Wineshark Home Cooking - Pan-fried Dumplings 煎餃

Ingredients (for 2):

• Chive - 100g
• Pork - 150g
• Dumpling dough - 24 pieces
• Ginger - 2 tsp
• Vinegar - 1 tbsp
• Soy sauce - 1 tbsp
• Chili bean paste - 1/2 tbsp
• Soy sauce - 1 tsp
• Sesame oil - 1 tsp
• Tapioca starch - 1 tbsp
• Oil - 1 tbsp

Procedures:

1. Chop and mince the pork into patty.

2. Chop the chives finely.

3. Chop the ginger pieces finely.

4. Mix pork with chives and ginger, then add in soy sauce, sesame oil, and tapioca starch. Mix well.

5. Put a small amount of the fillings inside the dumpling dough, then wipe a bit of water on the edges, and knead the dumpling together. 

6. Mix soy sauce, vinegar and chili bean paste to form the dipping sauce.

7. Heat the pan with oil, then pan-fry the dumplings at medium heat for 2 minutes.

8. Pour in 1/3 cup of water, cover with lid and simmer for 3-4 minutes, until the water is dried up.

9. Serve with the dipping sauce.

Wineshark Mystery Restaurant - Man Wah 文華廳

Finishing my 2-week non-stop holiday eating spree, the final one I am visiting is my favourite Chinese restaurant Man Wah, located in Mandarin Oriental Hong Kong. As it is the New Year Eve, there are two seatings and I have reserved the first one starting at 6pm, also to avoid the big crowd in Central as there will be shows and countdown on the night.

Seated at the same table we are assigned every time, it is sad to hear the manager, who has looked after us in the last few years, is moving to another restaurant of the hotel, but we are also happy that he is having the opportunity to work and grow his experience in other cuisine, as part of the group’s internal people development program apparently.

I start off with a glass of Champagne Jacquesson Cuvee 746 Extra-Brut NV ($348). The champagne is very crisp with bright acidity, highly refreshing, with a nice citrus and floral nose, baked bread and minerality. 

For appetizers we start with Marinated Jellyfish Head with Spring Onion Oil 蔥油海蜇頭 ($288). The crunchy jellyfish head is thick and large, trimmed to a disc-shaped which looks to me like a large gold coin. Marinated with fragrant spring onion oil, it is rich in aromas and a very good one to begin the meal.

Then comes a must-order in my opinion. Deep-fried Matsutake Mushroom Pudding 太史松茸戈渣 ($390) is a specialty from the chef and is not available for most restaurants. The golden-brown pudding is deep-fried perfectly, with a crisp skin, and silky soft interior full of amazing mushroom and savoury flavours, from the egg and superior broth mix. 

The second glass of wine is Domaine Mongeard Mugneret Bourgogne Aligote 2023 ($298). It is a crisp dry white with fresh pear and apple, as well as floral notes. The wine is simple yet versatile to match with a lot of seafood dishes. 

A new dish we try on the night is Sauteed Lobster in Superior Fish Broth 極品魚湯泡龍蝦球 ($748). The meaty lobster tail is first baked, then poached in a superior broth prepared from the bones of garoupa, picking up its sweetness and delicate taste, as well as umami flavours, enhancing the overall enjoyment. Together with some ikura, or salmon roes, that has been soaked in sake, and shaved bottarga for its savoury, it is truly phenomenal.

For soup, we order separately. I picked Hot and Sour Soup 鮮蟹肉海鮮酸辣羹 ($348). The soup has a good balance of spiciness and sourness, intense in flavours, and have plenty of ingredients, with crab meat, scallops, fish maw, conpoy, tofu, wood-ear to name a few that I did recall. Very good and tasty. 

My wife has Double-boiled Almond Soup 杏汁菜膽燉海螺湯 ($468). Instead of the more commonly seen pig’s lung, the chef has thoughtfully changed it to something less exotic, but equally tasty, featuring whelk instead. With some Chinese cabbage to provide sweetness to the soup and giving a bite, the delicious and fragrant almond soup is also amazing.

Coming to my third glass of wine, I have chosen Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars Karia Chardonnay 2023 ($328). This Napa white has a ripe tropical fruit and having seen ageing in oak but has shown more restraint, with a creamy note but not overly coconut or too much vanilla. A bright and cheerful palate with a bit of spice on top of the fruit and oak.

Then comes another of the signatures, Steamed Chicken Skin Stuffed with Shrimp Paste 江南百花雞 ($736). A pure showmanship of culinary skills, the chicken skin is removed from the breast and replaced with the stuffed shrimp paste as if it is chicken meat. After steaming, the chicken juice is used to make the sauce. The bouncy texture and delicious flavours, the interesting experience of not having the chicken but having its flavours, and together with some tender choi sum to accompany, it is another of the must try in my opinion.

A seasonal dish for winter, Braised Lamb Belly in Casserole 古法雙冬扣羊腩煲 ($638) does not disappoint, with the tender and flavourful lamb belly served in a sizzling hot claypot, together with shiitake mushroom and bamboo shoot. The flavours are intense and rich but will not cause any thirstiness. I like to dip with a bit of fermented beancurd which adds wonders to the flavours. Another seasonal dish not to miss.

The last wine I have on the night is Xige Estate N28 Malbec 2022 ($268). This Chinese red from Ningxia has a good floral and fruit forward style, showing plenty of violet and dark fruit of blackberry, and rich aromas of plum. Powerful, and is a nice match with the lamb and other more intense flavoured dishes. Worth trying this out. 

Coming to an end, we have Fried Rice in Casserole Chiu Chow Style 潮式砂鍋炒飯 ($388). The rice is served in claypot, with each grain distinct and glistering, adding lots of spring onion, together with shrimp, pork, preserved olive and vegetable, and while it looks simple, able to make this to the perfect harmony of each component is not small feat. Even with a full stomach we finish the whole portion. Unstoppable in fact. 

For dessert, my wife has Red Bean Cream 遠年陳皮紅豆沙 ($128). A well-balanced sweetness that is not excessive, there are enough red beans to provide the bite, with also some aged tangerine peel added to provide a nice fragrance. I have the Almond Cream 蛋白杏仁茶湯圓 ($128), delicious also, with egg white and sesame dumpling, and finishing our dinner with satisfaction and happiness. 

Service is great, as always, and there is also a live guzheng show, with beautiful music accompanying our dinner throughout the evening. The bill on the night is $6,369. Considering the food quality, service and overall dining experience, Man Wah remains my top and favourite Cantonese restaurant in town. I rate them an Excellent 88 points. Must try. 

Wineshark Cooking Class - White Baits Shoyu Creamy Spaghetti 魩仔魚醬油奶香義大利麵

Ingredients (for 2):

• Spaghetti - 160g
• Dried white baits - 60g
• Spring onion - 4 tbsp
• White dashi - 2 tbsp
• Olive oil - 2 tbsp
• Ginger - 2 tsp
• Milk - 150ml

Procedures:

1. Cook the spaghetti in boiling water for 2 minutes less than the time recommended on the packaging. 

2. Transfer the spaghetti to a frying pan.

3. Pour in white dashi, olive oil, minced ginger, dried white baits, and milk to the spaghetti. 

4. Turn to medium heat and cook until the sauce starts to boil.

5. Turn to lower heat and continue to cook for 2-3 minutes.

6. Serve with the chopped spring onion on top.

Wineshark Mystery Restaurant - Nagamoto

I like going to Japan, just like most HK people, and one thing I continuously look forward is to enjoy the kaiseki meals staying in the ryokan, with the wide range of food and dishes, both hot and cold, featuring seasonal ingredients and lots of artistic presentations. Back in HK, besides sushi, I also love to visit kappou, and Nagamoto is the one I go most often.

Located on 8/F of 18 On Lan Street, the staff warmly greets us when we step out from the elevator. Some can call us by name as we have been here a few times, and one as recently as a couple of weeks before. Seated at the end of the L-shaped counter, and after waiting a bit for other customers to arrive, the dinner then starts. 

After enjoying the special Zuwai-Gani Dinner early in the month, this time they are featuring back the December Shun Menu 師走の献立 ($2,680 each). I have a bottle of Jikon 而今 特別純米 無濾過生酒 ($2,080). The sake has a nice rich rice fragrance, the sweetness on the palate is well-balanced from its acidity. Very pleasant and easy to match with food.

Soon the appetizer 先付 is served, featuring Kobako-Gani 香箱蟹外子餡掛け. With the shell and claw of the female snow crab as decoration, the chef has meticulously removed the crab meat, with some seasonal shungiku, celery and ginger on top, and pour a vinegar mixed with crab roes. The delicate taste of crab meat, the poppy and savoury crab roes, and the refreshing acidity of the vinegar, offers a great combination of flavours. A fantastic start.

While we enjoy the crab, Chef Nagamoto prepares dashi, shaving bonito flakes and putting them into boiling water briefly to extract umami flavours. The dashi is then used for clear soup 煮物椀, featuring Seasonal Nodoguro Grilled with Sake and Salt, as well as Yodo-Daikon 旬魚酒塩焼 淀大根. Upon opening the lid there is a nice yuzu fragrance from the peel. The bluefish has rich fish oil, tender and full of flavours. The crown daisy, carrot and turnip not only give variation in colour and texture, but it is also healthy and wholesome. 

The sashimi on the day 本日のお造り includes a wide assortment of fresh and delicious seafood. Hirame has a nice bite with mild and delicate flavours, together with a small piece of prized engawa. Hotategai has been lightly seared and paired with ginger to highlight its sweetness. Aori-Ika has wonderful tenderness, rich in umami and sweetness. Uni is sweet and high quality, while Akami and Toro demonstrates the smooth texture and the delicious rich fish oil of the tuna accordingly. Apart from wasabi and shiso, there are some touches of beauty like red radish to make the whole experience both great in taste and visual.

Finishing the sashimi, we can see the artworks on the plates. In fact, these are modeled after Karuta 歌留多, the traditional Japanese card game, featuring poems, paintings, and proverbs, and the players are to quickly matching cards. The team tells us this set of plates are only used for December, and we applaud the effort to weave in and highlight their culture in the whole dining experience.

Then comes 御凌ぎ, traditionally a Small Dish serving in the middle of a kaiseki meal. 煮穴子飯蒸し has the conger eel grilled with the soy sauce to a nice golden brown colour but not having any burnt marks, on top of steamed glutinous rice which absorbs the oil from the eel for a fantastic taste, plus a bit of Japanese pepper, sansho, to season for its unique fragrance and special prickling.

Hassun 八寸 is always an important element in kaiseki, to showcase the seasonal ingredients. 七福菜盛り あんかけ is a stew in thick dashi sauce comprising seven ingredients with ‘luck’ in the name, including pumpkin, lotus root, carrot, gingko, agar, green beans, sea cucumber. 鮟肝 金柑卸し 甲南漬 has the delicious monkfish liver paired with iconic narazuke, and some mashed radish with kumquat dressings, with good balance. いくら卸し 出汁巻玉子 is chef’s signature tamagoyaki, very delicious with the umami dashi flavours combined well with the egg, plus some ikura and mashed radish as complement.  

The Deep-Fried Dish 揚物 has 雲子天婦羅 海老芋 子持昆布. The batter of all the tempura is thin, not feeling oily. The large piece of cod milt has creamy texture, without any weird taste, to go with the dipping sauce. Ebi-imo is a specialty taro from Kyoto, having a curved shape and strips on the skin like prawn, with a wonderful soft texture. On the skewer is komochi kombu, crunchy herring roes sticking to kelp, which has been breaded to deep-fry. Another piece not on menu is Yukishita, an herbal plant which has medicinal properties to remove the greasy mouthfeel.

Coming to Special Course 進肴, featuring 松葉蟹 キャビア 聖護院蕪酢漬. Using sliced, vinegar-marinated Kyoto turnip, the chef has wrapped the snow crab leg meat inside. On top there are some prized caviar, shiso flowers, and vinegar jelly, making a very harmonious dish that can highlight the delicate taste of crab, and having good acidity to freshen the palate for the main course.

Main Course 鉢物 is Wagyu Shabu-Shabu 和牛しゃぶ吹雪餡かけ. Seeing the beautiful A5 Miyagi wagyu beef thinly sliced, with a nice spread of the ‘snowflakes’ fat is already mouth-watering. Cooking it in shabu shabu, it is paired with Japanese leek and mizuna, or Japanese mustard greens, together with a thick clear sauce made from turnip. With a bit of wasabi as condiment, the beef is surreal in taste, matching well with the vegetables and not feeling any fattiness at all.

Rice 食事 features 鰤大根釜飯 漬物 味噌汁, with the rice cooked in traditional clay pot, highlighting the seasonal buri, or yellowtail, which signifies advancement in Japan culture. The rice is very fragrant, with some crisps, and included sesame and pickled daikon mixing. Together with miso soup and pickles, it is so good that I cannot help but finish four bowls in one go.

Dessert 甘味と抹茶 is 季節の果物 和菓子. With some seasonal fruit including pear, blueberry, mandarin orange, and grapefruit, coupled with champagne jelly. The other one is the traditional Japanese wagashi. The chef takes a lot of effort to pound and knead the rice paste, rolling it to a thin sheet to wrap a sweet strawberry and red bean paste, before dusting it with icing sugar. Finishing all we are served the matcha, in the traditional manner, to complete a great meal with satisfaction and content. 

Service is very good, and the staff are very friendly, eager to chat with us, explaining the dishes, and because we are regular now, they are relaxed and happy to have casual conversations. The bill on the night is $8,184. With their high-quality food and overall fantastic experience, I would rate this restaurant an Excellent 88 points. Must try.

 

Wineshark Mystery Restaurant - Amigo Restaurant

When I was a student, the bus I took to school went around the Happy Valley Racecourse, so passing by this historic French restaurant every day. Known for the celebrity and super rich clients, even when I can afford and have been to many Michelin restaurants all over the world, somehow, I still have not been here after all these years. 

As part of my holiday dining spree this year, I decided to come and experience what special magic they hold, to maintain this status for such long time. Stepping out from the car, the staff at the entrance greets us and leads us inside to the foyer, which are beautifully decorated, with amazing pattern floor tiles, nice wooden wall panels with intricate details. 

Walking up the stairs to the upper floor, we are seated at a circular banquette at the back. The wooden ceiling, arch columns, and plastered walls create a warm chalet atmosphere. All the details, from the silverwares and chandeliers to the beautiful wooden furniture and wine bucket on the side, combine to offer us a great nostalgic feeling.

The restaurant is promoting its Winter Temptation Menu ($1,480 each), which got options in soup, starter, and main course. Instead of going for the wine pairing, I decide to open a bottle of Pol Roger Vintage Brut 2018 ($1,200), to enjoy a vintage champagne which I found is always a good food pairing option involving different types of food. 

The Amuse Bouche is Duck Terrine, with some salad vegetable and cherry tomato together. The classic French appetizer is decent in taste, with a bit of fruit chutney to add flavours. A rather standard start without surprise. The homemade bread is quite good though, and we are impressed by the presentation of the butter, in the form of a rose flower. 

The first course is Premium Caviar ‘Blinis’. Each person is served with a small can of caviar from Heilongjiang, and on the side are some blinis, a type of small Russian pancakes, with also sour cream, and chopped onion, egg white and yolk. Making our own combination of caviar on blinis with different condiments, they are quite delicious. 

For the soup, both of us have chosen Ox-Tail Consomme. The clear soup is intense in flavours, with a rich and pure taste of beef. Inside the soup are some carrot and zucchini balls for a bite, as well as a touch of sherry, to give its signature oxidative taste. Finishing with some truffle shaved on top, the soup is very delicious and hearty. 

I have Hokkaido Scallop Vol-au-Vent for the starter. Using puff pastry to bake a hollow, flaky shell, the diced scallops are prepared in a creamy sauce, and then put into the shell, together with a lobster espuma to give extra dimension of flavours. A crunchy beetroot tuile, with some greens and black sesame, are put on top for a contrast in texture. 

My wife has Pan-Seared Duck Liver, with the foie gras beautifully pan-seared, showing nicely caramelized surface while remains creamy soft inside. A capsule of the balsamic reduction allows the addition of the right amount to balance the fattiness, while the tangerine and kumquat jelly gives the citrus acidity to freshen the palate.

To transition to the main course, a Grapefruit Sorbet is served, to cleans our palate. The sorbet also has a story, with the recipe coming from the time before the restaurant has relocated from Causeway Bay to the current location in 1976, so they are serving this sorbet even before we were born! 

Coming to the main course, I have picked Australian Lobster with Truffle and Beef Tenderloin. The lobster is meaty, sweet in taste while the tenderloin is tender and juicy, with a rich truffle sauce having nice savoury flavours. On the side are some vegetables, including brussels sprouts, carrots, and baked potato. A nice surf and turf. 

My wife has Wagyu Beef Cheeks, which is also very soft having been braised for long hours, full of collagen, and is served on both of some mashed potato and a rich meaty gravy, with some grilled maitake mushroom and pickled beetroot on the side, together with some ginkgo. The better option if you want a richer course.

Before dessert, we are served Chilled Fruit Jus. Manager Geoffrey offers us a game, promising me a glass of nice wine if I can guess the four components of the beverage. I somehow manage to get it right, includes melon, lime, kumquat and passion fruit. As promised, he treated me a glass of very nice old vintage port as reward.

For dessert it is a Cashew Nut Cake, coated with a chocolate with bits of hazelnuts. Underneath is some cashew, with also a fresh raspberry on top. Feeling contented, Geoffrey also brings us to visit the cellar, allowing us to use the large key to open its door and see the premium wines they have kept. 

Service is nice, with the staff very friendly and interactive, having some nice conversations with us which are fun and informative, telling us some background and history of the restaurant. The bill on the night is $4,664. The food is nice but not exceptional. Still, considering the overall experience, I rate it an Excellent 83 points. Worth returning.