Wineshark HK Restaurant Review - Chaiwala

This modern Indian restaurant is quite hard to find indeed. Located on Wyndham Street in Central, on the outside you would easily miss the small plaque showing 'Licnesed as Chaiwalla' and walk right past. Accessed through the British salon Hugger Mugger, you would walk through the speakeasy theme Chai bar and then through another door to the Kitchen before entering the restaurant's Dining Hall.

The decor is interesting with different colors showing up in the furniture, light fixtures that resembles the tree vines dropping down from branches, recreating an old house ambiance with the wooden panels. There is an apparent creative vibes in the atmosphere and we quickly some drinks to start. I had the Classic Lassi ($70) while my wife had the Nimbu Pani ($70). We decided to go for the Tasting Menu ($480 per person).

The first course was the signature Pani Puri with Jal-Jeera. Jal-Jeera is a traditional Indian beverage serving as aperitif to increase appetite, often known as 'cumin water'. The pani puri is a snack, with the hollowed puri (a deep-fried crisp crepe) filled with tamarind chutney, chili, channa masala and potato. Pouring the cumin water into the puri before eating, the snack was a great feast of flavors despite a bit spicy.

The second course was 'Maxi-Thali' Beef Sukha, an Indian tortilla with slow-cooked beef chunks, southern Indian spices and curry leaves. Squeezing a few drops of lemon juice in, the acidity and spices blend very well, providing another nice mix of different flavors. The beef was quite tender, and I like how the chef using slow cook technique to avoid the meat getting dried and tough.

The third course was Palak Patta Shakarkandi Chaat, which was a super chaat with spinach fritters, sweet potato crisps, spiced yoghurt dressing and house chutney. Chaat is a traditional Indian snack, found on street stalls and casual restaurants. I found this to be my favorite on the night, with a really interesting mix of sweet, sour, spicy and savory taste integrated very well together. At the same time the fritters and crisps gave a nice mix of chewy and crunchy texture as well. A harmonious orchestra of sensory delights and I highly recommend to try this one.

Next was the tandoor, freshly grilled from the clay oven. A very big portion with three components. There were two Myanmar Tandoori Prawns, with the large king prawns marinated in a spicy Indo-Thai marinade. Among the three grills this one was the best in taste. The Tandoori Lamb Chops were marinated with papaya, chili and black pepper, then char-grilled and served with chick-pea masala and mint dip. Also tasty, but inevitably the meat was a bit rubbery because they were grilled. The Chicken Tikka was the classic of the restaurant, with hung yoghurt, chili, cinnamon, and cucumber raita. The chicken was nice too, still moist on the inside of the meat, and the marinade giving a nice punch. But overall the amount of meat for this dish would made it difficult for customers to finish all.

Next was the Old Delhi Butter Chicken, with the charred and pulled chicken in a rich tomato fenugreek sauce. The curry was very good, with the sauce not very spicy but having an underlying heat which stimulate the palate. The chicken in my opinion was more the supporting role. I would not mind just having the sauce indeed.

Serving as the side was Poriyal, which was a sauteed bowl containing broccoli, snow peas, green beans and spinach, tossed with mustard, coconut and curry leaves. Personally I found the vegetable to be a bit too dry for my liking. But on the taste it was fairly good.

There were also a Naan to accompany the curry. It had a nice chewiness, and was great with the curry.

Apart from the naan, there was also Basmati Rice. The long-grained rice was steamed and flavored with ghee and cardamon, with a signature aroma. The fluffy rice was also a great pair with the curry sauce.

Finishing with the 'Bollywood Style' Dessert, the cardamon panna cotta had the mango sauce poured on top, as well as some crumble and an edible flower. An interesting way to add the herbal note to the dessert, it was a good finale for our meal.

Overall the food was good and the tasting menu allowed us to appreciate many different Indian dishes, and was a good arrangement for small groups. The bill was $1,210 and the restaurant did not have service charge so remember to give relevant amount of tips to the staff.