatedly. It was in fact quite good, with the skin crispy and the chicken seasoned well, quite juicy and tender. And this is part of a two course special discount set. It is a good start and gave me a good first impression.

The next is the other dish of the special set, the Steamed Young Geoduck with Vermicelli. The geoducks were steamed to the right degree and not rubbery in texture. They were quite sweet and tasty. The only issue I got was that the geoducks were not cleaned well and so there were still some sand inside.

The other dish we ordered was the seasonal Braised Mutton in Clay Pot, accompanied with some Chinese lettuce. The overall taste for the sauce was reasonably good, but the mutton was not braised sufficiently and still a bit tough on texture.

With three bowls of rice, the total bill was $493 which is good value certainly. There are also some free dessert provided. The red bean soup however was just too sweet or otherwise it would be quite good.

This is your neighborhood restaurant you would come for dinner, but not one that you would make special effort to come visit.

Wineshark HK Restaurant Review - The Envoy

This British colonial-themed restaurant and bar is located in the Pottinger Hotel in Central, a boutique hotel on the side of the famous historic Pottinger Street, or stone slab street as commonly called. The concept is to highlight the influence of British to the South East Asian cuisines. There is a bar, as well as both an indoor and outdoor seating.

As the bar is being named one of the top 50 best, we started by ordering a cocktail. With me going for the Classic Mai Tai, which is beautifully mixed with Havana 3 Year Old Rum, Myer's Dark Rum, dry orange curacao, orgeat syrup and fresh lime juice. It is tasty, and true to the Mai Tai recipe with the rum base and orange and nutty flavors, with the acidity of the lime juice balancing the sweetness of the syrup. With the nice decor and ambiance, this is a good place to relax and enjoy good time with someone you treasure.

For the food, we had the signature Pani Puri, with Smoked Salmon, Avocado & Salmon Roe. This is an all-time favorite street snack in India. The puff balls are freshly deep-fried so really crispy, and the fillings, even though simple, are tasty and great complement to each other in flavors. There are three different condiments of green chili chutney, tamarind sauce and spiced yogurt to accompany. No wonder this is one of the most popular choices for the restaurant.

Then we have the Fish Fingers. The classic fish and chips are fried nicely with the batter thin and not overly oily on the palate, with the fish meat soft but not particularly flavorful. The curried tartar sauce has an interesting twist, combining the traditional western sauce with the eastern elements, achieving a magical combination of enjoyment. The chips also are great and I could not stop and in no time finished the whole portion.

The last dish we had was Mussels and Blood Pudding. The mussels are a bit larger than those from France, but equally creamy and fresh. The classic blood puddings are quite good but a bit too salty. There are fries and herbed baguette on the side, so overall it is very filling. One big issue for me, however, is that the dish is only warm and took quite a long while to come. Not sure what happened but I got the feeling that the mussels were cooked but did not get served until much later.

The service was reasonably good, and on the night the restaurant was also quiet and we are the only customers in the indoor section, giving us good privacy. With the three dishes, one cocktail and a glass of grapefruit juice, the total bill was $590, which is very reasonable. I strongly recommend this restaurant if you want to enjoy some nice cocktail but at the same time have some nice food served.

Wineshark Hotel Experience - Nantenen (Amami Onsen, Kawachinagano, Osaka)

This ryokan is located in Amani Onsen, in Kawachinagano city, which is only 40 min by train from Osaka. Because of its close proximity, it is quite popular for the city dwellers to come for a weekend getaway.

One of the special feature of the ryokan is that the building itself was designed by the famous architect Kingo Tatsuno, who also designed the Tokyo Station. The rooms overlook at the beautiful Japanese garden outside. But this time we decided to go for the special Seiryu-tei, an annex outside the main building, to enjoy some seclusion and privacy.

The annex is very spacious and good for a family up to 6 people, so for the two of us it is too big. There is the traditional in-house stove and firepit, with heating on the floor so it would be ideal for the family to gather around the firepit to enjoy some conversation over some hot tea.

Adjacent to that is the anteroom which got a small writing table, and for the night it was converted to become our bedroom. The ambiance is comfortable, cozy and warm, with us falling asleep virtually immediately in that evening, have a good sleep throughout. Either I am now more used to sleep on tatami or this place has its special charm for me...

Next to the anteroom is the main living room, where the Japanese low table was set for our meals. Again, it has the same cozy and warm ambiance and throughout the meals we both felt peaceful and relaxed.

Connecting all the three rooms and with windows facing the Amamigawa River is a balcony corridor, and there is also a wooden balcony outside the window as well. Listening to the sound of the running river is like a smoothing music and that I now think is one of the reasons why we slept so well on the night.

Of course our requirements for a ryokan is always a good onsen bath, preferably private outdoor bath. The room certainly delivered on that. But before going out, there is in fact an indoor shower room with a western bathtub, equally impressive.

The outdoor onsen is really the highlight of this room. It is huge and easily of the size that you would find for family onsen room for rental in other resorts. With non-stop running hotspring, facing the river, feeling the cool breeze, fresh air and music of the nature, it is a true pinnacle of relaxation.

After a nice bath and rest the dinner is served in our room. The appetizers are grilled Inunaki pork pre-marinated in Saikyo miso garnished with spring onion, pickled Amaebi prawn in salt with salmon roe, and steamed Ebiimo paste stuffed with pate de foie gras with miso dressing. All of them are quite nice but at the same time not overwhelmingly good as in a lot of the kaiseki I had in other ryokan.

The next dish is the ball-shaped ground crab meat paste with a thin slice of Japanese white radish, Ugnisuna and yuzu in a clear broth. This soup is very good, highly fragrant and delicate, and the crab meat paste is tasty, with the flavors so rich that even blindfolding me I could easily identify.

The third dish is the sashimi with slices of young tuna and flounder, with a garnish of shredded radish. The fish are very fresh, with the tender tuna and chewy texture of the flounder providing an interesting contrast. My only criticism is that the amount of sashimi is rather small, not matching what such high-priced ryokan should offer.

The fourth dish is a mixed stew of seafood and various vegetables cooked in a pot. There are a piece of eel, prawn, scallop, fish and a meat ball, with also mushroom, leek, cabbage, and some greens together. The broth is also tasty and rich in flavor. Again, it is an example that highlight the quality of the ingredients and how the broth can bring forward and enhance the different tastes.

The fifth dish is grilled Spanish mackerel pre-marinated in Saikyo miso with pickled Japanese ginger. When I have this dish in HK most of the time it is cod that was used, but with mackerel I found it is also of good match, being less oily and with a firmer meat texture.

The sixth course is an egg custard made from mixture of egg and stock with some seafood and vegetable steamed in a cup called chawan. The egg custard is silky smooth and of good taste, with the seafood and vegetable providing the bite to complement.

The seventh course is the grilled marinated duck which is a seasonal cuisine. The duck meat is tender and not rubbery, marinated well and then grilled with sauce. Accompanying with shiitake mushroom and some leek, the taste is phenomenal and this is the best dish on the meal in my opinion.

The eight course is seafood paste tempura sandwiched with slices of lotus roots, bay scallop tempura, and broccoli tempura. The seafood paste is interesting, with the paste sandwiched by the crunchy lotus root which got a great bite. But overall the tempura was a bit oily for me.

The ninth course is pickled jellyfish, white meat, mushroom (Jew's ear) and cucumber cut to resemble pine needle in vinegar. This is something similar to what we would have for Chinese cuisine. Seasoned quite well, the cucumber and everything are cut very finely to show the chef's skill.

The tenth course is tofu mixed with chopped mushroom, spring onion and wakame in a reddish miso soup. Quite tasty but the soup got a bit cool after the long distance from the kitchen apparently. This is one of the challenges of dining in-room and in the annex a bit farther from the main building. The rice and pickled red turnip, green vegetable, and Japanese radish are very filling and is always my favorite comfort food.

The twelve and final course is dessert with fresh fruit of pear, persimmon and grape. All the fruit are very sweet and seasonal, and that by itself is healthy, delicious and tasty in the extreme.

Overall the dinner is quite satisfactory, with only a general temperature challenge for the dishes as I have pointed out, and some of the portion may seem too small.

After a good sleep the next morning we were woken up by the rain, and unfortunately we thus have to cancel some of the activities which are outdoor. Finishing a bath the staff came to clean up the room and serve our breakfast.

The breakfast is again fairly good, but same as the dinner the portion would be a little small compared with other ryokan. There are the grilled fish, egg wrap, vegetable and tofu in pot, pickles, marinated radish, miso soup and rice.

The overall price for the stay is quite expensive at 124,236 yen for two, including a half-bottle sake I ordered for the dinner. Yes, the hotspring is nice, location is close to Osaka and the building itself is from renown designer, but if considering value for money there are other ryokan I would recommend instead.

Wineshark Hotel Experience - Hotel Hanshin (Osaka)

This hotel is located in Umeda district of Osaka city, Japan. The Hanshin group is a big hotel chain in Japan, with close to 50 hotels within the country. Very near to the Hanshin and JR Fukushima station, also close to Umeda station, it is convenient and even the airport limo bus is not that far away.

We have booked a deluxe double room, on the top floor of the building, and the first impression was that the room was spacious. There are 6 such rooms in the hotel, each about 30 sq.m in size, with a large double bed of 180cm wide. On the sleeping quality it is in fact quite near and comfortable.

The room is no lavishly decorated, having a bit of an no-frill tone. A small sitting area with two comfortable chairs and a coffee table allows us to sit and enjoy the fruit and cake we bought from the department store nearby, and at the same time admiring the nice city view outside the window.

Since we are on the top floor, the view was not blocked by other buildings and we could see a glimpse of the Kyu Yodo River and the mountains at the far back. Not exactly one would say a fantastic view but quite decent nevertheless.

One of the main reasons why I have chosen this hotel is that it is one of the few that has hotspring fed into the room, so you can enjoy an onsen bath. The water is pumped from very deep underground, and is of brownish color. Quite nice but of course it is nothing compared with those you would experience in true ryokan.

We have buffet breakfast at NeN, the restaurant on the second floor. Not having a big choice, but the food quality are reasonably good. And we have a contented meal, in particular there are not that many people dining.

Overall the stay was quite nice and comfortable, with everything organized neatly and convenient. The price is also very reasonable at 27,000 yen including the breakfast for two and overnight parking fee. A good choice for those coming to Osaka either for work or vacation.

Wineshark HK Restaurant Review - Grissini

This Italian restaurant is in the Grand Hyatt Hotel, located in Wanchai. The setting is nice, with cozy ambiance, luxurious decor, and a fantastic view looking into the Victoria Harbour. Even though there are many constructions going on in the area that view was still quite pleasant.

On the night we ordered the tasting menu, 'Italian Itinerary' by Chef Alessandro Cozzolino, with the wine pairing. Apart from an amuse-bouche the restaurant has generously provided every customer a glass of Prosecco for free to begin.

The first course is La Capasanta 'Ammaritata'. The scallop is seared nicely, and even at a distance we can already smell the beautiful aromas. The taste is equally great with the texture soft and not rubbery. Underneath is the mousse prepared from greens, on top of some toasted pine nuts crushed into crumble, providing an interesting contrast of creamy and crunchy palate. A good appetizer to start, but the Sauvignon Blanc paired, in my opinion, left a bitter aftertaste and affected the overall experience.

The second course is La Zuppetta di Pomodori Dell'agro Sarnese Nocerino. Essentially a San Marzano tomato soup, there is a cherry tomato tartar in the middle, with some homemade vanilla cappelletti. The soup is thick and nearly a puree, with good acidity and freshness. But comparatively the tomato tartar was sort of being masked and apart from some bite did not give additional flavor to the soup. On the other hand, the cappelletti is good, with a perfect texture and interesting vanilla fillings. The wine paired is a Barbera which got sufficient acidity to match with the dish.

The third course is Gli Gnocchi Cacio e Pepe con Frutti del mar Mediterraneo. Personally I like this the most among the dishes, with the home made potato gnocchi soft yet offer a little bite, and every one resembling a small scallop. The Mediterranean seafood are fresh and flavorful, and the overall taste is enhanced by the savory Pecorino cheese and black pepper. The wine paired is a Verdercchio, a native white grape from the Marche region, with almond notes to complement and is a good match.

The fourth course is Il Tenero di Manzo, Rapa Rossa, Mosto Cotto. The seared beef tenderloin is tender, with a celeriac cream accompanying and a grape must baked beetroot on top. However I found the beef was not seasoned sufficiently, and the taste was thus a bit weak. The beetroot flavor in my opinion also did not particularly match with the beef. A bit disappointing honestly as it is the only main dish and should be the focus on the night. The wine paired is a Chianti which is nice.

The fifth and last course is Cioccolato Lamponi, a 80% dark chocolate mousse with raspberries and blackberries on the side. The chocolate is rich and sweet, balanced well with the high tartness of the berries. A decent dessert by itself, with the recioto red wine made from dried grapes providing a good complement.

Included in the menu is coffee or tea, and we had a nice cup of coffee to wrap up. Overall the dinner is not bad, but considering the fame of the restaurant and the hotel itself one would expect more. And in my memory I also thought I had better experience in the last few times I visited. Is it because they have adjusted the menu to fit a lower price point? I am not sure.

With the tasting menu for two, wine pairing for one, and a bottle of water the total bill was $2516, and that was after a 15% discount from credit card promotion. The price was quite reasonable for a 5-star hotel restaurant but like I said the quality may be a bit below expectation. Also, the restaurant was very busy on the night and that also affect the service. Like I mentioned many times in my review, the interactions between the staff with the customer is important. It is not just checking with the guests whether the food is ok, but more to introduce the food and leading them on the culinary journey is what a top restaurant should offer. Unfortunately I could not get it here.

Wineshark HK Restaurant Review - Khana Khazana

This vegetarian Indian restaurant is located in Wanchai, on the first floor of a commercial building. I had visited a few years back, but that happened to be for lunch and this time I decided to revisit them for dinner. The decor is pretty simple, and everything is of the no-frill style.

I ordered a Sweet Lassi to start, and a couple of appetizers. The Vegetable Samosa is quite nicely done, with the deep-fried cone pocket having nice fillings of green peas and potato, seasoned well with spices. For some it might be a bit spicy, but you can put some of the sweet sauce to balance the flavor.

The other appetizer is Plain Dosa with Masala, which is a dish I have not experienced before but apparently quite famous. When served I was caught by surprised on the size, with the crunchy wrap close to half a metre long. Inside there is a potato salad seasoned with spice, with a coconut paste on the side. There is also a soup provided, which is tasty and rich.

Then we have the Tandoori Platter, served on a sizzling iron plate. There are different types of tandoori, including Haryali Kebab which is fresh spinach and garden vegetable minced and oven-baked in skewers; Vegetable Seekh Kebab which is fresh minced vegetable oven-baked in skewers; Paneer Tikka which is marinated cottage cheese; Tandoori Gobi of marinated cauliflower, and Tandoori Bharwan Aloo of potato stuffed with condiments. All of them are nice, but I particularly like the potato so if you cannot finish all the tandoori would recommend just opt for that one.

Frankly by now we are already very full, but we also did order a Vegetable Jalfrezi and Naan. The dry curry is really fragrant, not the usual spicy notes but one more of the fresh herbs and spice, and the tomato, beans and other vegetable are sweet and juicy.

The flavors are great and the dry curry for me is the best dish of the night and for vegetarians or not this I am sure would be a winner. The Naan is good too.

Near the end of the dinner we saw a big group of Indian visitors coming, and it seems that the restaurant is also a spot for tourist groups visiting HK. The bill was $469 and considering the quality, the amount of food we ordered, it is quite a good value restaurant and would be a nice option if you would like to have vegetarian dishes for a change.

Wineshark HK Restaurant Review - Fish School

This restaurant, as its name implies, specializes in fish and other seafood. It is located on the Third Street, with the entrance in a side alley and quite difficult to find. So if it is still busy on a typical weekday evening there must be good reasons behind.

The environment is quite nice, with a sort of fusion tone, having an open kitchen where you can see Executive chef Chris Ma in action, as well as a bar adjacent servicing cocktails and other beverages. But at the same time you can see a few fish tanks at the back, with some lively fish swimming, like what you can see in a Chinese restaurant.

The staff are very friendly and introduced the catch of the day and the selection menu to us. We decided to go for the selection menu, which has a total of 9 courses with some of the signature dishes of the restaurant included.

The first course is Fresh Oyster, with Horseradish and Apple Granita. The oysters are from Australia, fresh and creamy, having a delicate taste and not too salty or coppery, so ideal for even those people who might not be particularly fond of fresh oyster. The condiments of horseradish and apple granita provided a nice tartness, substituting the common lemon juice. The results are in fact quite harmonious. My only feedback is that the oysters are too chilly, and if they are served at right temperature the enjoyment would be even higher.

The second course is Lobster Popcorn. This is one of the signatures of the restaurant, with the lobster meat coated with bread crumbs and a sort of sesame-like seeds, then deep-fried. It has a great bite, with contrast of the crispy skin outside. Certainly a great appetizer and it would be a wonder pairing with some ice cold beer.

The third course is Cobia Terrine with Buttermilk. Cobia is a type of fish with solid texture and flavors, and this dish makes use of those elements and make it into a terrine, then thinly slice. Because of the black skin the effect is pretty with a marble look. Among the dishes, I like this one the most. Also, there are buttermilk served as a sauce and the pairing is really great. A really wonderful concept.

The fourth course is Steamed Razor Clam with Fermented Black Beans and Butter. A very interesting idea, the razor clam are steamed in a traditional Chinese fashion. But instead of the typical spring onion and garlic, the restaurant has substituted with fermented black beans and some deep-fried garlic, then adding melted butter instead of the usual cooking oil. Another brilliant concept, the razor clam are cooked to the perfect timing, well-cooked but not rubbery.

Before serving the fifth course Chris specially prepared a complimentary beef tartare, which is also not the typical one but has in fact added some blood clams in, which added an extra flavor dimension. With the chives on top, and putting on top of a toast, the crunchy toast and soft beef tartare give a great complement to each other.

Next comes the fifth course, which is Raw Crab and Sea Urchin with Rice. When first serve I was a bit concerned as the crab is raw and for those who are not used to such this might be a bit exotic. With the crab and sea urchin are mixed well with the coriander and rice, and after our first bite, apart from a bit salty it is quite acceptable in taste, without too much the expected fishy note. Still maybe for those who are not used to, this dish would not be their cup of tea.

Originally the sixth course is Wagyu Bavette Steak with Salted Fish Aioli, but I decided to go for a non-beef dish so the staff nicely helped to switch to Braised Pork Pluma with Fermented Tofu. The dish is nice, with the pork braised well to great tenderness, seasoned well with the interesting fermented tofu flavor. A bit salty however but still a good main dish for me. I also like the braised lotus root which got a great bite and rich in taste.

The seventh course is Grey Mullet with Preserved Lemon. I think this is a perfect example of how traditional Chinese ingredients to prepare a Western style dish. Grey Mullet is a fresh-water fish that frequently appears in our traditional cuisine, normally served whole. But preparing as a fillet, and then topped not with herbs but using another traditional ingredient of preserved lemon to kick in the fragrance and additional flavors is really smart. Another tribute to the creativity of Chris Ma.

The eighth course is Fig, Ricotta, Walnut and Honeycomb. The dessert is fairly good with the ricotta providing a rich cheese but not strong in flavors like other type of cheese, and the fig and honeycomb giving the sweetness, further supplemented with the crunchy walnut with the nutty notes. An interesting combination with right balance of the sugar level for even the health and weight conscious.

The final course is another dessert, a Red Date Pudding with Butterscotch. The pudding has nice red date flavors, and on top there are a few dried wolfberries. Another great way to pair traditional Chinese ingredients with western cooking technique, the pudding is great in taste and the butterscotch also complements it well.

We enjoyed the meal throughout, with the staff giving us a short introduction of each dish when serve, and also coming by to check with us frequently in a friendly and cheerful manner. We all feel good on the hospitality. The restaurant also did not have service charge and it is really up to the guests to decide how much gratuity to pay. The price was $1,650 for two, with me also ordering a mocktail, a coffee in the end, as well as a bottled water. So overall it is quite a good price for money.

I recommend this restaurant to those who like seafood, and want to enjoy how some of the traditional Chinese ingredients can be utilized to cook great western style dishes. And next time I would like to try their steamed fish from the catch of the day menu.