Wineshark HK Restaurant Review - Yuan 圓

Located on Hollywood Road, this modern Chinese vegetarian restaurant, under Executive Chef Ronald Shao, brings the customers to discover the plant-based ingredients and how they can create dishes that are exceptional in taste and finesse, in a fine-dining format.

With light-colour tone and good lighting, the overall ambience is comfortable and relaxing. The open kitchen on one side allows diners to see the team in action. We are seated at a corner facing the street to enjoy some good privacy throughout our dinner.

Picking the 12-course menu ($1,280), the staff brings us some complimentary condiments to start, which include pecans, pickled cabbage, and seaweed flavoured cashew nuts. Perfect snacks to enjoy throughout the meal.

I order a bottle of Sparkling Yuzu Genmaicha ($288) which is locally made. Highly refreshing, the sparkling tea has nice yuzu notes while the Japanese brown rice green tea is mild and have a slight nutty flavour.

The start of the dinner is a welcome drink, the five green juice, which is a healthy cocktail made from blending bitter melon, celery, cucumber, kale, and green apple. Seasoned just right, it is not too sweet or green in taste, smooth and delicious.

The first amuse bouche is a Crisp Cone with some Chinese Celery, Dried Egg Curd, and Shimeji Mushroom stuffed in. The different components provide contrast in texture and flavours, with the overall a nice combination of delights.

The second amuse bouche features Chinese Bun, which is made to a spiral beehive shape. One of them is steamed while the other is deep-fried. Paired with Olive Vegetables dip, the savoury taste of the dip is so fantastic I end up putting the whole bun in to savour the last drop of it.

Coming to the appetizer, the first is a salad made from Pomelo, Tricolour Quinoa, and Tomatoes, putting on top of a rice crisp seasoned with some seaweed powder. The sweetness of the pomelo balances with the acidity of tomatoes, with the texture of the quinoa a nice contrast with the crisp.

The other appetizer features the Pickled Carrot, Celtuce, Daikon, and Watermelon Radish, thinly sliced and folded in a colourful presentation, with some Rattan Papper and Maltose powder on the side to give a bit of spicy note to complement. Refreshing and appealing on the flavours.

The Entrée reminds me of the salty soymilk for breakfast, with the chef adding some thinly sliced Chinese Fried-Dough to the soft Homemade Tofu, with some Pickled Vegetable to give a bit of crunchy bite and flavours. The final touch of a foam made from soy sauce gives some savoury and salty taste.

The other entrée features Pomelo Peel, which has been deep-fried, and paired with a Sweet & Sour Plum sauce. On the side is the Prickly Waterlily, with a bit of spicy taste, and mustard leaf, plus some black olives puree. A good mix of the different taste makes this a complex but enjoyable dish.

The Soup is made by blending Watercress with some cashew nuts to form a thick mouthfeel, with some Peach Gum added for both its health and texture. On the side is a Yogurt Cracker with some Seasonal Fruits, a bit out of place with the soup but I rather like that.

Coming to the main dish, Preserved Watermelon wrapping some shredded cucumber inside, with Saffron on top. In the middle is the Hmong Red Soup, showing some exotic spice and flavours, while there are some different colour cauliflowers and a piece of potato on the side.

The other main dish features different mushrooms. The Button Mushroom has some white miso added to provide savoury taste, while the Baked Portobello Mushroom is stuffed with oyster and morel mushroom, with some cheddar and mozzarella cheese on the surface. The last one is White Ferula Mushroom with some tamarind paste. My favourite on the evening, each mushroom has its unique taste and texture, delicious to the full extent.

Another Palate Cleanser, the Fresh Fennel and Citrus Jelly is a true piece of arts. Inside the translucent agar agar jelly are pieces of grapefruit, with some fresh fennel as well, further decorated with some edible flowers and greens. Refreshing and helps to prepare our palate for the next course.

The other main course features Fried Tofu, with some Gum Karaya on top, which is similar to bird’s nest in texture and taste. On the side, in a rainbow shape, is a layered zucchini pumpkin. Paired with a Chili Tomato Sauce, really delicious with each ingredients harmonized and showcased. Another of my favourite dish in the evening.

For the Staple Food, it is Chestnut and Multigrain Rice, with great flavours from the sauce, dates and tangerine peel and mushroom added to the rice, and the chef also added some crispy rice made from quinoa to increase the complexity in texture. It is so good I wish I can ask for a refill.

The Dessert is another wonderful creation by the chef, highlighting different combinations of ingredients and cooking techniques. The 9 Sweet Grid include dragon fruit in green grape juice, pumpkin in sweet osmanthus, aged tangerine peel and red bean cake, pear in elderflower, grapefruit and strawberry chewy candy, Chinese pea cake, chestnut coffee, coconut milk taro cake, and blackcurrant truffle chocolate. An indulgent treat.

The last serving is Chinese Dessert Tea, with red date, wolfberries, longan and diced pear. The tea is not too sweet, with the warmth providing a soothing sensation to the stomach, wrapping up a wonderful and contented meal, with a good sense of health and comfort.

Service is very good, with the staff very friendly and happy to share the ingredients of the dishes. The bill on the night is $3,230 and considering the food quality, ambience of the dining, and the overall experience, it is a place I highly recommend for people who want to try vegetarian fine dining.