Wineshark HK Restaurant Review - Sushi Rin 鮨燐

There are two outlets of this sushi restaurant, with one in Sheung Wan and another in TST, which has opened more recently. Today we came to the Sheung Wan branch, which is located on Jervois Street. Going through the red noren curtain, we arrived at Sushi Rin.

The restaurant has two floors. On the ground floor is a L-shaped sushi counter that can serve ten customers, with neat design and décor. An interesting feature is the turquoise backdrop behind the chef, reminding me of the scales of fish. We were served by Chef Lung on the night.

Ordering the Omakase Menu ($1,880), the appetizer was an assortment of three dishes. On the left was the delicate taste kuzuimo 葛芋, or jicama, with miso. In the middle was zuwagani 松葉蟹, or snow crab, with vinegar jelly to bring forward its sweetness. On the right was hotaruika 蛍烏賊, or firefly squid, paired with some yuzu miso paste, with intense umami taste. A good start for the meal.

There was a total of seven sashimi included, the first one being same-karei 鮫鰈, or shark flounder, from Hokkaido. Chef Lung torched the engawa, or skirt, of the flounder to vitalize the fish oil, putting it onto a thin slice of the sashimi, adding a bit of the paste made from its liver, and then rolled it up. With a bit of charcoal salt or ponzu, the wonderful texture of the bite, the richness of the liver paste, and the fragrant fish oil provided a great feast of delights. Excellent.

The second sashimi featured hotategai 帆立貝 and akagai 赤貝. The scallop was large in size and meaty, with Chef Lung adding a few drops of lime juice to freshen up and bring forward the nice umami sweetness. The ark shell was crunchy in texture, with the muscle retracting when it hit on the chopping board. Seasoned with a bit of charcoal salt and yuzu shavings, very fresh and delicious. Good.

The third sashimi was kanpachi 間八, from Ehime. The greater amberjack had a firm, crunchy bite, with the chef cutting two portions of the fish’s fatty belly, one simply sliced to enjoy its delicate flavours, the other torched, to highlight the fish oil. He also suggested we could add a bit more wasabi on the latter to balance the fattiness. Very good.

The fourth sashimi was gindara 銀鱈 from Hokkaido. The baby black cod had been lightly torched and the chef recommended us to add a bit of wasabi, together with also some finely chopped leek marinated briefly in soy sauce, wrapped within a piece of nori sheet. Compared with those larger versions typically served in grilled dish, this one had a firmer texture and less fatty. Better in flavours as well. Very good.

The fifth sashimi was saba 鯖 from Nagasaki. Instead of the typical style to marinate in vinegar, Chef Lung wanted us to taste the fresh and original flavours of the mackerel, only torching it lightly on the skin. Adding a bit of shredded shiso leaf to freshen the palate, I applauded the chef’s attempt to highlight the authentic taste of the fish and demonstrated his confidence on its freshness. Very good.

The sixth sashimi was maguro 鮪. Chef Lung had cut two pieces of tuna, with a piece of chu-toro, the medium fatty belly, on the bottom, and a piece of o-toro, the prized fatty belly, on top. The fish oil in the o-toro was further enhanced through torching. Sandwiched between the two pieces was a shiso leaf and an abundance of wasabi, with everything wrapped inside a nori sheet. Luxurious enjoyment of the great taste of tuna, and despite the large amount of wasabi it did not feel choking at all, only to miraculously reduce the overall fattiness. A clever way to serve fatty tuna. Excellent.

Coming to the seventh and last sashimi, it was the prized seikogani 勢子蟹. The seasonal female snow crab was a wonderful delicacy, with the chef meticulously picking the meat, roes, and butter, and then stuffed it all back to the shell for a great presentation. Combining the three together, with a bit of crab vinegar, every bite was pure joy and wonders. Excellent.

Before transitioning to sushi, we were served the first of the two hot dish. The tempura included awabi 鮑, okra, sweet potato, and maitake 舞茸. The batter was thin, with the deep-frying process nicely done, each piece was dry and without feeling oily. Among the four, I liked the sweet potato most. Adding a bit of rock salt helped to further enhance the overall enjoyment. Good.

There was a total of six sushi, with the first being hokkigai 北寄貝. The surf clam was large in size, with the shari, or sushi rice, completely concealed under. Fresh and having a wonderful bite, it was full of umami flavours. The amount of vinegar in the shari was appropriate too. Very good.

The second sushi was shima-aji 縞鯵 from Oita. The striped jack mackerel had a nice fattiness, with the chef slicing a thick cut to make the sushi. The flesh was tender yet exhibiting a good bite, with a delicate yet nice umami taste. Good.

The third sushi was kuromutsu 黒鯥. The bluefish is a deep-water fish with high fat contents, and the generous thick cut provided a rewarding and fulfilling bite, with a bit menegi and momiji oroshi paste to give extra fragrance and a tiny bit of spiciness to season. Very good.

The fourth sushi was shirouni 白海胆 from Hokkaido. The white sea urchin got a sweet taste, without any weird flavour, where each piece was equal in size. Brushing with a bit of soy sauce, the umami is further enriched. Very good.

The fifth sushi was aji 鯵 from Shimane. The Japanese horse mackerel had a nice silvery skin, signifying how fresh the fish was, with the chef adding a bit of menegi to balance the stronger taste. The soft texture of the flesh was another highlight of this sushi. Very good.

The sixth and final sushi was botanebi 牡丹蝦 from Hokkaido. After removing the shell of the large spot prawn, Chef Lung used the prawn butter in the head to prepare a flavourful paste by adding some soy sauce before torching it, and then put inside the sushi to enrich the umami. This sushi was my favourite in the evening. Excellent.

The other hot dish was braised maguro jowl. The sauce had infused the tuna with umami and sweetness, with the eggplant on the side. Together with some shredded shiso leaf, the large chunk of jowl meat did not feel heavy, even after finishing all the courses beforehand. Very good.

I asked Chef Lung whether he could prepare an additional Kanpyo-maki 干瓢巻 ($80) for us. He gave me a wry smile hearing that and went into the kitchen to retrieve the dried gourd to make the sushi roll, splitting into four pieces for me and my wife. He had used the right amount of wasabi to balance the sweetness of kanpyo with more spiciness and giving us a complete, satisfying finish to the meal. Very good.

The miso soup was hot and brings a comfortable warming to the stomach, not overly salty. Good. Dessert was a homemade matcha pudding, with also black bean. A bit too sweet for my preference, but the pudding was silky soft and the matcha decent in quality. Good.

Service was good, with the staff courteous and attentive, and Chef Lung was friendly as well, introducing the ingredients to us throughout the meal. I was actually quite surprised at the variety of ingredients available for customers ordering the sushi set. And no wonder despite its relatively remote location in Sheung Wan, the restaurant was packed on a weekday evening. The bill was $4,224 and good value for money. It is a restaurant I intend to revisit again.

Wineshark Cooking Class - Turnip Pudding in a Bowl 碗蒸臘味蘿蔔糕

Ingredients (for 3):

• Turnip - 600g
• Dried small shrimps - 20g
• Chinese sausages - 1.5
• Rice flour - 3 tbsp
• Tapioca starch - 1.5 tbsp
• Salt - 1/2 tsp
• White pepper powder - 1/8 tsp

Procedures:

1. Steam the Chinese sausages until softened. 

2. Wash the dried small shrimps, and then soak in water until softened.

3. Peel the skin off the turnip, then cut into thick shreds.

4. Cook the shredded turnip in a pot at low heat, until the turnip turns to translucent. Then remove to cool down.

5. Cut the Chinese sausages into small pieces.

6. Cut the dried small shrimps into small pieces.

7. Heat the wok with 1 tbsp of oil, then stir-fry the Chinese sausages and dried small shrimps until fragrant.

8. Remove for later use.

9. Add tapioca starch and rice flour to the shredded turnip. Mix well.

10. Season with salt and white pepper powder, then add in the stir-fried Chinese sausages and dried small shrimps. Mix well.

11. Pour the mixture into a small bowl. 

12. Steam the turnip cake for 30 minutes under high heat.

13. Remove and put on serving plate.

14. Serve.

Wineshark HK Restaurant Review - New York Cut

After a tiring week handling the departure of our domestic helper, we decided to stay at The Pottinger this weekend for a break. For dinner, we had booked this American steakhouse, located on the adjacent building H Queen’s in Central.

The décor was classic, with wooden floorboards, a dark colour tone with soft lightings, large chandelier on the ceiling, and different art decorations. The tables were quite spaciously set, and from the open kitchen the large fire stove for grilling meat could be seen.

Starting with a glass of sparkling I had the Lanson Le Black Label Brut Champagne NV ($188). Pairing with the Homemade Sourdough with Garlic in Olive Oil and Smoked Butter. The bread was crunchy on the surface and soft on the inside. Very good.

For starter we had Parma Ham with Melon ($238), with the ham having nice savoury taste and not overly salty. The melon balanced the taste of ham by providing a bit of sweetness, with the balsamic vinegar integrating the flavours together. Good.

The Crab Crepe ($288) was highly recommended by the staff. Inside the pan-fried egg wrap was an abundance of king crab meat. Paired with a sauce made from apple and champagne vinegar, the crepe was good in taste, with the acidity of the sauce appetizing. Very good.

The US Jumbo Scallops ($258) had three large pieces of scallop that were seared and cooked to perfection, with nice caramel on the surface but still raw inside. With vegetables to go along, this starter had stronger flavours than the crepe but personally I preferred the latter. Good.

To pair with the Bone In Prime Rib ($1,888), following the sommelier’s recommendation, I chose the Spanish red wine, Enate Crianza Somontano 2018 ($128). The 20oz US steak soon arrived, very big in size, and the staff helped to carve out the meat table-side for us.

The steak had a good char on the surface, while the flesh was cooked to medium per request, juicy and good in flavours. Even without dipping in the sauce it was good in taste, and in fact could allow us to appreciate better the authentic and original taste of the meat. It had a bit of tendon and fat on the side though which we had to cut away. But overall, still very good.

We also ordered the Side Dish of French Fries ($78). Instead of normal potatoes, the French fries were made from sweet potatoes, with more flavours and a sweeter taste. It was enough to share for the two of us and no need to have one side dish per person.

For dessert, my wife has James Dean Fudge Sundae ($128), while I went for New Yorker Cheesecake ($118). Smaller than I originally assumed, the cheesecake had a yogurt sauce to go along, as well as a homemade raspberry sorbet to provide acidity to balance the sweetness. Good.

Service is very good, with the staff attentive and eager to help introduce the menu and made suggestions. The bill on the night was $3,434. Consider the overall experience and the food quality, it is reasonable. A good place for steak-lovers as they had meat from many countries, with also different cuts.

Wineshark HK Restaurant Review - Forum 富臨飯店

Which restaurant should I pick to celebrate my wife’s birthday? As she prefers Chinese cuisine, this year I have chosen Forum, as we have not come here for quite a while. In a very cold Wednesday evening, we arrived at the Michelin 3-star restaurant located at Sino Plaza in Causeway Bay.

Seated comfortably in the main dining room, the décor and setting had not changed since the last visit, with beautiful Chinese paintings and calligraphy, and the numerous recognitions founder chef Yeung Koon Yat had received throughout the years displayed on the wall.

We started with Braised Ah Yat Abalone with Goose Web in Hot Pot 阿一迷你鮑魚鵝掌煲 ($1,380). The staff has helpfully split this dish to two portions, served to us individually in claypot. The Yoshihama dried abalone had been braised to perfection, easily cut through by the knife, ‘sugary’ in the core, and the abalone sauce having amazing flavours. The goose web is delicious, its texture testimony to the impeccable mastery of cooking time and temperature by the chef, with also the thick meaty shiitake mushroom and broccoli complementing well. Excellent and a must order in my opinion.

Next, we had Deep-fried Pork with Dried Mandarin Peel in Sweet & Sour Sauce 陳皮咕嚕肉 ($300). The batter on the pork was very thin, with each piece fully coated with sauce of wonderful balance in sweet and sourness. We found that the shredded dried mandarin peel also did wonders by adding an extra layer of fragrance to the pork, without any weird or bitter aftertaste. It was so good we ended up finishing all the bell peppers, pineapple, and spring onion in the dish as well. Excellent.

Then we had Baked Conpoy with Crab Meat in Crab Shell 瑤柱焗釀蟹蓋 ($300 each). Beautifully golden in colour, with an appealing smell of conpoy, the large crab shell was stuffed with abundant crab meat that was cooked with onion and dried scallops, with spot-on seasoning to highlight the delicate sweetness of the crab meat while supplementing with savoury flavours of conpoy. Excellent.

The last dish was Sea Cucumber with Pork Floss in Hot Pot 魚香肉鬆遼參煲 ($980). Unlike the other restaurants where the minced pork tends to be quite salty, for this one we did not feel over-salty even without having rice to go along. The crunchy sea cucumber provided a contrast in texture, and up levelled the premium of the dish, also making the dish less oily compared with using eggplant. Very good.

For dessert, we had Traditional Black Sesame Roll 懷舊芝麻卷 ($90). Bringing back memories, I recalled having this dim sum regularly when young, but it was not offered in most restaurants nowadays. The taste was good, with a nice sesame note, but I hope it was thicker in size. Good.

We each had our own dessert too, with my wife picking Sweetened Red Bean Soup with Dried Mandarin Peel 新會陳皮紅豆沙 (free), while I had Hot Ginger Sweet Soup with Black Sesame Dumpling 薑汁芝麻湯圓 ($90). The sweet soup had an intense ginger note, a bit spicy but did warm the stomach comfortably. The dumplings were soft and chewy, with the sesame fillings appropriate on sweetness. Very good.

The bill on the night was $3,960. Many people might feel daunted when they heard about Forum and worried that it would cost a fortune to dine here. Certainly, it was not cheap, but there were many choices so you could order according to your budget. Most importantly, the dishes were all great, and service was also good. No wonder it was a full house on this weekday evening so advance booking was definitely required.