星州炒米

Ingredients (for 4):

• Rice noodle - 200 g
• Shrimp - 100 g
• Egg - 2
• Onion - 1/2
• Red chili - 2
• Green bell pepper - 1/2
• Ham - 2 slices
• Salt - 1/2 tsp
• Curry paste - 1 tsp
• Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
• Soy sauce - 1 tsp
• Sesame oil - 1/4 tsp

Procedures:

1. Heat a pot of water, and when it boils. Turn off the heat. Then soak in the rice noodle and cook for 2-3 minutes, using chopsticks to scatter the noodle. Remove and drip dry.

2. Whisk the eggs and then pan-fry to a sheet. Cut into shreds.

3. Rinse the shrimps and drip dry.

4. Cut the ham into shreds.

5. Cut the onion into shreds.

6. Cut the green bell pepper into shreds.

7. Remove the seeds of the red chili, then cut into small pieces.

8. Heat the wok with oil, then stir-fry the onion for a while until softened.

9. Add in the green bell pepper and cook for a short while.

10. Add the rice noodle and continue to stir fry.

11. Add the curry paste, turmeric powder, soy sauce and salt. Continue to stir well.

12. Add the shrimps and cook for a short while, then add the ham.

13. Serve and then scatter the egg shreds on top. 

Wineshark HK Restaurant Review - Frantzen's Kitchen

This Nordic restaurant is located in Sheung Wan, with the menu created by the famous chef Bjorn Frantzen and Jim Lofdahl. Not exactly in a convenient location, the restaurant however did have good patronage and on the night it was fully occupied, already a good sign showing the quality of its food. Arriving early, we were among the first group of customers and the staff warmly welcomed us and introduced us to the menu and the signature dishes.

The restaurant was having a nice contemporary design with cozy ambiance. There is a bar counter which the customers could interact intimately with the staff while eating. At the same time there were a number of tables providing a more traditional dining experience, and we were seated in one of them. Even though the table was not large and the seats not exactly very comfortable, the overall environment was rather nice and relaxing.

We ordered the tasting menu ($1100), with me also going for the Avant-Garde wine pairing ($1100). The tasting menu had incorporated the different signature dishes and would be a good choice. The first course is Bone Marrow, with caviar, a layer of chestnut mousse and thyme sauce. The mousse is rich and tasty, with strong chestnut flavors which complements well with the thyme extracts. The pieces of bone marrow was underneath and provided a nice bite and contrast to the mousse.

The second course was French Toast, which has winter truffle on top, with the middle layer being the onion shreds and wrapped in a crunchy outer toast, with some Balsamic vinegar on the side to enhance the flavors. There is also an aged cheese and truffle tea paired, best to drink in between bites, which really highlights the ingredients and taste to another level. Really wonderful appetizers. The wine paired for the two was Andre Clouet Grand Cru Rose No. 3 NV.

Next came the starters, with the first being Seven Gardens. It was the fresh organic vegetable salad coming from seven local farms and prepared in eight different cooking techniques, then added with puffed buckwheat, crispy fish scales and Sancho butter. I really like this as each individual vegetable can showcase the original and rich flavors of the ingredient, and the different style of cooking was truly amazing, offering contrast in texture and enjoyment. The wine paired was also interesting, the 2016 Sato 'L'atypique' 22 days on skins' Pinot Gris from Avalon Vineyards in Central Otago.

Then came the Cold-Poached Blue-Lobster, with tomato and peach 'ceviche', black pepper, mint and herbs. The lobster was fresh and beautifully seasoned, demonstrating a nice original delicate taste which was so nicely paired with the tomato and peach, with its sour and sweet note balancing and complementing greatly to the flavors. The herbs and the water infused further elevated the dish to a greater level. The wine paired was the 2016 Daily Riesling Selection from A. J. Adam from Mosel.

The last starter was Veloute, a kind of savory sauce / soup made with white onion, liquorice and smoked Marcona almonds. It was rich and concentrated, with the almond note permeating throughout, supplemented with the onion flavors. The liquorice element was rather light however, and if not showing on the menu it was not readily discernible. Nevertheless it was another great one and serving as a nice transition before we start our main courses.

The first main course was Oven Baked Turbot, with blue mussel veloute, seaweed and lemon butter, dill. This is another of my favorite in the evening, with the fish very tender and having a great taste, and it was really flavorful with the seaweed and lemon butter perfectly complementing. The blue mussels were also spectacular. Honestly I haven't had such pleasure in tasting the true and original flavors for a long while. The wine paired was Chateau Musar white from Lebanon.

Then it was the Sorbet to cleanse the palate. With yuzu, fennel and Sancho pepper, it was not the typical sorbet but again emphasizing the different ingredients and flavors. Functionally it helped to clean our mouth so we would be ready for the meat but on its own it could be offered as a great dessert too in my opinion.

The second main course was Venison, with fermented parsnip puree, blue berries, thyme and orange peel. The venison was cooked beautifully, tender and juicy. The puree was creamy and a great addition to the meat, with the blue berries and orange peel nicely providing sweetness and some bitterness to enhance the flavors as well. The wine paired was 2016 Ridge 'Geyserville' Field Blend from California.

The last course was Toasted Pine Nut Ice Cream, with whipped malted rice tea, puffed rice and chestnut honey. Paired well with 2016 Peller Estates Vidal Blanc Icewine from Canada, the dessert was appropriate in sweetness, and the interesting puffed rice giving a crunchy element to the palate. The pine nut taste was rich in the ice cream, and it was a great harmony of the different elements and a good completion to a wonderful meal.

In terms of flavors, this meal was one of the best for a long while, and I was so impressed with how the chef took good quality ingredients and with the great cooking skills and techniques emphasizing each individual components to such extent. The wine pairing was also fantastic, with the choice of wines wonderfully complementary and matched with the food, good in taste and also highly interesting. The service also was great with each dish meticulously explained to us.

Overall I would say this restaurant well deserved a Michelin status. The bill on the night was $3817 which was reasonable considering the overall enjoyment and how everything was so nicely put together. I really recommend this restaurant to all the foodie in town. 

Baked Sea Bass

Ingredients (for 4):

• Sea bass - 1
• Potatoes - 2
• Tomatoes - 3
• Onion - 1
• Garlic - 4 cloves
• Thyme - 4 sprigs
• Rosemary - 4 sprigs
• Olive oil - 4 tbsp

Procedures:

1. Clean the sea bass and cut off the tail. Make three deep cuts along the body of the fish, on both sides.

2. Peel the potatoes and cut into slices about 2 mm thick.

3. Cut the tomatoes into slices of 5 mm thick.

4. Thinly slice the onion.

5. Pour a little oil into a large baking tray. Spread half of the potatoes in the tin, then half of the tomatoes and half of the onion.

6. Season with salt and pepper. Repeat the layers of potatoes, tomatoes and onion.

7. Scatter with the garlic and herbs. Pour over most of the remaining oil. Cover the tin with foil, then bake in oven pre-heated at 180 deg C for 30 minutes.

8. Season the sea bass inside and out. Remove the foil from the tin and put the fish on top of the vegetables. Turn the heat to 190 deg C. 

9. Return the tin to the oven uncovered to bake for 12 minutes.

Mussels with Paprika

Ingredients (for 4):

• Mussels - 1 kg
• Garlic - 2 cloves
• Olive oil - 4 tbsp
• Paprika - 1 tsp
• Flour - 2 tsp
• Water - 350 ml
• Parsley - 1 tbsp

Procedures:

1. Scrub and de-beard the mussels under cold running water.

2. Finely chop the garlic.

3. Heat the oil in a sauce pan, then add the garlic. Cook for a short while.

4. Add the paprika and cook for a couple of seconds. Then stir in the flour.

5. Pour in the water, stirring to make a smooth sauce. Boil for 10 minutes.

6. Finely chop the parsley. 

7. Add half of the parsley to the sauce.

8. Add the cleaned mussels and cover the pan. Cook for 5 minutes.

9. Sprinkle with the rest of the parsley and serve. 

Wineshark HK Restaurant Review - Yung Kee

This famous Chinese restaurant is located in Central, at the self-owned Yung Kee Building. Started in 1942, Yung Kee is renown for the roasted goose and charcoal-grilled BBQ pork, as well as other Cantonese traditional dishes. With advanced booking, the four of us were seated on the third floor, with the decors offering a sense of luxury with authentic Chinese elements, and we had a comfortable dining experience.

First we had the Preserved Egg and Pickled Ginger ($15). This is one of the favorites of the foodie, and the dish was used to contribute to the tips for the staff. I am not sure whether this is still true today but the staff did recommend it to us. The preserved egg is decent but I would not say it was the best I had tasted. The pickled ginger has the right balance of sweet and sour, and the crunchy ginger certainly is a great appetizer to start the meal.

Like most people we ordered the Signature Charcoal Roasted Goose ($375 for half). I could not help myself in comparing with Kam's Roasted Goose I tried a few weeks ago. This one is also good in taste, with the goose marinated well but not as juicy. And I would prefer the goose to be hotter, as the lukewarm meat quickly cooled down and making it more fatty. However, there are more attention in the cutting of the goose, with the breast cut separately to boneless pieces.

Next we had the Deep-Fried Sea Cucumber Meat with Spicy Salt ($330). Those are in fact the intestines of the sea cucumber, and often served in hotpot. This is the first time I had it deep-fried with spicy salt, and it retained the crunchy texture. While it did not have much flavor on its own, the spicy salt did compensate for that. An interesting idea, though not something particularly tasty in my opinion.

Then we had the Braised Garoupa's Head and Belly with Bean Curd in Casserole ($300). My favorite on the evening, the starch powder coated on the fish was not too thick, and i detected a bit of Chinese yellow wine used in marinating, bringing in a nice flavor, before deep-frying to nice golden brown before braising. The bean curd was also nice, absorbing the sauce, which had some mushroom, pork, ginger and other seasonings. The shredded spring onion gave an extra fragrance to the dish too.

We had Poached Fresh Bean Curd Sheet and Assorted Vegetables in Fish Broth ($160). Quite nicely done, the bean curd sheet was soft and silky, and got a nice bean note. The vegetables were properly poached to the right softness, and considering that there were different vegetables requiring different times to cook, a test of the chef to do it correctly which was delivered well. The fish broth imparted delicate flavors to the vegetable without making it too salty. Another nice dish for the evening.

I ordered the Fried Glutinous Rice ($250) to wrap up, but unfortunately the staff forgot my order and we waited for quite a while and only upon checking did we found out to re-order. The portion was good for four persons, with plenty of preserved sausages and meat. Fairly good in taste but I would prefer they could add more chopped spring onion to further enhance the flavors.

For dessert we had the Red Bean Sweet Soup with Aged Tangerine Peel ($42). The soup was of appropriate sweetness and the red beans were boiled sufficiently to create the 'sandy' texture. However, the note was barely discernible for the tangerine peel, and given that it was specifically mentioned it was a bit disappointing. The dumplings were another disappointment as it was a bit under-cooked, leaving some raw flour taste.

The services were quite good, as one would expect. The food was a bit over-rated in my opinion, and maybe it is more for the tourists now and VIP. The bill on the night was $1840.