Wineshark Weekend Cooking - Stir-fried Cantonese Preserved Meat with Snow Peas and Chinese Celery 荷芹炒臘味

Ingredients (for 4):

• Snow peas - 1/2 catty
• Chinese celery - 1 sprig
• Dried salted radish - 1 tael
• Preserved meat - 1/4 strip
• Chinese sausage - 1
• Ginger - 1 slice
• Sugar - 1/2 tsp
• Salt - 1/2 tsp

Procedures:

1. Wash the preserved meat and Chinese sausage. Steam until fully cooked.

2. Cut the preserved meat and Chinese sausage into slices.

3. Cut the dried salted radish into thin strips.

4. Break the Chinese celery and remove the fibres. Cut into sections.

5. Wash the snow peas and remove the hard edge right before cooking.

6. Heat the wok with oil, then add in the ginger until the ginger starts to darken.

7. Add in the preserved meat and Chinese sausage to continue stir-fry.

8. Add in the snow peas and dried salted radish, continue to stir fry. 

9. Season with sugar and salt.

10. Turn off the heat and add in the Chinese celery to continue stir-fry.

11. Serve.

Wineshark HK Restaurant Review - Golden Bauhinia Sang Kee 金紫荊生記粤菜廳

This Cantonese restaurant is located in the new wing of HKCEC, under the famous local restaurant of the same name which has been operated in Wanchai for many years, but this one is targeting customers who would like to experience traditional Cantonese cuisine in a more up-scaled environment.

We are seated at a table on the window side, looking out to the waterfront promenade and TST on the opposite side of the harbour in the background. With high ceiling and nice decoration, it certainly has a big contrast with the more rudimentary, neighbourhood ambience of Sang Kee.

We start with BBQ Iberico Pork 焦糖伊比利亞黑毛豬叉燒 ($288). Served on a tray heated by tealight, the char siu is very tender, with the optimal balance of fatty and lean meat, and also very good in taste from the complex flavours of the marinade. Another highlight is the oyster sauce soybeans on the side which has become such a rarity nowadays. One of the best char siu I have for a long while.

Both of us order a soup, with my wife going for Double Boiled Pork Lung Soup with Fresh Grounded Almond Juice 龍皇杏汁燉白肺 ($148). The soup is heated on tealight to keep its temperature, and very rich with the almond flavours. The pork lung has also been cleaned thoroughly, without any weird taste. Very delicious.

I have picked Hot & Sour Soup with Shrimps and Scallops 鮮蝦帶子酸辣羹 ($138). While the soup has the right level of spicy and sourness, as well as plenty of shrimps and scallops, and other delicacies like fish maw, I do not like the taste of the soup and not sure where it goes wrong. Perhaps some of the fish maw has gone rancid?

Next is Baked Taishan Oysters in Clay Pot 醬香砂鍋焗台山蠔 ($338). Opening the lid brings forth many nice aromas, with the chef using plenty of shallot, garlic, and ginger as the base, before adding a mix of sauces to cook the plummy oysters, paying attention not to over-cook so the oysters retain good texture. The portion size is also generous with a decent number of oysters.

Finally, it is Stir-fried Australian Lobster with Shingled Hedgehog 虎掌菌炒鮮拆澳洲龍蝦球 ($888). The lobster is great in quality, meaty and with a sweet, clean taste. The chef has added some tender asparagus and shingled hedgehog, a type of fungus with a slightly bitter taste. Another wonderful dish that has highlighted the quality of the ingredients to the max.

The staff is friendly and provides us the complimentary Red Bean Soup for dessert. We both like it as the red beans are not over-boiled so there are still some bites, with a bit of dried tangerine peel to increase the aromas, and overall, not too sweet. A good finale to the dinner.

The bill on the night is $2,028 and considering the overall experience, quality of food and service, this is a good restaurant for tourists and locals to try some authentic and labour-intensive Cantonese cuisine. Some of the dishes have to be order in advance, and do ask to book the tables on the window side beforehand to enjoy the best view.

Wineshark HK Restaurant Review - Mike’s Chicken Comida de Portugal

This restaurant is under Portuguese chef and owner Michael Franco, dedicated to bring authentic Portuguese family cuisine to the HK people. The restaurant first started in Sai Kung, and with the success and popularity, he has moved to TST, and recently relocated to the current location at Pine Tree Hill Road, very easy to find with its eye-catching green and white-coloured entrance.

The interior is family-style, with tables on both sides, and a large TV in the middle showing the interviews of Michael. On the walls there are many photos displaying him with celebrities, Portuguese government officials and consulates, showing how well connected he is in the local Portuguese community.

We start with the signature Portuguese snack, Bolinhos de Bacalhau 傳統馬介休球 ($48). The traditional salted cod fritters have a soft crust and not oily, with the fillings having a nice delicate savoury taste and not overly salty.

Next, we have the Caldo Verde 葡式薯仔菜湯 ($55) to share. The Portuguese green soup is made with potato and kale, very healthy and nourishing. However, it is totally bland in taste and I guess the chef may have forgotten to season. 

Fortunately, the Grilled Sardines 傳統海鹽烤沙甸魚 ($68) helps to rescue some marks. The sardines are quite big in size, grilled in the traditional way with sea salt. With a bit of lemon juice to freshen up, the meat is delicious and there is no fishy note at all. Next time we should order the bigger portion with four tails.

Coming to the highlight of the meal, the Piri Piri Chicken 霹靂非洲燒雞扒 ($168) is Michael’s signature, with his homemade piri piri sauce to marinate the chicken steak before grilling. The chicken is succulent and very juicy, with the sauce having a nice spicy note but totally manageable. On the side there are some boiled carrot and broccoli, as well as some French fries. A must order.

We have another main course of Slow Cooked Iberico Pork Loin 葡式慢煮黑毛豬柳 ($268). The oven baked pork loin has a nice aromatic seasoning and is decent in taste, but after the chicken it will feel a bit under-seasoned. The same side dishes are provided for a complete course offering.

For dessert my wife has ordered the Bolos de Laranja ou Limao 家鄉雪芳蛋糕 ($48). The traditional family style orange cake is fluffy and not too sweet, a really nice no-frill dessert.

I have picked ‘Serradura’ Sawdust Pudding 木糠布甸 ($48). The popular Macau milk pudding with sawdust topping is equally good, with the pudding not too sweet as well, and mixing the sawdust creates a combination of different texture of enjoyment.

Service is very good, with the staff friendly and attentive, helping to replace the plates between courses. The bill on the day is $828 which includes a glass of beer. If you are not going to Macau, this is a place where you can also enjoy some nice Portuguese cuisine in Hong Kong.

Wineshark HK Restaurant Review - Sushi Junji 鮨純司

This sushi restaurant is located in Baskerville House in Central and is in fact where Sushi Sase Hanare used to be. After Chef Sase has moved back to Hokkaido, it took a while before this restaurant is re-opened, now under another Japanese chef, Chef Junji Ito.

On this night we come to the familiar small restaurant, through the sliding door which leads to a sushi counter with eight seats. There are already a foreign family of three started, and we are the other two customers. With Chef Junji back in Japan, we are being served by his assistant, Chef Ivan, on the night.

The Omakase Menu is $1,580 each, with an additional $300 if going for also the abalone. I also order a bottle of Nabashima ($1,780) to enjoy with the food. To start we have Hirame 平目 from Aomori, seasoned with a bit of yuzu zest. The olive flounder has a firm bite, with the skirt muscle nicely chewy. The taste is mild but delicate.

The chef apologizes to us that he has run out of Chu-Toro so for the next piece he serves us O-Toro 大とろ instead. The fatty tuna, from Canada, has been aged for two weeks. On the bite the fish oil seeps out to the mouth, highly flavourful and delicious. It is our lucky day.

Next it is Katsuo 鰹, with the skipjack tuna smoked over hay to infuse the lean flesh with fragrant smoky aromas, and the chef has prepared a soy sauce with ginger and scallions to pair, bringing forth the umami for the best effects.

Chef Ivan then serves us Kinki 喜知次, with the channel rockfish lightly poached and served in a clear broth prepared from the bones of the fish, with a lot of chives added. Both the fish and the broth are very rich in flavours, but the latter is very sweet, not sure that is the style or just having too much sugar.

Retrieving the Tako 章魚 from the tray, Chef Ivan cuts several pieces of octopus tentacles for us. The octopus is from Hokkaido, having been slow cooked to soften the texture, requiring no effort to chew. Adding a bit of mustard to season, it is nice and tasty.

The chef then takes out two large Hotategai 帆立貝 and grills them on the stove, before serving to us wrapped in a crispy nori. The scallop has a caramelized surface to bring forth the sweetness, while the inside is soft and juicy. A strongly umami delicacy.

Next is the additional course, the steaming hot Ezo-Awabi 蝦夷鮑 taken out from the kitchen. Chef Ivan first put some of the liver paste on the tray together with shari, before cutting the abalone into thick slices and put on top. The abalone has been steamed for long hours, so it is very soft and not chewy in texture, and on each bite the flavours come bursting forth.

Then comes Kuromutsu 黒鯥, and the prized deep-water bluefish is famous for its fattiness. Grilled to vitalize the fish oil to the full extent, the chef has added some pickled onions on top to balance, with a touch of sesame. Highly flavourful and it is apparent why this is one of the favourites for many people.

Coming to the sushi part of the menu, the first piece is Kinmedai 金目鯛. The splendid alfonsino has a tender texture, with a clean and delicate taste.

The second piece features Shiro-Ebi 白海老, with the chef using a shiso leaf to hold the baby white shrimps in kneading the sushi. The mushy texture is memorable, with also good sweetness.

The third piece features O-Toro 大とろ, the same fatty tuna served earlier. Very rich in fish oil and flavours.

Next comes Akami 赤身, with the lean tuna having good sourness and tender. It might not have the same silky-smooth texture compared with those in which the tuna is dipped in shoyu to briefly marinate, but equally it has less saltiness which can highlight the original flavours.

The fifth piece features Hokkigai 北寄貝. Chef Ivan has briefly grilled the surf clam to bring out its sweetness, with each bite filling the mouth with a very nice umami taste.

The sixth sushi is Aji 鯵. The Oita horse mackerel is fatty, with a great tenderness on the bite. Added with a touch of grated ginger it has great taste and is one of my favourites sushi in the evening.

The seventh piece features Akamutsu 赤鯥. The Nagasaki rosy seabass is another prized fish which also got good fattiness, with the chef torching the skin to exuberate the wonderful flavours, doing it just right to avoid melting the fish oil to the degree of dripping.

The eighth and final piece is Aka-Uni 赤海胆. The seasonal red sea urchin is creamy and without any weird taste.

On my request Chef Ivan has made an additional Shiro-Ika 白烏賊. Meticulously cutting the Fukuoka white squid into thin strips he uses the same techniques to knead the sushi with the help of a shiso leaf. The texture is very soft and without any rubbery mouthfeel.

Finishing with a Red Miso Soup to warm the stomach, with the dessert being a slice of Melon, very sweet and juicy. With satisfaction, it is a pleasant meal overall, having fresh ingredients of good quality and generous portions.  

Service is good, with the staff attentive to help pour sake throughout the meal, and Chef Ivan friendly and having good conversations with us. The bill on the night is very reasonable at $6,094. I look forward to returning and see what additional wonders Chef Junji can offer.