Wineshark HK Restaurant Review - Aaharn

This Michelin 1-star restaurant is located in Tai Kwun, offering fine Thai cuisine developed by famous chef David Thompson, the chef who won the first Michelin status in history for a Thai restaurant, at Nahm in London. 

Walking up the flight of stairs to the upper floor of the Armoury Building, we were seated at the indoor section, per our request. But there is also a balcony overseeing the parade ground below. The decor is contemporary with a chic fine-dining tone.

We decided to go for the Tasting Menu ($688 each), and I also opted for the wine pairing ($480). The amuse bouche is a slice of pineapple lightly grilled, with some minced chicken and rhubarb mix. The pineapple has an appetitizing sweet and sour taste, with the chicken and rhubarb giving additional complexity in flavours. A nice starter to welcome the diners. 

The first course is Lobster Salad with Fresh Coconut and Lemongrass on Betal Leave. With some lime juice and some basil added, the salad is highly refreshing, and the fragrance from the lemongrass and betal leave essentially filling the mouth. The lobster meat is tasty and delicate, with the coconut providing a mild sensory bridge linking all the different ingredients together. A very nice appetizer. 

The second course is Chiang Mai Chili Relish with Quail Egg, Caviar on Crispy Bean Curd Skin. The savory notes from the caviar are a great complement to the quail egg, which are put on top of some chili relish with good bite and slightly spicy. The crispy bean curd skin not only serve to hold the ingredients for eating, it also gives a nice contrast on texture. Another nice appetizer.

The third course is Smoked Chiang Mai Sausage. Again using a leave to wrap, there are thinly shredded ginger and some other Thai herbs provided, which together with the sausage is in my opinion a great example to demonstrate how genius is the Thai people in using herbs, with the spicy sausage again helping to build the appetite with the complex flavors.

Moving to the main dish. The fourth course is Wagyu Beef Salad with Mint, Shallots and Lemongrass. The spiciness certainly has dialed up, and the staff reminded us not to try the orange-colored chili as it is very hot. Even though it is spicy, the taste is so good that you will keep on eating while sweating at the same time. The cherry tomatoes are sweet and help to neutralize a bit on the spicy taste. The beef is nice too. A good dish for those who can take spicy food.

The fifth course is Hot and Sour Soup of Tiger Prawns with Lemongrass and Cherry Tomato. Not your usual tom yum, this clear soup has the same spicy and sour note but without the coconut milk, and instead offering a nice chicken broth. The tiger prawn has a bouncy bite, with the tomatoes sweet. There is another choice if you cannot take the spicy soup. But personally this one tastes much better. 

The sixth course is Quail Curry with Holy Basil, Ginger and Peanuts. The red curry sauce has a rich taste but not particularly spicy, and goes perfect with steamed rice. With plenty of peanuts, shredded ginger and holy basil further adding complexity to the palate, the quail is much more tender than the more commonly seen dish with duck. Very nice.

The seventh course is Stir Fried Seasonal Thai Greens with Garlic. The young asparagus is very tender, and I like the chef had used shrimp paste to cook the dish, giving a nice savory taste to the vegetable and the bean curd. Another dish that goes very well with steamed rice, easily making finish the serving in no time.

Coming to the dessert, the Chef's Selection include a piece of pickled mandarin, mango and sticky rice, custard cake, and crispy sesame biscuit. All of them tastes good, but the most memorable piece is the sesame biscuit. Very crispy on texture, it has a nice sesame taste which is a wonderful snack all by itself. If you can order this separately, it is a must-try.

Service is good, with the staff attentive and friendly. The choice of wine is also nice, with some interesting choices. It is not easy to pair wines with Thai cuisine because of the spicy and complexity of the herbs, but I found the sweet Riesling and the Chateauneuf-du-Pape also did not make the spicy dish unbearable. 

The bill was $2,185 which is reasonable in my opinion considering the overall experience. If weather permits, probably would be good to book your table on the balcony to enjoy a nice dinner with a good view of the activities in Tai Kwun, with the sparkling jewel of Central as the background.