Wineshark HK Restaurant Review - Hue Dining

This week’s bad weather caused many people to stay home but did not stop us from our routine of restaurant hunting. Today we visited Hue Dining, located on the first floor of the HK Museum of Art in TST, which offers contemporary Australian cuisine.

Seated at one of the comfortable leather banquettes, with a fantastic view looking out at the Victoria Harbour and the HK Island skylines as backdrop, I like the design of raising the height of the booth, so the view is not blocked by the other rows of tables in front. There are plenty of art and design elements featured too, creating a nice environment integrating art into the dining experience.

Ordering a Pearl White Colada ($120) to start, the cocktail is an interesting concoction of clarified pina colada coconut milk punch, mixed with champagne. While the appearance looks no different than a glass of sparkling wine, there are the coconut milk flavours with a bit of sweetness to balance the acidity of the champagne. Quite a nice one.

We decided to have the Tasting Menu ($950), featuring six courses. The first serving was Smoked Japanese Hamachi, with the amberjack sashimi only lightly smoked so could barely detect the aroma. The taste however was very bland and could use more seasoning. The dill oil and crème fraiche added some fragrance and a touch of creamy sourness, while the pickled cucumber helped to increase the appetite.

The second course was Courgette. My favorite on the evening, the zucchini was roasted beautifully, having a good bite and not dry out. And served on top was some Feta crumble and olive fondue, sprinkled with Vadouvan curry and Dukkah, a Middle East mix of herbs, nuts, and spices. The complexity in flavours from the different elements was harmonious. Very delicious and recommended to try.

The third course was Sea Bass. The fish fillet was seasoned well, with the skin slightly crisp. The Jerusalem artichokes underneath was a pleasant surprise, nice on the bite and taste. The chef had added some celery mayonnaise and cashew cream on the side for condiment to enhance the complexity in flavours, with also some truffles scattered on top.

The fourth course was Foie Gras Duck Terrine. The terrine had a good mix of soft foie gras and firm duck meat, a good contrast in texture. On the side the port jelly, with the sweetness and savoury note, was nicely complementary in taste, while the pickled pear and radishes serving as a good cleansing and balancing component with the richness of the terrine. The vanilla mustard provided a touch of spicy seasoning as well.

There was a choice in the main course, with both of us picking Blue Lobster Tail. The lobster was from Brittany, with the chef cooked just briefly to maintain its sweetness. The tomato tartar was refreshing, but I found there was a bit of fishy note in the taste. The garlic cream was not strong and delicate in flavours. There were also some crisp rice crackers, which was to pair with the XO sauce. Not bad on its own but was not really in tune with the lobster in my opinion.

For dessert I have picked the Selection of Three Cheese. I like the restaurant having a range of cheese to choose from, with me having Fleur de Marquis, Munster with Cumin, and Comte. The first one was semi-soft sheep cheese, with a relatively mild taste and some herbs and nutty note. The Munster had been coated with cumin, with a more pronounced herbal note on top of the savoury taste, while the Comte had the traditional smoky and salty flavours.

Service was good, with the staff attentive and courteous, but I think they could explain in more details the different courses so diners could appreciate and enjoy more. The bill was $2,310 and, in my opinion, quite reasonable. While the food might not be exactly taking your breath away, the view and the ambience with the art décor made this a good spot for date.