Wineshark HK Restaurant Review - Dim Sum Library

This eatery is located in Pacific Place, with a contemporary design and decor, having a bar and counter at the entrance area serving cocktails and other beverages, while at the back is the dining area, with a darker lighting offering a more western restaurant ambiance. On the night the restaurant was quite full and the whole dining area was pretty much fully occupied, apparently showing the popularity of the place.

With reservation we were seated at a nice corner, with the sofa seating quite comfortable, but the tables are quite close to each other so it is rather busy and noisy, and is not exactly a place where you come to enjoy a quiet meal with private conversations.

I ordered a mocktail to start. The Refreshing Guava Sunrise ($55) is made from guava juice, orange juice, cranberry juice and honey. Colorful and refreshing, it is true to the name. At the same time we each order our own tea, which is charged per person ($24 each).

Famous for its dim sum with a modern twist, we ordered a few of the signature ones to try. First comes Hokkaido King Crab and Sea Urchin Spring Rolls ($92), the four pieces of crispy spring rolls each have sea urchin on top, with the flavors a good match with the king crab fillings inside. An creative and tasty dim sum, it helps to dispel some of my worries that this restaurant is only having the buzz without substance.

The second dim sum was Black Truffle Har Gau, or Shrimp Dumplings ($62). There are three pieces served in an interesting rectangular steamer. Instead of the traditional circular ones, the steamer itself is a thoughtful way to show the restaurant is offering something different. The dumplings have an intense black truffle note which did not overpower the taste of the shrimp fillings. A nice one too, and if you like truffle this one would be a must-try.

The third dim sum was King Prawn and Spinach Dumplings ($78). There are two pieces, which are served in the more traditional circular steamer, with an appealing king prawn on top of the dumplings, bursting with spinach fillings that you can clearly see through the thin transparent dumpling skin. Not bad in taste, but this one I found having not much difference than what you could find in other restaurants, except having the prawn on top. Might not exactly worth the price to try it out.

We also had the Shredded Chicken with Ginger and Spring Onion Cheung Fun ($88) or Rice Roll. This unfortunately was my least favorite in the evening. Not because this was somehow missed out in the order and only served to us after we followed up on it, more due to the fact the shredded chicken is rather tasteless, and the rice roll did not help as it was not as silky as I would expect on texture. The soy sauce is also a bit of a disappointment, lame in flavors and not able to bring out the taste of the food.

Apart from dim sum we also had a vegetable. The Shanghai Cabbage and Fish Maw in Seafood Broth ($138), looking simple, is on the other hand a pleasant surprise. There are plenty of fish maw strips on top of the cabbage, cooked nicely to be tender while not overly cooked, and absorbing the sweet tastes of the seafood broth. It is also of decent portion size too to share among a few people. A nice dish.

Then it was Singaporean Fried Rice Vermicelli with Iberico Pork Char Siu and Shrimps ($188). This one I also like, mainly because when it was served and I had the first bite, you can immediately taste the high-heat stir-frying (wok hey), and you know the chef are using the right techniques to prepare the rice vermicelli. Taste is quite good but spicy, the char siu is however rather mediocre.

Wrapping up we had desserts, with me going for Pomelo and Mango Ice Cream ($58) while my wife had Jasmine Tea Pudding ($58). The ice cream is decent, and I can taste the pomelo and mango flavors of the signature dessert though it is not as concentrated as the normal dessert. Not a bad one but I don't think it is worth the price.

Service is fair, with the staff courteous and friendly. My biggest complaint is on the price. As pointed out, there are many dishes I think not worth the price, and the bill on the night was a staggering $952. Consider the food quality and other factors I would say it is over-priced.