Wineshark Mystery Restaurant - The Tai Pan

This modern bistro is located inside The Murray, on Cotton Tree Drive in Admiralty. Seated at a table on the window side looking out to the terrace, the space is comfortable, neat and chic.

Tai Pan Salad ($298) is an upgraded Caesar, with some Canadian lobster meat added to the salad with lettuce, endive, apple, dill, avocado, scattered with Parmesan cheese. Taste is not bad, but I wonder why the lobster shell was kept and placed inside the salad, as the meat has already been taken out.

The Tai Pan Signature Mussels ($388) is served in a large pot, with the mussels stewed with white wine, onion, and herbs. The mussels are fresh and rich in flavours, of a decent size as well. On the side there are some deep-fried fries which are also very good. It is my favourite dish in the evening.

For the main course, my wife has Flamed Grilled Canadian Lobster ($538), with the lobster meaty and good in taste, having a bit of smokiness from the open fire, and able to keep moist and not dried from grilling. On the side are heirloom tomato salad, seasoned with oregano and ricotta, to help balance and give freshness.

I had Sizzling New York Striploin ($548), with the steak cooked to medium level. Nicely seared, though the meat had already been cut and the jus had seeped out, affecting the enjoyment. On the side are roasted padron peppers, with some of the peppers quite spicy, paired with romesco and almond.

To have a lighter dessert, we decided to order a Strawberry Ice Cream, as well as double scoop of Lime and Raspberry Sorbet ($40 per scoop). Served with some frozen berries, the dessert is refreshing, though the sweetness of the white chocolate pieces made the sorbet too sour in taste.

Considering this is a restaurant inside a high-end hotel, the service is a bit disappointing, with one of the staff apparently lacking enthusiasm in serving us. There is a 10% discount from OpenRice, and the bill on the night is $2,532, which includes two glasses of wine and coffee. Not the best deal in terms of food quality or service. It is the software that matters.