Wineshark HK Restaurant Review - 10 Shanghai 十里洋場

This restaurant is located in Lee Garden, offering Huaiyang cuisines, which combines the culinary specialties of Suzhou and Shanghai, and the best of the offerings within the area. The entrance has a decoration of the classical Chinese moon gate which is quite eye-catching.

Entering the restaurant there is a tone of stylish modern interiors, and passing through several banquettes with jasper green couches offering better privacy, the main dining hall has a wooden flooring and arched metal partitions. However, the tables are just too small to put the dishes. 

As a result we asked the staff to prepare the dish one by one. The first served being Huadiao-Brined Squab ($142). Beautifully presented back to resemble the shape, the squab has been marinated perfectly with the brine having the right balance of huadiao and marinade. The meat is quite tender too. 

Next we had the soups, with me going for Double-Boiled Bean Curd Blossom with Matsutake and Crab Claw in Chicken Consomme ($108) while my wife had Braised Fish Maw with Creamy Crab Roe ($218). Apparently my wife liked her soup very much, with the crab roe intense and flavorful with the fish maw having a nice bite. 

Served in a clay bowl, my soup certainly is a demonstration of the amazing knife skills of the chef. The bean curd is cut in a way to resemble the blossom, with the petals all so finely cut. The soup base is a bit too salty, while the matsutake mushroom and crab claw are decent in taste. Still the presentation alone is sufficient reason to try it out.

Then we had the signature Jiangsu River Shrimps Sauteed with Crab Roe ($328). The crab roe is very good, intense and seasoned very well, and I can understand why my wife had a good compliment on the soup. On the other hand the river shrimps are a bit disappointing, as it did not have the crunchy texture I would expect. 

Another dish we often ordered is Baby Yellow Croaker Deep-Fried with Salt and Pepper ($118). The fish is surprisingly large in size, with a crispy skin, soft and tender flesh. The deep-fried salt and pepper added a layer of exciting taste, delicious and with the price point it is one of the best value and quality.

A test to any Shanghai restaurant is always the quality of their xiao long bao. The Signature Steamed Xiao Long Bao ($75) has five pieces, each having a thin dough skin, and you can see the jus holding up inside. The minced pork and jus is tasty, and adding a bit of Zhejiang vinegar further enhanced the flavors to another level. 

Wrapping up we had the dessert, with both of us choosing Glutinous Dumplings in Sweet Ginger Soup ($52 each). The soup has an intense ginger note and taste, certainly delivering a kick on spiciness in a pleasant way. The dumplings are decent, with sesame fillings and a chewy bite. 

Service is decent overall, with the only black mark coming when I asked whether we can switch to another table when we were first seated, the response from the manager (I presume) was just pure rude, shutting us down and without trying to even pretend and see what he can help. On hindsight I feel amazed I did not just walk away at that point.

The bill was $1,268 which is reasonable in my opinion. There are so good points for sure, but just a reminder that it is important to pay better attention to the service as it is easy for one single person to ruin the overall experience and reputation of a restaurant.