Wineshark HK Restaurant Review - Kontrasto

This Italian restaurant is located on Hollywood Road, Central, right opposite Tai Kun, on the street level of Chinachem Hollywood Centre, under the helm of Chef Fabiano Palombini who is born and raised in Abruzzo, with experience in many Michelin-starred restaurants all over the world before coming to HK.

After going through the glass sliding door, the staff greeted us and showed us to our table. The restaurant is small, with only five tables and a private room, looking into the open kitchen where Chef Fabiano and his team are busy in preparation. The setting is comfortable with an elegant vibe. 

We have pre-ordered the 8-course tasting menu ($1,680), and I also opt for wine-pairing ($960). The Breadbasket with five types of bread soon arrives, and the staff shows us the four olive oils available, coming from different regions. The breads are really good, with different taste and texture, and I have to restrain myself not finishing all as I know there will be no room for the coming courses otherwise.

The Amuse Bouche is frankly one of the widest in variety I have seen in HK, with six pieces in total. The first piece is an interesting Fish Cracker. Made into the shape of fish bones, the two pieces of crispy cracker has a light seaweed butter sandwiched in between. Fun and creative.

The second piece is Beetroot Tart, with the tart of perfect size, thin and crispy. The beetroot has been finely diced, pickled briefly with a nice vinaigrette to add a refreshing acidity, plus some dill to enhance the fragrance even further. Appetizing. 

On the long plate there are three other pieces, including a Chickpea Polenta with Iberico Ham on top, a Thin Crisp with Brown Button Mushroom Duxelles, and a Parmesan Croquette. All of them are delicious, with increasingly richer savoury elements to get our palate ready. Fancy and wonderful. 

The last piece is Black Squid Ink Sponge with Firefly Squid, Pickled Salmon Roes with a dash of Horseradish. The sponge is fluffy, with the small yet intensely flavoured firefly squid and the salmon roes giving a burst of amazing umami enjoyment. My favourite among the amuse bouche.

The menu starts with Cuttlefish from Adriatic Sea. The presentation immediately brings an exclamation as it is so amazing. On a smooth green peas puree, which has been mixed with seaweed butter, are the diced, sou vided cuttlefish, so that it did not lose the translucency and soft bite. Decorating but also adding to the flavours are small mint leaves, fresh poppy green peas, and some elderflowers. Perfect score on both appearance and taste, simply fantastic. 

The first wine paired is Majolini Brut, a sparkling made using traditional method from the famous region of Franciacorta in Italy. The dryness of the wine, with good acidity and refreshing palate of lemon zest and delicate yeast note, does not feel out of place with the unique flavours of green peas.

The second course features Veal Tripe. As recommended, we break the parmesan cracker on top to small pieces to mix up with the veal tripe, which are cut into very small pieces, cooked with Piennolo tomatoes and garden herbs to great tenderness and in no way rubbery. The outstandingly delicious taste of the tomato, with the fragrance from the herbs, the cracker to add savoury taste, makes this another wonderful dish. Continually amazing.

The wine paired is a rose, Rivera Pungirosa, from Castel del Monte DOCG and made from a local varietal called Bombino Nero. The wine is very light with a hint of strawberry, and while it has good acidity and refreshing, I do not feel there are sufficient flavours to match with the intense taste of the dish, virtually making the wine feel just like water. Probably a more intense rose will do better. 

The third course, Fusillo, begins a trio of pasta dishes. Featuring egg white fusillone, a type of pasta pieces with the form of short spirals. The chef has creatively used egg white to increase the chewy texture of the pasta, and coated them with a rich, creamy buffalo butter, then adding small pieces of smoked anchovy on top, supplementing the pasta with delicious savoury but not overly salty. The portion size is also just right. Very good.

The wine paired is Principe Pallavicini Roma DOC. The winery is located very near to Italy’s capital Rome, with the wine made from 100% Malvasia Punitinata. It has fuller body, nice minerality and riper fruit of melon notes. Good match with the pasta. 

The fourth course Virtu is in my opinion the highlight of the three pastas. Taking the idea of a tradition in Abruzzo where the locals will make great dishes from ingredients cleared out from the storeroom to prepare for next harvest, this dish is a mix of different pasta, using different seafood and other ingredients to prepare a sauce. The premium seafood including scallop, octopus, shrimp, red prawn, and lobster, are presented separately on another plate, together with different sauces. 

The pasta is then scooped onto the plate, warming the seafood, and mixing with the sauce to enjoy. Great complexity, super delicious, the al dente texture of the different pasta also means that the chef has taken attention to separately prepare each one of them, as the pasta will cook in different time. The sauce is so good that I use the bread to finish sopping up all remaining, what in Italy called scarpetta. Incredible. 

The wine paired is Heinrich Mayr Nusserhof Elda Vino Rosso. Made from indigenous varieties, the wine is certified organic, with plenty of nice red fruit characters, herbs, leather, and a bit of smokiness, going surprisingly well with the pasta even though there are much seafood included, contrary to the traditional belief of red wine not good match with such. 

The fifth course is Spaghettone, prepared in gricia style. The pasta looks like spaghetti but have a thicker diameter. Made from Pecorino Romano, an aromatic salty cheese, the sauce sticks well to the pasta which makes it moist but not runny. The guanciale, or cured pork jowl, on top further adds a layer of savoury taste, with some black pepper also for seasoning. Definitely salty, if on its own it can be a bit overpowering, but the wine paired did help to mellow it. This one can be polarizing but I like it. 

The wine paired is an orange wine, Alois Lageder Porer, made from Pinot Grigio. It is a special blend, with one part of the grapes freshly pressed, one with skin contact for 15 hours, and the rest with stem and skins for about one year. The wine has a light tannin, which helps to make the pasta rounder on the mouthfeel and reduce the saltiness of the pasta. An interesting match which works well. 

Coming to the main course, the sixth course features Sea Bream. The wild pink sea bream comes from Hokkaido, nicely seared on the skin while keeping the flesh moist, seasoned beautifully. On the side is wild asparagus and greens, tender and without any fiber. The Mediterranean sauce, with its good combination of sweet and savoury flavours, wraps it all up. It might look easy yet is a perfect example of a true test of the chef’s skills and quality of the ingredients, as any imperfection cannot be hidden.

The wine paired comes from Sicily. The red wine Aetneus Etna Rosso is produced by I Custodi delle vigne dell’Etna, made from local varieties, a more easy-to-drink style than many of the wines coming from this region, with nice cherry and raspberry characters reminded me a bit on some Bourgogne. Another interesting, non-traditional pairing with the white-fleshed fish.

The seventh course features Tenderloin. The Black Market beef is cooked to perfect medium rare, very juicy on the inside while have nice caramelized surface. The chef has prepared a bagna cauda on the beef in lieu of seasoning, with kohlrabi puree, bull leaf and wild asparagus on the side. My wife has opted for Wagyu ($380 supplement), with the Kuromame A5 beef having a nice, but not excessive, marble. While the wagyu has a richer taste, personally, I still prefer the tenderloin as I like my beef leaner. 

The wine paired is Poliziano ‘In Violas’ Cortona. A Super-Tuscan wine that has been made with 100% Merlot, the wine has been aged in barrel for over two and a half years before release. Powerful and full-bodied, showing plenty of the ripe black fruit, nice chocolate, with other robust characters, the wine is a perfect match with the beef. 

The eighth and final course features Amalfi. Another dish that brings a wow to us, as they resemble mini-Amalfi lemons. Using the lemon to make a crema, it is then encased by a thin layer of white chocolate in the shape of the lemon, with the lemon zest coating on the surface. To complement are some basil cream which gives freshness and herbal notes, as well as the lemon extractions for refreshing acidity. Pleasing in appearance and good in taste, another must try. 

The wine paired is Quinta da Romaneira 10 Year Old Tawny Port. Not too sweet, the tawny port is smooth and mellow, with nice, dried fruit characters as well as good nuttiness. Pairing with the sharper taste of the Amalfi lemon it does not feel awkward and out of place.

The Petits Fours include an Earl Grey Tart, with torching on top to achieve caramelization; a Strawberry Puff with mascarpone cream; a Hazelnut Dark Chocolate; and a Cannoli filled with ricotta, with candied lemon on the side. All are good in taste, but I would pick the puff as my favourite, as it has a nice balance of the sweet mascarpone with the sourness of the strawberry on the puff. And with a cup of espresso it is the perfect finale to this amazing dinner.

The service is very nice, with the staff friendly and able to elaborate the different dishes for us to learn more the specifics and some of the stories behind. The sommelier is also knowledgeable with interesting matching. The bill on the night is $5,417 with also the bottled water and two cups of coffee in the end. A comfortable and relaxing place to enjoy a wonderful Italian meal. Highly recommend.

Wineshark HK Restaurant Review - Sushi Kawa 鮨川

Sushi Kawa is located at 17/F Aura on Pennington in Causeway Bay, with also a few other sushi restaurants in the same building. On the eve before Father’s Day, it is surprisingly quiet, with only four customers including us sitting at the counter. As a result, on the night Chef Kit has his full focus looking after us. 

The restaurant has a U-shaped stone sushi counter, with some curvy partition walls and ceiling decorations, offering a more contemporary ambience. There are also a few tables on the side as well as some VIP rooms. 

We have ordered the Kawa Set ($1,880 each) and the first course is the appetizers, including Mozuku 水雲 from Okinawa, with the sea moss marinated in a refreshing peach vinegar; Kurumi Kounago 胡桃 小女子, with the deep-fried young sand lance cooked in sweet savoury sauce along with walnut, a perfect snack for beer or sake; and Mame-Aji 豆あじ, where the deep-fried baby horse mackerels are tender, edible for the whole from head to tail, and very delicious in taste.

The second course is Hiramasa 平政. In fact, it is yellowtail amberjack, but the name denotes those caught in Jun and having a leaner texture. With a touch of wasabi and shoyu, the firm flesh has a nice umami and sweetness, very tasty.

The third course is Magaki 真牡蠣, coming from Iwate Yonesakicho. The plump oyster has a crunchy texture on the skirt, which is pleasant and sweet in taste, and the chef has added a bit of red wine jelly which gives a hint of acidity as condiment. 

The fourth course is Mirugai 海松貝 from Aichi. The white geoduck has very sweet and umami flavours, crunchy texture, and paired with shiso flowers and homemade vinegar jelly to give additional fragrance and freshness to enhance the overall enjoyment.

The fifth course is live Murasaki-Uni 紫海胆 from Hokkaido. After opening and cleaning the sea urchin, the chef also put Shiro-Ebi 白海老 inside with Ikura 筋子 on top. The sea urchin apparently is very fresh, complemented with the sweet baby white shrimp from Toyama, with the marinated salmon roes further enriching the taste with savoury flavours. The mix of all the components is a feast of delights.

The sixth course is Chu-Toro 中とろ, with the chef having smoked it briefly. Scattered with some deep-fried leek on top, including a bit of caviar to decorate. Underneath is a special yuzu miso paste which added a bit of sweetness and savoury to combine with the rich taste of the medium fatty tuna, and I also like the smoky note, which is delicate and not overpowering. 

The seventh course is Hotategai 帆立貝, and the chef has coated the large scallop with breadcrumbs before deep-frying, and then wrapped in a nori sheet with some homemade tartar sauce to season. The sweetness is phenomenal, and it is a good example often the cooked seafood tastes even better than raw.

The eighth course is Ankimo 鮟肝. The monkfish liver is huge in size and seeing the chef cutting out thick pieces my mouth started watering. Cooked well with a pinkish red inside, the texture is silky soft and melting in the mouth, with a bit of sesame and scallions on top to season.

The ninth course is the seasonal 白いトウモロコシ from Hokkaido. This breed of white corn, called ‘Pure White’ can be edible raw and is very sweet and juicy, crunchy on texture, helping to cleanse and freshen up the palate before the next dish. 

The tenth course features Isa-Ebi 伊勢海老, with the chef using the shell of the lobster to make the soup in western style, which has intense flavours, and then deep-frying the pieces of lobster meat to serve on the side. The soup is flavourful, with a bit of cream added to make it velvet on texture. 

Transitioning to the sushi part of the dinner, the first is Kinmedai 金目鯛 from Chiba. The splendid alfonsino has a nice smooth silky mouthfeel, with good amount of fish oil and umami taste. 

The second piece is Same-karei 鮫鰈. The shark flounder has amazing texture, with the chef cutting the skirt, or engawa, and torching it to burst with fish oil before placing on top of the flesh, infusing the fragrance and flavours to the sushi. Amazing.

The third piece is Kegani 毛蟹. The chef has meticulously removed the meat from the horsehair crab before mixing with some sauce to make the sushi. Sweet and delicious, what is more appealing is that he takes a live small crab to deep-fry, and then putting it on the side as an edible garnish. Very IG-able. 

The fourth piece is Akagai 赤貝 from Ehime. The ark shell is one of my favourites in the evening, very large in size and with a wonderful umami taste, crunchy on the texture, season with a bit of yuzu salt and yuzu juice. 

The fifth piece is Akami Zuke 赤身. The chef has marinated the lean tuna in a special garlic shoyu for a brief while, to add a hint of garlic note to the tuna. With a bit of yuzu shavings to freshen the palate, I applaud the chef for daring to make this creative twist on the choice of shoyu to good effect.

The sixth piece is Akamutsu 赤鯥. The rosy seabass has a lot of fish oil, which glistens brightly after the chef has torched it. The high fragrance and soft texture is certainly appealing, but it is also heavy and cannot have too many pieces.

The seventh piece is O-Toro 大とろ. Having aged for one week, the chef cuts the surface to break the sinews, then uses a piece of charcoal to lightly burn the surface of the fatty tuna, with the soft and melting in mouth texture memorable.

The eighth piece is Uni 海胆, and the chef again shows his creativity, using a cod fish cracker that has been made to a ice-cream cone, stuffing the shari and then the sea urchin on top. The more creamy texture and richer flavours indicate the higher quality of the sea urchin compared with what we tasted earlier.

The ninth and last piece is Awabi 鮑. The abalone comes from South Africa and has been steamed and braised beautifully, before serving with the liver sauce. The shari is able to scoop up the remaining of the sauce, with the taste of abalone really delicious.

The Fish Soup is very hot, which is what I like, with intense flavours apparently coming from the large amounts of fish head and bones used to prepare the soup, providing a comfortable warmth to the stomach to wrap up the meal.

Dessert is Fresh Melon, with the fruit juicy and sweet. Delicious. 

Service is good, and as the chef only serves us this evening, we get his full attention throughout. The bill is $3,196 which is surprisingly cheap because the restaurant is actually doing a special discount to celebrate their fifth year in business, offering the second customer a 50% off. Definitely good deal and worth coming.  

Wineshark HK Restaurant Review - Jade

Staying at The Fullerton Ocean Park Hotel for a much-needed break, I decide to just have all my meals inside the hotel, to enjoy some quiet time and not going out. After having lunch at Satay Inn, for dinner I have picked Jade, the Cantonese restaurant under the helm of Michelin-starred Chef Lai Ching Shing. 

The restaurant enjoys a panoramic view of the beautiful sea and islands, with a glimpse of the Ocean Park rides up the hill. The luxurious comfort and soft lighting, with good distance between tables, offer a relaxing and cozy ambience for enjoying dinner with a scenic, fantastic backdrop.

I order a bottle of Chateau La Nerthe Blanc 2019 ($1,100) to pair with the food on the night, with delicate floral and pear aromas, as well as some sweet spice on the background. A white wine that provides refreshing palate to go well with seafood and chicken, which are the main choices I order on the night.

The appetizer is Chilled Fresh Abalone with Chinese Rose Wine ($138 each). Fantastic in presentation, the abalone is placed on a glass container, with mist seeping out after the staff pours water on the dry ice. The abalone is flavourful, with a touch of the rose wine but not overpowering the taste. The texture of the abalone can be a bit softer for my preference, but still a good starter. 

Next is Baked Crab Shell Stuffed with Fresh Crab Meat and Onion ($268 each). Put on a crab-shaped holder, the crab shell is baked to appealing golden brown colour, with generous stuffing of delicate and sweet crab meat. In fact, the amount of onion is far less than most other restaurants, with the creamy sauce and cheese rich and indulgent in taste. 

We have each ordered our soup, with me going for Double-Boiled Fish Soup with Fish Maw, Spotted Garoupa Fillet and Scallop ($238). The premium ingredients are obviously appealing, but it is the soup itself I focus more. It is a bit less intense in flavours than I would hope, and I also prefer the soup to be steaming hot. Not bad overall, just I got a higher expectation knowing it is a signature dish. 

My wife has the Double-Boiled Sea Whelk Soup with Snow Lotus Seed ($198). A clear broth with nice umami notes from the sea whelk, sweet in taste from apparently a lot of pork loin used to prepare the soup. The snow lotus seeds have a lot of good medicinal benefits too. The better of the two soups in my opinion.

For the main course we have Braised Chicken with Fish Maw in Superior Broth ($888), a twist from a famous dish but replacing Chinese ham with fish maw. The chicken is tender and marinated nicely, unfortunately the fish maw is rather bland in taste. Like the fish soup, this dish has premium ingredients but perhaps combining the lighter flavours of chicken and fish maw is not the best option.

The other main course is Wok-Fried Sustainable Giant Garoupa Fillet with Mushroom in Hot Pot ($498). Served in a sizzling hot clay pot, the fish fillet is meaty and good in taste, with plenty of shallot, scallions, and ginger to bring forth nice aromas and flavours. The mushrooms have absorbed the essences and are tasty as well. 

For dessert, I have Deep-Fried Sesame Balls Stuffed with Egg Custard ($68), with the sesame balls having an appealing golden colour. The texture is also great, with a bit crunchiness on the surface but softer inside. The runny fillings of egg custard are of the right sweetness, with delicious flavours. A very nice dim sum in which I end up finishing all the three pieces by myself.  

My wife has the Sweetened Red Bean Soup with Mandarin Peel ($68). Another traditional dessert, the red bean soup is appropriate in sweetness, with the mandarin peel highly fragrant and overall, a nice wrap up of the dinner. 

Service is very good, with the staff attentive and friendly. Another highlight is that the restaurant has nice assortment of tea, with each diner able to pick their own choice. The quality of the tea is one of the best in my opinion. The bill on the night is $4,407 and while it might look a bit on the high side, we did have quite many dishes with premium ingredients. A good choice if you stay in the hotel.