Wineshark HK Restaurant Review - Xihe Ya Yuan 羲和雅苑

This Peking restaurant is located at Harbour City in TST and is the branch of the restaurant of the same name from Beijing, famous for its Peking duck. It is right on the harbour front, with an outdoor terrace, so customers can enjoy a wonderful view, especially during sunset.

The decoration is neat with plenty of ‘old Beijing’ elements put into the design, including brick wall, wooden partition panels, and lanterns. The large tables are on the window side, with some banquette seats on the other side of the corridor. The latter can still enjoy a nice view.

We order the Summer Menu ($1,588) which is good for two people. The starter is Boiled Abalone Japanese Style, with the abalone having a good bite but not difficult to chew, infused with deep umami flavours from the sauce, with some marinated radish on the side. A nice starter.

Next comes Braised Fish Maw in Supreme Pumpkin Broth. Signature soup of the restaurant, the broth has a rich and good taste, a nice sweetness from the pumpkin but balanced well with the savoury flavours of the broth. The large piece of fish maw is premium on the appearance, with also a good texture and no wonder this is one of the must order here.

The Grandma Zhang’s Pork Ball is a braised pork ball in dark sauce, with the minced meat soft and fluffy, big in flavours. On its own it may be too heavy, so the chef has thoughtfully provided a bit of rice on the side to go with the meat, and enable customers to savour the sauce as well.

Then it is Baked Prawns with Salted Egg Yolk, with the prawns cooked together with the salted egg yolk, to create an ‘evil’ yet highly savoury delicacy, which are finger-licking good. The prawns are of decent size too.

The Xihe Signature Peking Duck (half set) is apparently the star in the menu and is also what got this restaurant its fame. The duck is carved on table side by the chef in three servings, one is the neck skin, one is the breast meat, and the last is the thigh meat, offering different texture and enjoyment.

To pair with the duck there are also a range of condiments, including the interesting pop rock candy, mustard, blueberry sauce, and the traditional BBQ sauce. The flavours are not bad, but perhaps because I have too much expectation, I think it is only decent overall.

The veggie is Stir-fried Cauliflower and Sliced Pork Belly, served in a sizzling hot stone pot. This is probably my other favourite after the soup, with the slight spiciness in the dish appealing and appetizing, the pork belly providing a fragrant note and flavours to enrich the taste of cauliflower.

The Crab Meat and Seafood Soaked Rice has a tasty broth, with plenty of different seafood like shrimp, scallops, crab meat, together with zucchini and shiitake mushroom to bring up the fragrance. A rewarding anchor but honestly by now we are all so full that we can barely finish it.

The final course is Bird’s Nest in Coconut Milk, and what I like is that this dessert is not too sweet, and together with the bird’s nest it is a premium and delicate finale to a big meal, to our satisfaction.

The bill on the night is $1,791 and quite reasonable. However, when I asked a staff to slow down the service (the first four courses come at the same time basically), her response was simply the food would come after order was made, without any hint or effort to help, which can upset most people as you can imagine. The service needs to be seriously looked into.

Wineshark HK Restaurant Review - N+ Burger

This burger house is located in the new shopping mall Southside in Wong Chuk Hang, having relocated from Wanchai. It is the first one in HK with its own pasture to supply the premium Angus beef in its burgers, emphasizing free range and hormone free meat.

There is some outdoor seating and one can also dine with the pet outside as the mall is pet-friendly. The interior is neat, using lighter colour tone and wood, with the dark green tiles and banquette giving a touch of contrast in palette.

Ivy have the N+ Japanese Mustard Brisket ($95) which features the Australia premium Angus beef brisket, with cheese, sourdough bun, fresh veggie and Japanese mustard sauce. The sauce can be quite choking so beware but the batter is juicy and delicious, with the bun soft and buttery.

I have the N+ Premium Truffle Brisket ($100) with the same beef brisket, cheese, sourdough bun, and also sauteed brown shimeji mushroom, fresh green lollo rosso and premium truffle sauce. The abundance veggie helps to balance the fat of the beef, while the truffle sauce has rich flavours.

Ordering the combo ($40 additional) will include Fries and soft drink, and the crispy fries are also good, perfect in the texture, with the choice of smoky BBQ sauce and honey mustard sauce to choose for dipping. The restaurant also has ketchup if one desires.

The bill on the lunch is $275 and the burger is really good. I would rate it as one of the best in HK. While it might not have a lot of different options in the burger, I do not mind and next time I would like to try its classic original as well. 

Wineshark Weekend Cooking - Stir-fried Pork Belly with Eggplant 茄子炒豬五花

Ingredients (for 4):

• Pork belly strips - 300g
• Eggplant - 2
• Garlic - 1 clove
• Spring onion - 2 sprigs
• Soy sauce - 1 tbsp
• Oyster sauce - 1 tbsp
• Tapioca starch - 1 tbsp
• Water - 2 tbsp
• Sesame oil - 1 tbsp

Procedures:

1. Cut the pork belly into strips of 3cm long.

2. Cut the eggplant into big chunks.

3. Cut the spring onion into small pieces.

4. Cut the garlic into slices.

5. Add sesame oil and eggplant into the casserole, then turn to medium heat and stir-fry until the eggplant is softened.

6. Add pork strips, garlic, oyster sauce, soy sauce and stir well. Then cover with lid to cook until steam seeps out from the lid. Turn to low heat and continue to cook for 10 minutes.

7. Mix the tapioca starch with water, then pour in and mix well with the dish to thicken the sauce. Serve with the spring onion scattered on top.

Wineshark Weekend Cooking - Braised Duck with Young Taro 芋仔燜鴨

Ingredients (for 4):

• Muscovy duck - 1 (around 1.2kg)
• Salt - 1 tsp
• Oil - 1 tbsp
• Young taro - 8
• Shallot - 3
• Garlic - 4 cloves
• Ginger - 1 piece
• Soy sauce - 1/4 cup
• Bean paste - 2 tbsp
• Chinese yellow wine - 1/4 cup
• Sugar - 2 tsp
• Water - 4 cups

Procedures:

1. Remove the skin of the young taro and then use a wet tissue to wipe clean. Keep in breezy area to dry.

2. Clean the duck and wipe dry. Then use the salt to marinate the inside. 

3. Cut away the head and neck, legs and wings, and the tail. Remove excess fat as well.

4. Brush the duck skin with ginger juice, and then soy sauce. 

5. Smash the shallot and garlic.

6. Heat the wok at medium-high level, and then pour in the oil once red hot. Place the duck in after wiping dry, with the breast facing down, to pan-fry till golden brown. Then flip over and continue, until all four sides are golden brown in colour. Then remove. 

7. Add the young taro in, and continue to cook for a while.

8. Add in the crushed shallot and garlic to cook for a while, then remove and drain off the oil.

9. Add back 1 tbsp of oil into the wok, and then add the bean paste and sugar, until the sugar has melted.

10. Add in Chinese yellow wine and soy sauce.

11. Add the duck back in, with the breast facing down. 

12. Add in enough water to submerge half of the duck, then cover with lid and cook for 25 minutes under medium heat.

13. Add the young taro and continue to cook for another 25 minutes until the duck meat is tender.

14. Remove the duck and cut into pieces, and continue to heat the sauce to reduce. 

15. Pour the sauce on the duck to serve.

Wineshark HK Restaurant Review - Sun Tung Lok 新同樂

This famous restaurant is located on 4/F of Mira Place, and has been in business for 55 years. The specialty is definitely the shark’s fin soup, but in the last decade the general public has a much better understanding of the cruelty in getting the shark's fin, and the restaurant has also downplayed that in its name and marketing.

Arriving sharp at our booking time in the evening, we are seated at the booth, which are good for more private conversations. The decoration is stylish and luxurious. Having visited here a few times already, we decide to try the newer Sun Tung Lok Special Menu ($2,038 each), instead of the Michelin menu we have enjoyed before.

The first course is Ark Shell Meat and Green Salad in Mustard Dressing 赤貝肉翠蔬沙律伴芥末汁. The chef has carved out the inside of cucumber sections and then stuffed with shredded cucumber, with some chickpeas as well. On top is the fresh ark shell meat, with some mustard dressing to season, and a piece of tomato and parsley. Combining Chinese, Western and Japanese elements together, a nice starter.

The second course is Shark’s fin in Superior Soup 紅燒海虎翅. The signature of the restaurant, with the prized shark’s fin very thick in diameter, served in a superior soup that is pure umami and flavours, obviously prepared for a long process using many ingredients. Served on a sizzling hot clay pot, there is no need to add any vinegar, with the restaurant thoughtfully providing some additional Chinese ham extracts on additional saltiness if needed. But to me the original flavours are already fantastic.

The third course is Braised Australian Greenlip Abalone and Garoupa Filet 澳洲四頭青邊鮑魚配海斑扒. The abalone is perfectly cooked, very tender and the knife can slice through it easily, while retaining a wonderful bite, seeping with amazing flavours on each bite. The vegetable on the bottom allows me to savour the last drop of the beautiful sauce. The fish filet is seasoned well, with a thin batter and not feeling oily on the mouth.

The fourth course is Steamed prawn with Fried Conpoy 脆瑤柱豆腐蓉蒸海蝦球配紅蝦籽汁. The minced bean curd reminds me of the pipa tofu but this is steamed instead of deep-fried, with a large prawn on top, scattered with some fried conpoy to add some contrast in texture and flavours. There is also a red shrimp roe sauce which has wonderful umami taste and integrates the different elements of the whole dish together perfectly.

The fifth course is Spanish Pork Loin and Deep-Fried Daikon 西班牙橡果豬柳伴脆大根. The pork loin is very tender, with lots of flavours, having the right amount of lean and fat, not feeling greasy at all. The sauce used to pan-fry has a complex and delicious taste, and the chef has creatively prepared some deep-fried turnip on the side, which are sweet and without fibres, plus some salad vegetables underneath, to cleverly balance the rich flavours of the pork.

The sixth course is Bird’s Nest and Sago in Iced Honeydew 茶盅燕窩蜜瓜西米露 and Deep-Fried Glutinous Ball stuffed with Custard 忌廉奶皇芝麻煎堆. The sago dessert has a refreshing melon note and not too sweet, with the bird’s nest placed at the bottom. For sure it is a lady’s favourite. For me I like the glutinous ball better, with a nice chewy texture and coated with sesames to give a wonderful fragrance, while the custard stuffing is runny and also appropriate in sweetness.

Coming here one can still feel some reminders of the glorious period in HK. Apart from the shark’s fin and premium ingredients, the restaurant is still using the authentic ivory chopsticks which has a long history, and are no longer available because of the global ivory ban. Service is good, but like almost all local Chinese restaurants they can do better job in explaining the dishes. The bill on the night is $4,605.