Wineshark HK Restaurant Review - Deluxe Restaurant 雅士餐廳

With the media hype about the closing of this restaurant in Luen Wo Hui, Fanling, we came here on a Friday to try it out. Arriving there, the first impression for me was that it really looked similar with Amigo on the outside, the renown French restaurant in Happy Valley. With the time already past the peak lunch hours, we got a table without problem.

Seated at a table on the window side, the interior décor also had certain similarities. The arches, brick walls and the overall ambience had a touch of Amigo too, but apparently in a more local and rudimentary style. Only the set lunch menu was available now due to the popularity, and we both picked Pan-Fried Pork Chop with Black Pepper Sauce ($98 each).

There was a choice of soup, and we had Russian Borscht, which also came with Soft Roll-n-Butter. The signature soup had the nostalgic taste of our memories, with the vegetables and beef stock integrating well, and the touch of spiciness weaving through the palate, exciting the appetite and warming the body. The soft roll was heated and fluffy on texture.

The pan-fried pork chop was only decent in taste though. Although very large in size, both the quality of the pork chop and the black pepper sauce was mediocre. To go with the pork chop I went for the spaghetti while my wife had French fries. There were also some blanched cabbage and carrots on the side.

Together with drinks, the bill on the day was $196. Service was decent for a neighbourhood restaurant, and we could see some regular customers having good chats with the staff. Considering the overall experience, I would rate them a Decent 63 points, can skip if you are more focus on the food.

Wineshark HK Restaurant Review - Sushi Koh

Taking over the space of the former Azito, located at FOCO in Central, where there are also several other well-known sushi restaurants on the same building, it shows the confidence of Sushi Koh, placing Chef Hirokuni Shiga and his team at centre stage with its circular layout, and the other 12-seats surrounding.

I ordered a bottle of 榮光富士 大吟釀 無濾過生原酒 聖域 Sanctuary Eikofuji Sanctuary Daiginjo Muroka Nama Genshu ($1,280) to pair with the Dinner Omakase ($2,480 each). This is one of the premium sakes from the brewery, with plenty of fruit and floral, silky and clean in texture, a good sake to pair with most of the food.

The first course featured Kochi コチ, Japanese Flathead Fish, a rare, prized fish with a firm texture and clean taste. It was the first time I had this as sashimi in all my years of eating Japanese food. Paired with soy sauce and wasabi.

The second course featured Akagai 赤貝, with the crunchy Ark Shell great in umami, paired with a ponzu sauce on top with some nice citrus acidity and a white miso sauce on the bottom for savoury. The shiso flowers further added fragrance.

The third course featured Katsuo 鰹, with the Skipjack Tuna having a wonderful texture. To complement, the chef had added myoga and spring onion to reduce the irony taste of the fish, supplemented with mashed yam and ponzu sauce.

Moving to sushi, the first piece was Shiro-Ika 白烏賊. The White Squid from Kyushu is tender on the bite, with the trick coming from how the chef meticulously cutting on the surface to break the squid and made it less chewy. Sweet in taste.

The second piece was Kasugo 春子鯛. The Young Seabream was a seasonal delicacy, with tender texture and a nice sweetness, with some dusted yuzu shavings on top to stimulate with an appealing citrus note. Wonderful in taste.

The third piece was Aji 鯵. The Horse Mackerel was paired with a bit of grated ginger and scallion on top as seasoning to mask any fishy notes which could throw people off if they did not like even just a tiny bit. This was very fresh, rich in umami.

The fourth piece was Kisu 鱚. The Japanese Whiting had a lean texture, with clean and refreshing flavours. The beautiful fish skin pattern was an easy way to distinguish this classic Edomae early-summer sushi.

The fifth piece was Nishin 鰊, with the Pacific Herring very soft and tender, virtually dissolving in the mouth. The chef had cut into many thin slices and put them together to make the sushi, with a bit of finely shredded onion for seasoning.

Going back to the course, the fifth one was Chawanmushi 茶碗蒸. The steamed egg custard contained Hamaguri 蛤, with the Asian Hard Clams giving additional rich umami flavours to the steamed egg, with a sweet corn puree on top.

The sixth course featured Awabi 鮑, and the Black Abalone was simply huge in size. Cutting the body into slices and wedges to offer two different bites, they were paired with the liver sauce for enhanced flavours, plus a cup of delicious broth on the side.

The seventh course featured Kamasu 魳, with the grilled Barracuda paired with some eggplant, scattered with maguro flakes on top, serving with a cold skipjack tuna broth. A nice summer dish to showcase the seasonal ingredients.

Returning to sushi, the sixth piece was Akami 赤身. The Lean Tuna was very tender in texture, having soaked in soy sauce for a brief while to infuse with the savoury which brought forward the umami flavours even further. Very delicious.

The seventh piece was O-Toro 大とろ, with the chef cutting three thin layers of the Fatty Tuna before kneading to sushi, breaking the chewy tendon. The rich fish oil was wonderful in taste, delicious but not excessively fatty like eating a piece of fat.

The eighth piece was Kohada 小鰭, with the Gizzard Shad salted and marinated in vinegar to give a unique taste. Another classic Edomae sushi which Chef Hiro-san perfected, another of my favorites in the evening.

Then came the eighth course of Taichio 太刀魚, with the meaty Largehead Hairtail nicely grilled over charcoal, with a crisp skin while the flesh remained moist. With a bit of mashed turnip on the side as condiment, great in taste.

The ninth sushi was Kuruma-Ebi 車海老. The Japanese Tiger Prawn was blanched perfectly, giving a bouncy texture and sweet taste that could only be enjoyed when eating them cooked.  

The tenth sushi was Nodoguro 喉黒, with the Blackthroat Seaperch lightly grilled on charcoal to vitalize the fish oil, leaving the flesh a beautiful pinkish hue. The fish oil was fragrant, with intense flavors, amazing in taste.

The eleventh sushi was Murasaki-Uni Temaki 紫海胆. The Purple Sea Urchin was creamy in texture, with a nice, sweet taste. The Chef had put a generous portion in the handroll, almost falling off the cone.

The twelfth piece was Ankimo 鮟肝, with the Chef adding a thin piece of narazuke on the Monkfish Liver before making the sushi, balancing the rich flavors with the unique fermented sake lees to a great effect.

The final piece was Anago Maki 穴子巻, where Chef Hiro-san had added the Conger Eel to the sushi rice along with some julienned cucumber to make the roll. The soft texture of the eel contrasted to the crunchy cucumber nicely.

For the Tamagoyaki 玉子焼, the baked Egg Omelet added with scallops and nagaimo to give an extra layer of umami. The steaming hot Miso Soup was a good way to warm the stomach after the meal, giving satisfying comfort.

Finally, the dessert was Almond Tofu with Melon. The almond tofu was appropriate in sweetness, smooth in texture, with the diced melon giving some additional bite, plus the puree on the bottom balancing with some acidity to freshen the palate.

Service was very good, with good interactions throughout the meal and the experience was pleasant and joyful. The bill on the night was $6,864. Considering the food quality and overall satisfaction I would rate them an Excellent 78 points, worth returning.

Wineshark HK Restaurant Review - Wing Nin Noodle 永年士多

This HK success story begins from the hard work of Mr. Leung Wing Nin, who started with nothing but pushing a cart to sell congee and food in the 60s in the Ping Shan community, who later opened his own store to sell household items in Yuen Long. The family also continues to sell cart noodles, and now in the third generation.

With 14 outlets all over Hong Kong with their own membership program plus online business, we came to Tuen Mun to try it out. It is a small shop and even though very packed, the place is neat and tidy. Fortunately, it was already past lunch hours, so we did not have to wait before getting a table.  

My wife had thin noodles幼麵 ($94), with also quite a few ingredients, including pig’s intestines 瘦豬腸, pig’s blood 豬紅, pig’s skin 豬皮, fish ball 陳皮魚蛋, turnip 蘿蔔, chicken wing tips 雞翼尖, and red sausage 紅腸. The spiciness of the soup could be adjusted too, and she got tiny spicy 微咖喱辣, together with hot milk tea 熱奶茶.

For me I have also thin noodles 幼麵 ($67) but choosing medium spiciness 中咖喱辣. I had less ingredients which included pig’s blood, fish ball, turnip, and chicken wings雞翼, together with cold milk tea 凍奶茶.  The taste was good, and we did not feel thirsty from MSG, and each of the ingredients were flavourful and good in quality.

At the same time, we had some snacks, including Shrimp Paste Siu Mai 熟蝦醬脆燒賣 ($16) and Sweet and Sour Gluten 淨酸齋 ($18). The siu mai was a bit too hard from deep-frying but the condiment was very good. The gluten was quite nice, with the right balance of sweet and sourness.

The pickup of the food was self-served, and navigating among the narrow spaces between tables could be tricky. The staff though was helpful and tried to take from us the dirty trays when we returned. The bill on the day was $195. Considering the food quality and experience I would rate them a Good 65 points, worth trying.

Wineshark HK Restaurant Review - Seventh Son Restaurant 家全七福

With people paying more attention to traditional Cantonese cuisine, a few renowned restaurants are becoming even more popular, drawing interests from Chinese and overseas tourists. One of the examples is Seventh Son, and despite the challenges in local dining industry, they continued to expand in China and Japan.

It was already five years since my last visit, and arriving at their Wanchai branch located at Wharney Hotel, the décor and ambience had not changed, with traditional table setting in the main dining area, and a few VIP rooms on the side. Seated at a table at the back, we had ordered several dishes on the night.

Starting with Honey Glazed Barbecued Chicken Liver 蜜汁燒鳳肝 ($260). The chicken liver were all big in size, beautifully grilled with honey to give a sweet and slightly charred surface, while the liver had a good bite and great in taste. It might not be very healthy, but it was fantastic in flavours, must have if you like innards.

We also had Fresh Lobster Meat 游水龍蝦球 ($2,512), having a medium-sized local live lobster, with the tail meat taken out to stir-fry. The lobster was sweet in taste, cooked perfectly with shallot to enjoy its original and true taste. It was truly the best way to enjoy a live lobster.

Even the head and legs of the lobster were not wasted, with the chef deep-frying them with garlic and chili salt, making the residual meat inside easier to be retrieved, also serving as another way to enjoy the lobster in stronger seasoning with the appetizing garlic and chili ‘kick’.

Another traditional dish we had was Deep-Fried Frog’s Legs with Garlic and Chili 椒鹽田雞腿 ($340). The frog’s legs were coated with a thin layer of batter, before deep-frying to maintain a juicy and tender texture, while the garlic and chili again adding appealing seasoning to the frog’s legs.

To balance the stronger flavours, Fried Bean Curd with Morel Mushroom 羊肚菌琵琶豆腐 ($320) was a good choice. The bean curd was crushed and mixed with finely chopped mushrooms, enriching with its nice fragrance, before deep-frying, paired with a thick oyster sauce on the side for flavours.

For desserts, we had Leaf Wrapped Glutinous Dumpling with Red Bean Paste 豆沙蘋葉角 ($70). This was a traditional dim sum but seldomly seen nowadays, using the leaf to wrap the glutinous dumpling to steam, to infuse a delicate fragrance, while the red bean paste filling was appropriate in sweetness. A very refined offering.

The other dessert was Sweetened Walnut Cream Soup 生磨合桃露 ($80). The walnut cream soup was homemade, making the effort to grind the walnuts very fine and not using the machine which tends to heat up the walnut to create an ‘off taste’. Also appropriate in sweetness, another nice one to wrap up the dinner with.

Service was good, with the staff attentive and courteous, though they could spend more time explaining the dishes. The bill on the night was $4,006. Considering the food quality and overall dining experience, I would rate this restaurant a Good 73 points, definitely worth trying.

Wineshark HK Restaurant Review - Xinjingxi Peking Hotpot 新京熹老北京涮肉火鍋

Many years ago, I got a chance to visit Beijing and enjoyed the traditional hotpot, made from copper and in the unique shape, for some very delicious mutton. Hearing this restaurant, which started in China, had now opened its outlet on Stanley Street in Central, today we came to see what they would offer.

Seated at a table on the window side looking out to the street, the tables were all on the side, with a small ‘platform’ in the middle. Apart from the main dining area, there were also a few VIP rooms on the side to cater for groups wanting more privacy. The décor was modern but decorated with some traditional cultural elements as well.

After choosing our own pot and soup base, we ordered the food. The first set was some hand cut mutton, including 90-day little Ningxia Tan Sheep 鮮切寧夏灘羊90天羔羊肉 ($299) and Back Tip鮮切寧夏灘羊羊背尖 ($299). The mutton was very tender, not strong on musky note, and personally I preferred the small sheep with the fat.

Next came Ningxia Yanchi Tan Sheep 雪花寧夏鹽池灘羊 ($399), and the thinly sliced mutton was from the famous breed grown in Yanchi, feeding on forage resistant to salt and alkaline, resulting in meat that did not have any musky note. Well balanced in fat and lean, it was the pinnacle of mutton and best among the meat on the night.

Apart from mutton, we also had some Tofu 潮州鮮豆腐 + 凍豆腐 ($39) and Shrimp Paste 蟹肉北海鮮蝦滑 ($139). The two types of tofu provided different texture, with the fresh silky soft while the frozen one porous so able to absorb the flavours of the stock. The shrimp paste was sweet in taste, with some crab meat mixed for extra premium.

We also had the Grilled Mutton Skewers 草飼羊肉串 ($99) per the suggestion from the staff. Able to adjust the amount of cumin and spiciness, the mutton was juicy and flavourful, and the enticing cumin was sharp but not overly spicy. The serving had got five skewers, and it was certainly great pairing with icy cold beer.

To wrap up we had a basket of Assorted Yunnan Fresh Mushroom 原產地雲貴川鮮菌 ($169), which included cordyceps, termite mushroom, ganba mushroom, bamboo pith, yellow ear, wood ear, and many that I could not name. With different texture and flavours, it was a good complement to all the meat on the night.

During the meal, there were two sessions of short Peking opera, performed by a lady dressed in the opera costume. Service was good but lacking the hospitality I found when visiting similar restaurants in China. The bill on the night was $1,912. I would rate this restaurant a Good 68 points, worth trying.