Wineshark HK Restaurant Review - Tempura Uchitsu

This restaurant is located on 45/F of Four Seasons Hong Kong, adjacent to the famous Michelin starred Sushi Saito, offering a tempura omakase experience for diners. It is in fact the overseas branch of the famous Tokyo restaurant (with the same name), and this outlet is under the helm of Chef Eisaku Hara, a cheerful and friendly tempura master.

Arriving at the appointment time and passing a short corridor, the staff shows us to the 12-seat wooden counter, with a darker tone than the lighter hinoki cypress. What attracts us, apart from the fresh seasonal vegetables in front, is the large open-top fish tank with a few small fish swimming and the beautiful plants creating a calm and cooling vibe. Not sure this is intended to balance with ‘hotness’ from the deep-fried tempura but is certain soothing and pleasant.

The dinner menu ($2,680 each) features ingredients directly sourced from Japan, with the starter being a Mashed Tofu Salad, served on a lush green lotus leaf. Apart from the silky tofu which has rich soybean taste, there are also Tiger Prawn, Peach, Okra, and Ginkgo Nuts, offering different texture on the bite and other flavours to the mild tofu.

Next is the appetizer, featuring a Chicken Soup with Seared Scallops, and a Soft-Shelled Turtle Spring Roll. The soup is very rich, with intense chicken flavours which warms the stomach and so delicious that I cannot help to savour even the last drop. The scallop is good but really not adding much to the soup in my opinion, however the two thinly sliced green yuzu does work its wonders to give a bit of citrus vibrancy. The spring roll has a thin crisp on the outside, and the jelly-like fillings are delicate but tasty.

The chef prepares the tempura according to our pace of eating, starting with the Tiger Prawn from Kagoshima. He first serves us the head of the prawn, deep-frying it perfectly to be completely edible, with superb crunchiness. Having already seasoned, we only need to add a few drops of lime juice to freshen up.

Then we are served the body of the Kuruma-Ebi. The staff also introduces the two types of sea salt, its characters and degree of saltiness, for us to season the tiger prawn. The batter is very thin and leaving no oily mark on the paper in the tray, testimony to the mastery skill of the chef. The original flavours of the prawn and its sweetness are impeccably highlighted.

The next is Sweet Corn from Hokkaido, recommended to have one piece dipped into the tempura sauce and the other with sea salt. The corn is of highest quality, very sweet and juicy, without any fibrous residue.

The third tempura features Sea Urchin from Hokkaido. The sous chef wraps the Bafun-Uni in Shiso Leaf before handing over to Chef Hara to deep-fry. Again, it is amazing to taste the crisp batter and shiso leaf while the sea urchin inside is still moist and raw. The quality of the sea urchin is also very good, sweet and without any weird taste.

The fourth tempura is one of my favourites in the evening. The Cutlass Fish, or Tachiuo, comes from Shizuoka, with the chef putting them into a pot infused with fragrant woody smoke after deep-frying. Paired with some mashed turnip and shichimi, the combination of smokiness and slight spiciness stimulates the palate and highly complementary with the milder taste of the fish.

The fifth tempura features Wagyu Beef from Miyagi. The prized beef is served with two condiments, one is the red wine sauce which is deliciously savoury, and the other piece is enjoyed with a bit of lime juice and wasabi. I really like how the different pairing actually showcased the meat differently and also provide a different way to enjoy the beef.

Taking a break we are served Sea Bream sashimi, with some Japanese Vegetables on the side. The wild Madai from Hyogo is very sweet in taste, with a nice firm bite. The shiso flowers provides an extra layer to the soy sauce to enjoy with the sashimi, with the seasonal vegetables great too, having a bit of sesames added to increase the flavours.

Coming back to the tempura, the chef shows us the Hairy Crab from Hokkaido, with the meat meticulously picked and stuffed back into the shell. Paired with a crab vinegar sauce, the sweetness of the crab meat is phenomenal, with each bite offering luxurious and rewarding enjoyment. If I can only pick one piece to encore, this one will be my choice.

The next tempura features Eggplant from Kagawa. The tender eggplant is served together with plenty of mashed turnip and finely chopped scallions, with a great soft texture. The eggplant does not feel greasy at all, with the sauce infusing nice dashi flavors, full of umami. I enjoy it so much I devour all the mashed turnip after finishing the eggplant.

To refresh the palate, instead of the typical sorbet provided in western cuisine, a Sweet Corn Tofu is served. The silky soft tofu has rich corn flavours, with a bit of yuzu shavings on top to give a nice citrus note, to cleanse the mouth before the final part of the dinner.

The chef then prepares Sea Eel in two styles. The Anago comes from Nagasaki, with one piece added with a bit of ginger soy sauce, while the other have some pickled onion on top. Both are very great in taste, with the sea eel essentially dissolving in the mouth. I personally like the picked onion better as it has additional contrast of texture on the bite. Another of the highlight in the dinner.

The final course has a choice of rice or noodle, and both of us have picked the latter. The Thin Noodle is served in a clear broth with wonderful umami taste, with yuzu kosho as condiment to give a bit of spiciness to add to the broth if needed. A tempura platter of assorted ingredients as well as egg yolk, along with some Japanese pickles, are included.

Dessert is Egg Yolk Ice-Cream with Melon Sherbet. Creamy with rich flavours, and appropriate in sweetness, the melon sherbet helps to freshen the palate and completes a wonderful dining experience.

Together with a bottle of sake, the bill on the night is $7,854. Even though there is very little interaction with the chef as I guess he may be shy to communicate in English, the other staff helps to explain each course clearly, so the overall dining experience is still very pleasant, with the food in great quality and delicious, the service spot on. Even though the price is not cheap, for the best tempura experience in town this restaurant would be the one I recommend.