Wineshark HK Restaurant Review - Yue 悅

This Cantonese restaurant is under the LUBUDS Group, located on the 13^th floor of Times Square, the same floor with the cinema. Coming for dinner on the 1 July public holiday, we are the first group of customers, with the staff leading us to a spacious table.

The setting is neat and comfortable, with stained glass panels on the window side and soft lighting to give a cozy and warmth ambience. The table can accommodate four people, so we are seated comfortably, browsing the menu, and checking the chef’s signature dishes.

The appetizer is Pickled Guava ($28), with slices of the fruit marinated together with preserved plum. The balance of sweet and sour is good, with the plum notes matching well with guava, making this starter appetizing and unstoppable.

The first course is Chilled Giant Mantis Shrimp with Grilled Green Chili Paste ($598). The shell of the big mantis shrimp has been removed, so we can enjoy the meaty flesh on each bite. The taste is full of umami sweetness, but the highlight is definitely the chili paste, with a nice hotness stimulating the palate but not excessive. A wonderful start.

My wife has Double-Boiled Francolin Soup with Salted Kumquat Fritillary Bulb & Fish Maw ($268). The soup is steaming hot, clear and without any single drop of oil, with the francolin meat cut into small cubes to extract the flavours. The kumquat has the medicinal property to smooth the throat, while the fish maw is rich in collagen. The soup is delicious and healthy.

For the main dishes, we pick Sweet & Sour Pork in Aged Vinegar ($268). The bite-sized pork is deep-fried, retaining a crunchy surface while the meat has not dried out. The sauce has a rich aged vinegar taste, and is highly complementary with the black garlic, fig, and bell peppers. I would prefer the sauce to be a bit sourer to make it even more appetizing.

Another signature of the chef is Braised Beef Brisket & Tendon with Preserved Vegetables in Hakka Style ($488). Served in a sizzling hot clay pot, the beef brisket has been braised sufficiently to make it very tender, while the tendon is essentially melting in the mouth. The soup is tasty, and I also like the addition of some lotus roots to give a contrast in texture.

The Stir-Fried Frog Leg with Ginger & Scallion ($388) is the other dish we have. The frog legs are seasoned well, using plenty of ginger, scallion, and shallot to stir-fry to give a nice fragrance and taste. On the side are some crispy deep-fried pork belly slices, adding an extra layer of savoury delicacy.

The staff has offered us complimentary Black Glutinous Rice Soup for dessert. Not too sweet, there are also sago added in the soup as well. A nice completion for a full dinner.

Service is good, with the staff attentive and friendly. But like almost all Chinese restaurant, there is very little interactions with customers, and no introduction of the dishes whatsoever. The bill on the night is $2,363 and it is a bit on the high side, but considering the quality of the food and the restaurant setting, it is still a place to enjoy some nice Cantonese food in Causeway Bay.