Wineshark Mystery Restaurant - Magistracy Dining Room

This restaurant is located at Tai Kwun, taking over the Central Magistracy to re-develop into a chic, nice dining spot. With a large counter facing the entrance, the staff leads us to the main dining area, which has a grand, traditional ambience reminding me of some restaurants I have visited in London.

Seated at a spacious banquette table on one end, looking out to the full length of the dining room, the high ceiling, wooden floor, panels and staircase, plus the dim lighting, create a more formal but cozy setting, with many guests also dressed up for the occasion. The captain of the restaurant soon came to check in with us and introduced our menu.

We had pre-ordered the Chef’s Selection ($988 each), which covers some starters, a main with some side dishes, and dessert. I also have a bottle of Domaine Derey Marsannay 2022 ($1,208) to pair with the food. The Chardonnay has nice acidity, crisp lemon and supple stone fruit notes, on top of floral and a rich stony minerality.

There are some light snacks for us to start, including Olives on skewers, Crudités Platter, and Gougères. The platter has different vegetables and pairs with a cheese dip, while the gougères are cheese puffs. Quite nice.

The Sourdough comes with classic soft butter and caramel butter, with the latter having a fragrant smokiness which goes well with the bread.

The starter are Oysters, served together with lemon and Amelie Speciale Cocktail. The oysters are fresh and sweet in taste, with the condiment providing a nice citrus and vinegar to reduce the briny note.

Next comes Magistracy’s Endive & Stilton Salad. The crunchy and bitter endive is paired with the English cheese, with its signature nutty and earthy taste. The salad is also mixed with crystal pears, candied walnuts and herbs to further enhance the flavours.

Then comes Leek and Potato Vichyssoise. The chilled soup is made from blending the cooked leek and potatoes, served with crème fraiche and Parmesan brioche crumbs. The soup is creamy and rich, while having delicate taste which helps to make it less heavy.

There are two mains included in the menu. First is Steamed Seabass, with crispy caviar and mandarin butter sauce. The seabass is cooked well, with a crisp skin while the flesh is still moist. The sauce has a rich buttery note while balancing with the acidity of the mandarin.

The other mains feature local Three Yellow Chicken, with the creamy braised chicken and vegetables served with a crispy puff pastry top. My favourite in the evening, the chicken and sauce are seasoned well, delicious in taste while not too rich and heavy. But best to share instead of finishing by one person.

On the side there are three dishes, including Creamed Spinach, with bechamel and glazed Gruyere. Taste is good, but a bit too rich especially if goes together with the chicken.

The Quality Chop House Confit Potatoes are my favourite of the side dishes, with the potato not greasy, seasoned well with malt vinegar and sea salt.

The other one is Crispy Japanese Hen-Of-The-Wood Mushroom, which has a fried chicken look and feel, and served with garlic-parsley Beillevaire butter. It is a bit too dry for me however.

Dessert is Sticky Tofu Pudding, with vanilla ice cream on top. Having good sweetness, the pudding is moist, with each bite a rewarding treat.

Service is good, with the staff friendly. Even though the etiquette is a bit more formal than I would expect, it does not make you feel out of place. The bill on the night is $3,688. Decent in price and food quality, the place is a great spot to enjoy the colonial ambiance.