Wineshark HK Restaurant Review - China Tang 唐人館

This restaurant is under the Lai Sun Dining group and started at The Dorchester in London in 2007, offering refined Chinese cuisine to the local community. This HK flagship was opened in 2013, at The Landmark, and has been awarded One-Michelin-Star in 2026, under Executive Chef Menex Cheung.

Seated at a corner of the main dining area, the décor is infused with many traditional Chinese arts of refined details, including hand-painted and embroidered wallpaper, classic thread-bound books, and many contemporary artworks. The plush carpet and chandeliers also offer a comfortable and luxury dining experience.

I have a bottle of Jiangyu Ferment Grechetto 2023 ($980) to go with the food tonight. The independent and up-and-coming winemaker Jiang Yu uses grapes from Yantai to make this white wine, with medium texture and plenty of lemon and spiced kumquats notes, an interesting wine and versatile to pair with food.

The meal begins with two starters. Sous-Vide Fresh Abalone, Pickled Mustard Cabbage, Peppercorn 鹹酸菜椒麻慢煮鮮鮑魚 ($238) has the abalone slow cooked to wonderful tenderness, with its umami taste supplemented with the sour and salty flavours of pickled mustard cabbage, further enhanced by a touch of spiciness from the Sichuan peppercorns. Overall complex yet harmonious and delicious in taste.

The second starter is Marinated Cauliflower, Lees and Fermented Bean Curd Paste 酒糟腐乳拌菜花 ($88). Although it might look simple, the cauliflower is crunchy, cooked together with a special mix of lees from rice wine fermentation and fermented bean curd paste, giving rich savoury notes on top of the sweetness of the cauliflower.

Then comes one of the signatures, Tang’s Honey Roasted Barbecued Pork 唐人館叉燒 ($388). Made from Iberico pork, the char siu is juicy and tender, with a delicious honey glaze on the surface while the meat has been marinated well and flavourful. With a bit of slight burnt on the edges, it is one of the best I have eaten.

For the soup, my wife has picked Boiled Pig’s Lung Soup with Almond Cream 杏汁鮮白肺湯 ($238). The delicate almond cream fragrance and the white cabbage combine to offer a delicious soup that is sweet in taste, with the pig’s lung thoroughly cleaned and without any weird note. Very nicely done.

I have Tang’s Hot and Sour Fish Maw Soup 唐人館酸辣花膠羹 ($288). With plenty of ingredients, including tofu, fish maw, wood-ear, bamboo shoot, conpoy and other delicacies, all finely shredded, the soup has a great balance of spicy and sourness. Checking off all my requirements for a wonderful hot and sour soup.

Both of us have Deep-Fried Crab Meat, Onion, Mushroom, Cream served in Crab Shell 生拆蟹粉炸釀蟹蓋 ($298 each). While the crab shell is not too big, it is stuffed to the full with crab meat, which has been stir-fried with onion, mushroom and cream, before deep-frying to a golden-brown crust. Very delicious and does not feel oily.

The other main dish we have Pan-Fried Chicken Fillet, Ginger, Chives, Moutai Wine 酒香茅台生煎雞 ($588). Prepared on table side, the staff pour a shot of the premium Moutai wine on the chicken before torching to burn off the alcohol, leaving its unique savoury fragrance, together with ginger and chives, on the tender chicken fillets.

For dessert, my wife has Sweetened Red Bean Cream, Aged Tangerine Peel, Black Sesame Glutinous Rice Dumpling 三十五年東甲老陳皮紅豆沙湯丸 ($88). The red bean cream has appropriate viscosity, not too sweet, and the intense fragrance of aged tangerine peels harmonized well with the soup. A high-quality dessert.

For me, I take Chilled Ice Jelly, Walnuts, Peanuts, Assorted Fruit, Rose Mint Syrup 唐人館冰粉 ($98). The Sichuan dessert mixes transparent chilled icy jelly, the chef added some nuts like walnut and peanuts to give a bite, with some fresh food for its acidity, and drizzled with the rose mint syrup to sweeten. Nicely done.

Service is very good, with the staff attentive, eager to help, and while not having time to introduce and explain the dishes, one can feel the sincerity. The bill on the night is $4,055 and considering the overall dining experience and food quality, I would rate this restaurant an Excellent 80 points, worth returning.

Wineshark Cooking Class - Crystal Chicken Plum Ginger Tomato Spaghetti 水晶雞梅薑番茄義大利麵

Ingredients (for 2):

• Spaghetti - 160g
• Chicken breast - 100g
• Marinated plum - 4
• Spring onion - 2 tbsp
• White dashi - 2 tbsp
• Olive oil - 2 tbsp
• Tomato paste - 2 tbsp
• Grated ginger - 2 tsp
• Water from cooking paste - 150ml

Procedures:

1. Cut the chicken breast into bite sizes.

2. Season the chicken breast with pinches of salt. Then coat with tapioca starch.

3. Pan-fry the chicken breast until almost cooked.

4. Remove the pip from the marinated plum

5. Chop the spring onion into small pieces.

6. Cook the spaghetti in boiling water for 2 minutes less than the time recommended on the package.

7. Transfer the spaghetti to the pan with chicken breast.

8. Add in water from cooking the pasta, white dashi, olive oil, tomato paste, grated ginger, and marinated plum.

9. Cook under medium-low heat until the sauce boils, then continue to cook for 2-3 minutes until the sauce is dried.

10. Serve with the spring onion sprinkled on top.

Wineshark Cooking Class - Stir Fried Pig Tongue 小炒豬脷

Ingredients (for 4):

• Pig's tongue - 1
• Yellow chives - 150g
• Red bell pepper - 1
• Ginger - 50g
• Garlic - 3 cloves
• Bean paste - 1 tbsp
• Sugar - 1/2 tsp
• Shaoxing wine - 1 tsp

Procedures:

1. Put the pig's tongue in boiling water to cook for 15 minutes.

2. Remove the pig's tongue and flush in cold water for 3 minutes.

3. Use the chopper to remove the tough surface of the tongue.

4. Cut the root of the tongue out, then cut in half. Cut the three pieces of tongue into thin slices.

5. Remove the seeds from the red bell pepper and cut into strips.

6. Cut the yellow chives into sections.

7. Cut the ginger and garlic into slices.

8. Heat the wok with 1 tbsp of oil, then add in ginger and garlic to stir-fry until fragrant.

9. Add in pig's tongue slices, bean paste and sugar to stir-fry. Sprinkle with Shaoxing wine.

10. Add in red bell pepper and yellow chives. Stir-fry briefly.

11. Serve.

Wineshark HK Restaurant Review - Chouchou

This restaurant is located at J Residence in Wanchai, at the same place where Café Bau used to be. Today we came here to experience what this French brasserie has prepared and whether there are some signature dishes to recommend.

The layout has not changed, and we are seated at a table on the side, but not on the window front. The kitchen is at the far end, with a glass wall allowing customers to see through to the activities inside. There is also a bar on another side.

We start with Palourdes en Persillade ($188). The local clams are cooked with parsley and garlic butter, plus white wine. A wedge of lemon is put on the side to add acidity if desire. The clams are tender, with the herbs and paprika enriching the flavours.

Next are Crab Rolls ($98 each). Served in toasted bun, the crab mayonnaise has plenty of crab meat mixed with dressing, along with chives, finely chopped green apple pieces, and lemon zest. A nice combination of salad with bread.

For the main dish we picked Poulet Chasseur ($298). The grilled chicken legs and served together with some smoked pork belly, along with Parisian mushroom and pearl onions, in Chasseur sauce, which are a good match for the chicken.

The other main course is Tournedos Rossini ($458). The beef tenderloin is tender and juicy, with a piece of pan-seared foie gras sitting on top, dressed with a flavourful black truffle jus together with some crouton bread for additional texture.

For dessert, my wife goes for Fraises ($108), which has strawberry and raspberry sorbet to give a refreshing acidity, not too sweet, with some strawberry mint gel and fresh berries to go with crumbs.

I go for Tarte Tatin ($128), with the traditional caramelized apple tart served warm, and having a vanilla ice cream sitting on top. As it melts, the ice cream combines with the tartness of the apple tart nicely, well-balanced and not feeling luscious.

Service is good, with the staff friendly and nice. Together with two glasses of wine and a mocktail, the bill on the night is $2,031. Considering the food quality and overall quality, I would rate this restaurant a Good 65 points, worth trying.

Wineshark HK Restaurant Review - Mikasaya 三笠屋

It’s been a while since I last visited Motoyama san, and today, also to thank my sister-in-law for her help in our recent home renovation, we returned to Mikasaya, pre-ordering the special Omakase set ($2,000 each) for the three of us. At 7pm sharp, we come to The L. Square in Causeway Bay.

Greeting Chef Motoyama warming, I asked for his recommendation for sake, picking Ohmine 3grain Aiyama Usunigori 大嶺 三粒米 愛山 うすにごり ($1,200). Made from the prized sake rice Aiyama, this seasonal sake has a slight cloudiness, with subtle creamy, slightly sparkling texture, clean and crisp, with lychee and peach aromas.

The refreshing starter features Hotategai, with the sweet scallop having some homemade dashi jelly on top to give extra umami and acidity, and Bafun-Uni for its sweetness. On the side are some poached tender Asparagus. Decorated with some shiso flowers, it is a delicious and light appetizer to start the dinner.

As on all occasions, Chef Motoyama took out a slab of Karasumi, the pollock roes where he salted and dried by himself, cutting a slice before torching it on the surface.  One of Japan’s top three delicacies for its intense umami flavours, it is great as a complement with sake as well.

Next course is Sakura-Ebi Chawanmushi, with the silky soft steamed egg custard having delicious umami flavours, hot in temperature, with the tiny pink shrimps adding savoury taste and an extra layer of crispy texture. Together with plenty of spring onion it is both colourful and flavourful.

Then comes two sashimi, including Aori-Ika and Karei. The Big-fin Reef Squid has a tender texture, sweet and not difficult to chew, while the Marbled Japanese Flounder has a mild yet delicately sweet taste, with also a good bite. Paired with shoyu and wasabi for the former, as well as ponzu for the latter, both super delicious.

The Awabi is large, and after cutting into slices, Chef Motoyama pours some of the liver sauce on top, with a rich buttery note adding to the savoury notes of the grounded abalone liver, with amazing flavours but not a hint of any bitterness. On top is a piece of sansho leaves to decorate to good effect.

The sushi follows, with the first flight covering seven different delicacies. The first piece is Shima-Aji, with the Striped Jack Mackerel having a firm bite but also delicate sweetness.

The second piece features Shima-Ebi, with the prized Striped Prawn having a creamy sweetness on top of its unique soft texture. While many will compare with ama-ebi, its flavours are richer and having a firmer texture than the sweet shrimps.

The third piece is Akami Zuke, with Chef Motoyama marinated the lean tuna in shoyu for a short while to infuse it with the savoury taste, supplementing the rich iron flavours while softening the texture to great smooth and tenderness.

The fourth piece is Aji, with the Japanese Horse Mackerel one of my favourites, being a silver-skinned fish with its rich fish taste while not going to more extreme of fishiness. It has a clean finish and best with the grated scallion as condiment.

The fifth piece is the seasonal Torigai. The Japanese cockle is large, with a crunchy texture while having more mildly sweet flavours. Well-balanced in all aspects, it is a shellfish well-liked by many foodies, including myself.

The sixth piece features Kinmedai, with the Splendid Alfonsino has mild, rich and buttery flavours with also good umami taste. Its good fattiness is pleasant, and the bright red skin is easily recognized for celebratory occasions.

The seventh piece has Shiro-Uni, with the white sea urchin large, with a clean taste. Wrapped in nori sheet to ensure it can hold up and easy to eat, it has nice sweetness and not the briny notes of the other varieties.

Taking a break on the sushi, we are served Kinki, freshly grilled inside the kitchen. The prized deep-water fish has good fattiness, best to enjoy together with the grated daikon which helps to reduce the heavy sensation of the fish oil.

The eighth piece is Kohada, and I have missed Gizzard Shad for its unique taste. With each chef having their unique recipe of the marinade, I like the acidity of the cured fish which is balanced and harmonized with the umami and savoury.

The ninth piece is Hamaguri, and the Asian Hard Clam is big, totally engulfing the shari. The poached clam has a wonderful umami taste, and the firm yet tender texture is pleasant. A satisfying piece of sushi.

Then we have Ankimo, with the steamed Monkfish Liver marinated in a homemade broth to infuse with further umami, rich and amazing in taste, with some chopped Narazuke to add some crunchy, unique fermented wine notes. On the side are some yuzu sansho for seasoning.

Returning to sushi, the tenth piece is Tokishirazu, with the Chum Salmon having a very fatty texture, feeling like eating a O-Toro. The rich and sweet taste are top-notch for salmon, but it is only available in early summer.

The eleventh piece is Chu-Toro, with the Medium-Fatty Tuna having a rich fish oil permeating the whole mouth on the bite, intense on umami and flavours, with also a very tender texture.

The twelfth piece is Isaki, with the chef lightly torched the skin of the Chicken Grunt, giving it a bit of smoky note and vitalizing the rich fish oil, making it fragrant and delicious. A good one to finish the night’s sushi.

Finally comes the best dish in my opinion, Ramen in Fish Soup. The highlight is apparently the fish soup, made with huge number of fish heads and bones, together with ginger, with simply unbelievable flavours of umami, served steaming hot.

The dessert is the Homemade Tomato Sorbet. Refreshing and not too sweet, it is best for the summer season, and helps to cleanse the palate, offering a comfortable and satisfying closure of another wonderful meal on the night.

Service is great, with Chef Motoyama remains fun and energetic as always, and sharing with me many kind reminders as a friend which I appreciate so much. The bill on the night is $7,920. Considering food quality and overall experience, I continue to rate them an Excellent 80 points, worth returning.