Since Eighteen Sharp has closed, we have not been able to try Chef Chan’s dishes. It was a pleasant surprise when he contacted me, letting me know he now works at this newly open restaurant, on Winland Square on Hennessy Road.
With two large VIP rooms offering its own private washroom and also sofa and TV, allowing customers to have private party, the main dining section is also very beautifully designed, with nice murals on the partition walls, lush carpet, and comfortable tables spaciously separated.
We let Chef Chan decides on the menu ($888 each), and he prepares an appetizer comprising of three items. On the right is Japanese Egg with Runny Yolk, with a bit of aged Chinese yellow wine and caviar. In the middle is Cherry Tomato, with a refreshing lychee flavour. On the left is Stuffed Chicken Wing with Mushrooms, beautifully deep-fried to golden brown with a bit of yuzu balsamic vinegar to pair. All are delicious but I will pick the chicken wing as my favourite.
The second course is Deep-Fried Pigeon with Lotus Root in Pineapple Puree. The 10-day baby pigeon has been prepared for several days, first marinated with Shaoxing wine for one day, followed by Rose wine for second day. On the third and fourth day it is soaked in ginseng water, before doing the final step with marinade and malt vinegar mixture to colour the skin. Nicely deep-fried with crispy skin and juicy meat of complex flavours, this is one of the best pigeons I have eaten. The lotus root and pineapple puree help to freshen up the palate afterwards. On the side are some deep-fried, finely shredded sweet potatoes that are very tasty as well.
The third course is Double-Boiled Sea Conch Soup. The soup is prepared with plenty of prawn heads, then double-boiled with sea conch for eight hours. Afterwards the soup is added with honeydew melon to double boil for an additional four hours. The soup is very intense in flavours, rich with umami, and the chef is also particular in the serving temperature, requiring it to be steaming hot, so having a tealight to keep the temperature of the bowl throughout. Really fantastic in taste.
The fourth course is Pan-Fried Large Prawn, with the chef using a fusion approach to prepare a sauce with French mustard, lemon, and butter. Perhaps due to the lemon leaves put underneath, the flavours remind me a bit on the Thai tom yum. The prawn is sweet in taste, going well with the sauce. The deep-fried shredded sweet potatoes are available again, good in soaking up the remaining sauce.
The fifth course is a vegetarian dish. The Fresh Snow Fungus in Pumpkin Puree is also my favourite dish in the evening. The silky tender texture of the steamed snow fungus, while on itself has not much flavour, is great in taste when mixed with the pumpkin puree, which has also been mixed with soymilk and a bit of truffle oil. For the spinach, the chef has deliberately retained its root, where it has been meticulously cleaned, as it is high in nutritional value. With a few wolfberries and some gold flakes to decorate, it is a dish winning high marks in both appearance and taste.
The sixth course is Baked Iberico Pork with Mixed Herbs Sauce. The large piece of pork is carved on tableside, with the thickly sliced meat juicy and tender, while having a crusty, caramelized surface from the baking. The sauce is prepared with mixed herbs and a salad sauce to give a bit of acidity to freshen up the palate. A very generous portion which for even big eaters like us we can barely finish all.
The seventh course is Abalone Rice, with the chef first steaming the Japanese rice, then adding with some broth to stir-fry, along with some jicama to give a bit of crunchy texture. Mixed with abalone sauce and adding with some shredded abalone on top, it is a satisfying finish to the savoury dishes before going to the desserts.
The eighth course is Winter Melon Paste with Rose and Walnut. The chef carves out the meat of the small water melon and blend to form a paste, and then prepares a rose essence to add to the paste. Creamy and smooth, there are pieces of walnut to have a contrast in texture, with some finely chopped dried rose sprinkled as well. It is of low sweetness to adjust to the taste buds of people nowadays.
The ninth and final course is Butterfly Pea Flower Pudding and Sesame Pineapple Pastry. The former has two layers, with the top showing the beautiful purplish hue from the butterfly pea flower, while the lower is the coconut cream pudding, with ginger juice added to give a bit of spiciness and fragrance. Delicious. The latter has the fillings made with fresh pineapple and pineapple paste, to balance the sweetness, with the pastry fluffy. Both desserts are very good.
Wrapping up we have a glass of Sparkling Cold-Brewed Tea, highly refreshing with a bit of citrus to cleanse the palate. Service is very good, with Chef Chan coming out often to interact with us, explaining the dishes in details. The bill on the night is $2,017 which is very good value for money. I look forward to returning for try its dim sum at lunch also.
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