Wineshark HK Restaurant Review - Madame Fu

This contemporary Chinese restaurant is located in Tai Kwun, on the third floor of the barrack block of the old police headquarters. Spanning the whole space, once exited from the lift one would walk around the verandah overlooking the parade grounds below, with some comfortable bar stools allowing customers to enjoy a glass of cocktails. 

Having booked for the Grand Cafe, the main dining room, the staff led us into this artistically designed space, which is one of the most interesting and creative decor in town I had visited. The tall windows brick walls, high timber ceiling presented a colonial atmosphere, with many contemporary Chinese arts with loud colors giving an exquisite ambiance. I like the seats very much, which are comfortable and matched perfectly with the overall tone and mood. 

We ordered Calamari with Spicy Salt ($128) to start. A very good starter, the calamari is tender and not rubbery at all after deep-frying, and then mixed with the spicy salt, which got a nice garlic and cumin note but not overly spicy. 

Next we had some soups, with me going for Hot and Sour Soup ($98) and my wife opting for Conch Shell, Japanese Scallops and Dendrobium Flower Soup ($158). The hot and sour soup has an intense flavor, with good blend of sour and hotness. I think the white peppery note is a bit overpowering on the initial few spoons, but afterwards it is better. The tofu, bamboo and black ear mushroom are finely shredded which is a testimony to the knife skills of the chef. Fairly good. 

Upon the recommendation of Gordon, the staff serving our table, we ordered Madame Fu's Chicken with Black Truffle and Chive Sauce ($270 for half chicken). Artfully presented, the de-boned chicken are put in the middle, with a thin crispy skin and tender, well-marinated meat, surrounded by the sauces. I am pleasantly surprised by the quality of the crispy chicken, as I would imagine having such wonderful chicken from well-known traditional Cantonese restaurants instead of this modern venture. A really must-try in my opinion, and I am also fortunate as the chicken normally would require advanced order too. 

The other main dish we had was Wok-fried Scallops with Baby Lotus Roots and XO Sauce ($298). The scallops are large in size, seasoned well and tasty, but the true star of the dish for me was the baby lotus roots. Similar to the asparagus in shape, they are not as crunchy as the full-size version, but with a nice tender texture. My first time eating this and quite an interesting experience.

Feeling we still got some room, we then tried out their desserts. First was Milk Tea Gateaux ($118). The plating is certainly western (it is a western dessert!), with the milk tea mousse on top of the cake rich and not overly sweet, with a light milk tea fragrance. Quite nice but I would prefer the intensity of the milk tea note to be even a bit higher to truly showcase this local delicacy. 

The second dessert was Dark Chocolate Cake with Vanilla Ice-cream and Fresh Berries ($100). The chocolate cake is very rich, having made purely from chocolate and butter without adding any flour. A very rewarding and fulfilling finale to the whole meal and wraps up a great dining experience for us on the night. 

Apart from the food, the services are also nice, with the friendly Gordon came to chat with us repeatedly, both about the dishes and other topics. And in the middle of the dinner I found the music switched a bit with songs from a great voice, and only then I noticed that it was from the singer doing that live! Probably the only time I had such entertainment in a Chinese restaurant. Another unexpected, yet amazing, element. 

The bill was $1,513 which is reasonable in my opinion, considering the quality of the food, and the overall one-of-a-kind dining experience. A great place I recommend to try it out.