Wineshark Mystery Restaurant - LPM

This French restaurant is in the heart of Central, at H Queen’s on Stanley Street, with the glass doors leading past a curtain screen, into a nice ambience, with light colour palette, white linen tablecloth, plenty of art on the walls. All creating a cozy Riviera atmosphere, reminding me of a vacation to Nice many years back.

With sofa seats on the side, we are seated at a table in the middle, with more space and comfort. All the staff are dressed in smart and formal attire, very neat and impressive. As this restaurant is also famous for its cocktails, I go for a glass of classic Manhattan ($130) to start, while my wife has the mocktail La Plage ($98).

We started with Salade Nicoise ($338). I learned to make this classic French salad from a local chef in my last visit to the city. The portion is quite big, enough for four, with lots of lettuce, boiled egg, tuna, olives, and dressed in olive oil and a nice vinaigrette. There are also some capers and anchovies to add acidity and savoury. Simple but good in taste.

Another starter we shared is Escargots de Bourgogne ($248). The signature French snails are baked together with garlic butter and parsley, with very fragrant aromas and rich taste. While many people might not like escargots because of their appearance, they have a softer texture than sea snails, which many HK people crave for.

Then we have pasta, Linguine aux Palourdes de Venise ($298). The Venetian clams are large and meaty, with the linguine having nice al dente texture, picking up the jus from the clams for delicious umami flavours. Together with some corn kernels, fresh herbs and garlic, even though it might look simple, it is very well done. 

For the main course we have one fish and one meat. Taking Turbot Entier Grille ($468), the whole grilled turbot is of good size and enough for two people. The fish is quite meaty, and the chef has poured in a butter sauce to tenderize the fish and adds richer flavours, with also lemon juice to freshen and stimulate the palate.

For the meat we have chosen Cote de Veau Grillee ($688). The veal chop is grilled to our requested medium level, juicy and tender, with a good balance of lean and fat. With only simple salt and black pepper as seasoning, the original flavours of the veal can be tasted fully, showcasing the quality of the meat.

With a full stomach, we go for a simple dessert. Selection de Sorbets ($35) has a wide range of homemade sorbets to choose from, and I opt for passion fruit. With the acidity of the fruit balancing well the sweetness, it is refreshing and helps to remove some of the heaviness of the main courses. My wife has the strawberry sorbet ($35) instead.

Service is good, with friendly and cheerful staff, and I see a wide clientele with customers entertaining business partners, people dating, tourists, and family groups. The bill on the night is $2,803. Considering the food quality, service and overall experience, I would rate this restaurant a Good score of 73 points, worth trying out.