Wineshark HK Restaurant Review - Chachawan

This Thai restaurant is located in Sheung Wan, at the junction of Hollywood Road and Possession Street, with an interesting old-time feel for decor, from the plaque outside, the ceramic tiles tabletop, the metal chairs without backrest, to the concrete staircase leading to the second floor you would find in old buildings, or the design of the wallpaper featuring advertisements on newspapers in the old days.

Arriving early in the evening, before the dinner section was opened, we ordered some drinks at the bar section to wait. I had the Thai Lime Mojito ($100) while my wife had the mocktail Longan Nahm ($55). My cocktail included Nusa Cana Rum, lime, Thai basil, mint, soda, and charred sugarcane. With the elements of a mojito but also having the extra spicy note of the Thai basil, it was refreshing and having the right balance of alcohol, sweetness and acidity. It was a nice aperitif while we waited. Soon we were shown to our table. The tables were small and very close to each other, and while it could not be rated as comfortable, it was acceptable in my opinion, and did provide an alternative experience. 

We ordered Yum Som O ($148) as starter. It is a pomelo salad, with prawns, deep-fried shallots, cashew nuts, garlic, dry coconut, paired with sweet and sour tamarind dressing. Really good in taste, the salad has a nice mix of sweetness from the pomelo, with some mild spiciness which was highly appetizing, and the crunchy texture provided by the shallots and dry coconut gave a great complement to the prawns and pomelo. Overall a burst of flavours and enjoyment.

Then we had Gai Yung ($158), which were chicken thigh marinated for 24 hours in garlic, pepper and coriander, then grilled till crispy on the skin, and served with jhim jeaw, the Thai chili dipping sauce. Rich in flavours, the chicken got the nice note of the herbs and fish sauce, tender in texture, while having the crisp skin. The dipping sauce was equally impressive imparting a nice supplement to the chicken. Maybe some people would find it a bit salty from the fish sauce but I quite like it.

Another signature dish we had was Pla Phao Glua ($298), the salt-crusted whole seabass stuffed with lemongrass, pandanas and lime leaf, then cooked over fire, and paired with a chili dipping sauce. The fish was quite sizable, with a great fragrance from the stuffed herbs which removed any fishy note. The salt-crusted skin was too salty to be eaten, but giving a nice taste to the moist flesh which was cooked to perfection. My favorite in the evening.

We then ordered two desserts to wrap up. The first was Khao Niaw Mamuang ($95), mango with sticky rice. The mango was decent, not very sweet but retaining a nice acidity to balance the sticky rice, which got a truly luscious coconut milk. To me it was simply too sweet and making it difficult to finish the whole portion.

The other dessert was Ice Cream Guti ($80), with fresh young coconut ice cream served with toasted peanut and sweet corn. Beautifully prepared, the flesh of the young coconut had been peeled out for ease of eating, and the crunchy sweet corn provided a good contrast in texture to the ice cream. Good in taste but again the sweetness was just too daunting.

The restaurant also gave us a complimentary Thai Guava with Chili and Lemongrass Sugar. Even though the fruit was mild in taste, there was a delicate taste which I enjoyed, and you could dip the sugar to provide the interesting additional flavors of chili and lemongrass. First time for me to try those types of sugar, they were special and gave us a nice conclusion for the wonderful meal.

With a bottled water ($60), the total bill on the night was $994. The restaurant did not charge the 10% service charge common in HK, and customers could tip at their discretion. Even though quite high in price and not exactly comfortable on the seats and setting, the food was nicely done. There are bits and pieces that they could improve but I applaud the restaurant for creating a nice evening for us eating some nice dishes from northeast Thailand. 

Wineshark Cooking Class - Mashed Potato Rolls

Ingredients (for 4):

• Potato - 3
• Egg - 4
• Bell peppers - 3
• Spring onion - 1 sprig
• Salt - 1 tsp
• Oil - 1 tsp

Procedures:

1. Clean the bell peppers and drip dry, then cut into small cubes.

2. Whisk the eggs.

3. Clean the spring onion and chop finely.

4. Clean the potatoes, peel and then blanch in boiling water until softened.

5. Mash the potatoes, then add salt and spring onion.

6. Use the wok without any oil or water to cook the chopped bell peppers until softened. Then remove.

7. Heat the pan with oil, then pour in the egg to cook for a short while.

8. Add the bell peppers to the egg while it is still liquid on the top.

9. Remove the egg skin from heat, then add the mashed potatoes. 

10. Wrap the roll and cut into pieces using the knife.

Wineshark Cooking Class - Eggplant Lasagna

Ingredients (for 4):

• Lasagna - 12 sheets
• Pork - 400 g
• Eggplant - 1
• Zucchini - 1
• Canned plum tomato - 1
• Shredded cheese - 1/2 bag
• Garlic - 4 cloves
• Oil - 2 tsp
• Soy sauce - 3 tsp
• White pepper powder - 1 tsp
• Corn starch - 1 tsp

Procedures:

1. Clean the pork and drip dry, then mince and marinate with soy sauce, white pepper powder and corn flour.

2. Clean the eggplant and cut into small cubes. Put in salted water to keep the flesh from turning brown.

3. Clean the zucchini and cut into slices.

4. Cut the plum tomatoes into small pieces.

5. Peel the garlic and chip finely.

6. Heat the wok and pour in the oil, then saute the garlic.

7. Add the minced pork and continue to stir-fry for a short while.

8. Add the eggplant and zucchini, continue to stir-fry.

9. Add the tomatoes and after cooking a short while, remove from the wok.

10. Put the lasagna sheets on the baking tray. then add the minced pork, eggplant and zucchini in. Coated with a layer of cheese, then put the lasagna on top. 

11. Repeat the process until all the ingredients were used up.

12. Put in oven pre-heated at 200 deg C and cook for 10 minutes.

Wineshark HK Restaurant Review - Di King Heen

This Chinese restaurant is located in Royal Plaza Hotel in Mongkok, and on the day because there are wedding banquets there are only a few tables available for diners, and fortunately we had booked and got a table. The decoration is contemporary, seating is comfortable and general ambiance relaxing.

Even though we arrived quite early at 6:30pm, soon this section of the restaurant is all seated, showing that it is very popular. We ordered the Lobster and Deluxe Dried Seafood Set Menu ($1,188 per person) and the staff told us there is a special 20% discount in offer. We are lucky!

The first course was Appetizers Combination, including Broiled Salmon Sushi, Chilled Jellyfish with Shredded Abalone, and Sizzling Diced Wagyu Beef with Crispy Garlic. The sushi is surprisingly good given this is not a Japanese restaurant, with a rich taste of the salmon supplemented by the sauce. The jellyfish is also good with the amount of sesame oil just right in proportion. The beef was tender and juicy while the garlic and leek providing some crispy texture. A great start for the dinner.

The second course was Double-boiled Deluxe Dried Seafood and Chicken Soup. A good portion indeed, and the ingredients in the soup were all nice and premium, with abalone, sea cucumber, dried scallops, as well as big pieces of fish maw. The chicken soup had absorbed all the great taste of the ingredients, without any oil and very tasty but I would say it was a bit too salty. However overall it was still a great soup and after finishing it we were so more than half-full even with our big appetite.

The third course was Steamed Half Lobster Chopped with Fried Garlic and Shaoxing Wine. The lobster was meaty, and the sprinkled garlic had enhanced the flavors but also over-shadowing the delicate taste of the lobster in the end. In my opinion the simple chopped garlic might be a better alternative. The vermicelli at the bottom had absorbed all the jus and turned out to be more tasty than the lobster. A nice dish but I believe the restaurant can do better.

The fourth course was Pan-fried Giant Garoupa Fillets in Black Truffle Sauce. This is the signature dish of the restaurant, with the fillet nicely pan-fried, and the sauce giving a sweetness to the fish. The black truffle enhanced the aromas further. On the side the mushroom was coated with flour and then deep-fried, pairing with a mayonnaise to reduce the fattiness. Really tasty and the best dish in the whole meal in my opinion.

The fifth course was Stewed Superior Kanto Sea Cucumber with Goose Web. The goose web was braised nicely, easy to bite and eat, with the sauce marinated well. There were two pieces of asparagus which not only adding colour to the dish but providing the necessary vegetable too. The sea cucumber was great in texture, firm yet not rubbery, but I also found it a bit too salty, and felt like the inside of the cucumber had been smeared a lot of oyster sauce. A minor issue which I think the restaurant can correct.

The sixth course was Poached Prawns and Scallops in Lobster Bisque sprinkled with Crispy Rice. Served in a western style, some of the crispy rice was soaked in the soup already and then the staff poured in the remaining soup, and we could add more of the crispy rice as we like. The lobster bisque was rich in flavors but because of that the prawn and scallops became more bland in taste. Still quite an interesting idea and good to see the chef exploring such innovative cuisine.

The seventh course was Sweetened Bean Curd Pudding and Black Sesame Roll. Both were traditional desserts, with the bean curd pudding having a nice bean note, and nicely sweetened so there was no need to add more sugar, nor was it overly sweet. The sesame roll was decent too. The staff in fact had asked us before serving these desserts whether we would prefer to change to something else, not because these desserts were not good but more to offer us more choices, a thoughtful service indeed.

The service was good and the captain came to chat with us and introduced us to the restaurant, and had done a decent job in selling us to come back to try their dim sum. The total bill on the night was $2178, and considering the menu it was truly of good value. There are some improvements on the seasoning to make it less salty for some of the dishes but those could be rectified easily and I am interested to come back and try their other dishes.

Wineshark Cooking Class - Pan-fried Prawn with Ketchup 茄汁煎大蝦

Ingredients (for 4):

• Tiger prawns - 4
• Flour - 1/4 cup
• Oil - 4 tbsp
• Garlic - 4 cloves
• Ginger - 3 slices
• Mirin - 2 tbsp
• Ketchup - 3 tbsp
• Sugar - 2 tsp
• Salt - 1/4 tsp

Procedures:

1. Remove the horn, eyes and legs of the tiger prawns. Then clean it thoroughly and drip dry.

2. Cut the tiger prawns in halves, then use a plastic bag to put in, along with the flour, to evenly coat the prawns with flour.

3. Mix the mirin, ketchup, sugar and salt.

4. Heat the wok to medium-high level, then add in 3 tbsp of oil. Turn the heat to medium. Add the prawn heads and pan-fry on both sides until golden.

5. Add the remaining of the prawns and pan-fry on both sides. Remove the prawns.

6. Add the remaining tablespoon of oil, then add the garlic and ginger to cook until fragrant.

7. Add the sauce and stir well. 

8. When the sauce has started to cook with boiling, add the tiger prawns back to the wok and stir well.

Wineshark Cooking Class - Stuffed Mushrooms with Prawn Patty 百花釀鮮菇

Ingredients (for 4):

• Fresh prawn - 300 g
• Egg - 1
• Salt - 1/4 tsp
• Sugar - 1/2 tsp
• Corn starch - 1/2 tbsp
• White pepper powder - 1/2 tsp
• Shiitake mushroom - 12
• Spring onion - 1 tbsp
• Soy sauce - 1/2 tsp

Procedures:

1. Remove the shell of the prawns and then also the intestines. 

2. Wash together with a spoonful of salt, then rinse thoroughly. After drip dry, wrap in cling wrap and put in freezer for 2 hours.

3. Flatten the prawns with the chopper and then using the blunt edge to mince the prawns. 

4. Season with sugar and salt for 2 minutes. Then put the minced prawn into a large bowl.

5. Add the egg white and corn starch, and mix the minced prawns in uni-direction. Then use the hands to toss the minced prawn until sticky. Add the white pepper powder.

6. Remove the stem of the shiitake mushroom, wash thoroughly then drip dry. Mix with soy sauce.

7. Coat the inside of the shiitake mushroom with some corn starch, then add the minced prawn. 

8. Use some water to smoothen the prawn patty and put them on a steaming dish.

9. Steam for 8 minutes and serve with chopped spring onion.