Wineshark HK Restaurant Review - Ronin

This contemporary Japanese restaurant is located in On Wo Lane, and from the outside it was pretty difficult to find, as there is no sign. You could only try to discern from the address, and try opening the sliding door with the wooden handle, which would open into a cool and hip place with a number of counter seats on one side, and on the back being standing room only. No wonder it was difficult to make booking, and one would like to pay a deposit first as it is so popular, being awarded one of the top 50 restaurants in Asia by S. Pellegrino.

Arriving promptly by 18:30, nearly all the seats were already occupied. I ordered a mocktail to start, called Virgin Burro ($60), which has some ginger, fresh lemongrass, lime juice and syrup. Served with a copper mug and a big piece of ice, it is a highly refreshing drink to begin our meal. The staff then came to explain the menu and we decided to go for the tasting menu ($1180).

The amuse bouche was Pea Leaves with Yuzu Sauce, which seasoned beautifully with a nice citrus note to arouse our appetite. Although simple on the appearance, it is always such dishes that got easily overlooked and differentiated what a good restaurant from the mediocre ones. And on this Ronin certainly delivered its promise.

The first course was Geay Oyster, with Grapes, Tosazu and Sudachi. The French oysters were very fresh, and instead of the traditional way in adding lemon juice, the chef used the Japanese vinegar Tosazu with the juice of sudachi (a green citrus fruit) to bring out further the freshness, while balancing the mineral notes of the oysters. The thin slices of grape provided some sweetness to neutralize the sauce to avoid it becoming too acidic, and overall the oyster was crunchy and really tasty. A great start.

The second course was the assorted sashimi, including Shima Aji Striped Jack Sashimi pairing with Wasabi and Soy Sauce, Botan Ebi Spot Prawn Sashimi with Sea Salt and Sudachi, Tai Sea Bream Sashimi with Karasumi and Yuzu, Itoroyi Threadfin Bream Sashimi with Spring Onion and Garlic Soy, as well as Kanpachi Amber Jack Sashimi with Sesame and Negi Soy. All the sashimi were very fresh and great in original flavors, but I was amazed by how the chef used different condiments to highlight the fish and creating a totally new experience for diners. Truly innovative.

The third course was one of the restaurant's signature, the Flower Crab with Uni, Mitsuba and Sudachi. With the crab meat detached from the body manually, they were stuffed back, and topped with some sea urchin. This was my favorite in the evening as well, with the crab meat so sweet and tasty, the mitsuba provided a fragrant herbal note which got further enhanced by the sudachi. The sea urchin was also great in taste and fresh. No wonder this was featured in a lot of the reviews for the restaurant.

Before serving our fourth course, the staff brought to use a small dish with Deep-Fried Prawn Heads. Crispy and one can eat the whole head. This demonstrated the merits of the Japanese chefs taking every ingredients to prepare something, and let nothing go to waste. I gave a big salute to the chef in this regard.

The fourth course finally came, which certainly got a big western influence, with the Grilled Mushroom paired with the thin slices Tuna, on top of Watercress, Shallots and Coriander. This dish was another great example of the perfect seasoning, with the fish tender, the watercress giving a light crunchy mouthfeel. With the truly wonderful sauce, plus the mushroom providing a nice bite, a great dish before we transitioned to the cooked food part.

The fifth course was Sea Eel Tempura, and paired with a Dipping Sauce and Green Tea Sea Salt. The sea eel was soft in texture, with the tempura batter thin and nicely on the outside. It was well prepared as it did not drip any oil on the paper holding the prawns. The sauce and salt further helped to season the eel.

The sixth course was Grilled Sanma Pike Mackerel with Mugi Miso and Parsley. The fish was beautifully seasoned with the miso giving the proper saltiness, and also grilled nicely so that it had a slightly charred skin while retaining tenderness of the mackerel. Also, the chef had deep-fried the fish bone so it also could be eaten. Another great dish and showing how all the good ingredients could be utilized to the best advantage under the good hands of the chef.

The seventh course was Deep-Fried French Quail. Replacing the traditional chicken pieces, the quail is juicy and tender even after deep-frying, with a brownish colour but not too 'burnt'. The flavors are also more pronounced than the normal chicken. A great complement to go with some beer.

The eighth course was Unagi Chirashi, with Pickled Cucumber and Sesame. The rice was great in taste, and the homemade sauce was also wonderful. The unagi (eel) is fat and meaty, grilled to slightly charred surface, with the truly wonderful sauce complementing the whole experience tremendously.

The ninth (and final) course was a Fish Soup, prepared with some funnel, seaweed, leek and of course, a piece of fish. The soup was intense in flavors, and giving a nice finale to the dinner.

Wrapping up the staff asked whether we would like to have the Coffee Shochu. It was interesting as the aroma and flavor reminded me a lot on the coffee beverages but upon swallowing you could also detect the alcohol pouring in. Not my favorite but still something of interest to try it out.

With a bottle of still water ($75), two cups of Virgin Burro, and the tasting menu, the total bill was $2555, without the 10% service charge, the price is quite reasonable. With the menu changing daily, it might be good to come back again to try new things. And Ronin did delighted almost all of its customers.