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.

Wineshark HK Restaurant Review - Keung Kee Since 1983 強記乳鴿1983

When I was young it was popular for people to go to Shatin to have roasted pigeons and chicken congee. This has become much less common nowadays but hearing that one of the famous restaurants is still offering them, we came to Garden Rivera in Shatin today, to revisit these local delicacies.

As the restaurant is very busy, we need to wait a while before getting our table. The décor is typical with the tables very packed and close to each other but also offer the unique lively and energetic vibe that is seldomly seen nowadays in the local dining scene. We decided to order the signature pigeon and congee plus some dim sum for lunch.

Starting with Signature Roasted Pigeon 強記招牌乳鴿 ($68), we decided to go for one each. The pigeon is marinated well, good in flavors, juicy and not oily. It is also quite large, and on hindsight it is better for us to order one to share instead, so we can try other dishes.

Then comes the dim sum. Steamed Dace Fish Ball 彈跳鯪魚球 ($26.8) has three meaty dace fish balls which have a good bouncy texture, with some coriander and preserved sausages inside to elevate the flavors. With a bit of white pepper powder and soy sauce, delicious.

Deep-Fried Glutinous Rice Dumpling 金珠鹹水角 ($26.8) has four pieces, each having puffy glutinous skin, showing that they are prepared on order. The fillings are of nice savory taste, and another nicely done dim sum.

The highlight of Signature Chicken Congee 招牌雞粥小鍋 ($78) is not chicken, but the congee, with a creamy and velvety texture, flavorful from the chicken, which has been pan-fried before putting in to prepare the congee. The small portion is good for 3-4 people.

Seeing the restaurant also offers traditional Black Sesame Roll 菲林黑芝麻卷 ($35.8), we also have that for dessert. With generous four strips, it is good in texture, but I think the sesame roll is a bit short in fragrance.

Service is decent, with the staff friendly despite being very busy. The bill on the day is $358, which is very reasonable. Considering the food quality and overall experience, I would rate this restaurant a Good 65 points, worth trying.

Wineshark Home Cooking - Braised Eggplant in Pungent Garlic Sauce 魚香茄子

Ingredients (for 4):

• Eggplant - 450g
• Pork - 100g
• Soy sauce - 1 tbsp
• Salt - 1 tbsp
• Sichuan peppers - 1/2 tsp
• Chili bean paste - 1 tbsp
• Ginger - 1 tbsp
• Garlic - 1 tbsp
• Spring onion - 2 tbsp
• Oil - 500ml
• Soy sauce - 1 tsp
• Chinese yellow wine - 1 tbsp
• Sugar - 2 tsp
• Zhejiang vinegar - 2 tbsp
• Sesame oil - 1/2 tsp
• Tapioca starch - 1 tsp

Procedures:

1.Mince the pork.

2. Cut the garlic finely and ginger into small pieces.

3.Crush the Sichuan peppers.

4. Cut the spring onion into small pieces.

5. Marinate the minced pork with 1 tbsp soy sauce and 1 tbsp water for 15 minutes.

6. Cut the eggplant into strips of 1.5cm x 6cm.

7. Soak the eggplant in light salty water (mixing 1 tbsp of salt with 1 litre of water) for 15 minutes. Wipe dry with kitchen paper.

8. Heat 2 cup of oil to medium-high temperature, then deep-fry the eggplant until the flesh turns slightly golden brown. 

9. Remove the eggplant and drip off the excess oil.

10. Heat the pan with 2 tbsp of oil, then add in ginger and garlic, spring onion, crushed Sichuan peppers, and chili bean paste to cook until fragrance. Then add in the minced pork and stir-fry together.

11. Sprinkle with Chinese yellow wine, then add in sugar, Zhejiang vinegar, soy sauce and 2 tbsp of water. 

12. When the sauce boils, add in the deep-fried eggplant and cook for a while.

13. Add in the tapioca starch mixed with water to thicken the sauce, then add sesame oil and turn off the heat.

14. Serve with some spring onion on top.

Wineshark HK Restaurant Review - Sushi Man 鮨文

This sushi restaurant is located on the 2/F of Modena by Fraser in TST, and while I did not have visited them before, I believe they have started in Yuen Long and have another branch in Hung Hom. Unfortunately, both are now closed.

The décor is neat, featuring all wooden set up with warm lighting. We are seated at the sushi counter, which can accommodate about 18 customers. In a big C-shape, there are two stations with sushi chef on both ends. We are served by Head Chef Larry Tang on the night.

Ordering the Omakase Set ($1,980 each) I also have a bottle of Tenbu Junmai Ginjo 天賦　純米吟醸 ($700) from Nishi Shuzo in Kagoshima. The nose has a nice white peach and melon note, while the off-dry palate has umami on top of the fruit. A nice sake.

Watari-Gani Chawanmushi 渡蟹 茶碗蒸 has sweet and delicate crab meat on top of steamed egg custard, which is rich in umami. The texture is silky soft, and not too watery or solid, showing a perfect proportion of egg and water plus steaming time.

Hiramasa 平政 is yellowtail kingfish, with the sashimi showing the signature texture of the fish, with a nice bite. The rich and subtle sweetness is pleasant with a balanced fattiness which has the right amount of fish oil too.

Kaki 牡蠣 comes from Hyogo. The raw oyster has a crunchy texture, sweet and meaty. With a bit of lemon juice to season and freshen it is very delicious. My wife does not want raw oysters, and she is served with Hokkaido Hotate-Gai instead.

Iwashi Isobe-Maki 鰯 磯辺巻 has sardines wrapped inside nori sheet, together with some myoga, shiso, and pickles. The secret recipe here is to add deep-fried whitebaits, for an extra crunchy texture, to the roll. 

Shirako 白子 features the seasonal sea bream milt which are paired with ponzu and grated daikon with spices, plus plenty of finely chopped scallions. On the side is Mozuku 水雲 which has the same marinade vinegar to give a refreshing acidity.

Ankimo 鮟肝 is another specialty. After cooking the monkfish liver and cutting it into slices, they are served with plenty of scallions and some shichimi. Having rich and creamy texture, it is much better in flavors than foie gras.

Amadai 赤甘鯛 Roll uses the red tilefish meat to make a roll and on the surface is coated with the fish scales, before putting it to deep-fry. Interesting contrast with the crispy scales and tender meat, it is paired with some homemade tartar sauce.

As a transition to sushi, a piece of White Corn 白いとうもろこし is served. The kernels are very sweet and juicy, having thin skin too, with the chef sprinkling some rock salt to further highlight its sweetness. 

Coming to the sushi section, the first piece is Shiro-Ebi 白海老. The baby white shrimps are very sweet in taste, enhanced further in taste by the yuzu zest on top.

The second piece is Hokkigai 北寄貝. The surf clam is very large in size, crunchy on the bite, with umami seeping out from the mouth when swallowing.

The third piece is Shima-Ebi 縞海老. The prized Morotoge shrimp has a sweet taste, like sweet shrimp but has a firmer texture.

The fourth piece is Aji 鯵, with the Japanese horse mackerel paired with a bit of grated ginger, with the chopped scallions underneath. One of my favorites on the night.

The fifth piece is Akamutsu 赤鯥, and the rosy seabass has good fattiness, with the skin slightly torched to vitalize the fish oil even more. Rich in taste.

The sixth piece is the seasonal Torigai 鳥貝. This Japanese cockle is softer and not as crunchy as others I have tried elsewhere. Not sure if it is because of end of season?

The seventh piece is Akami 赤身, with the tuna having gone through an ageing process to soften the sinew, with the chef also skillfully cutting to offer a tender bite.

The eighth piece is Chu-Toro 中とろ and apparently showing some similarity with the prior piece but dimmer color plus richer in fish oil. Well-balanced medium fatty cut.

The ninth piece is O-Toro 大とろ, clearly with more marble fat on the flesh. On the bite the fish oil seeps out and envelop the mouth with great flavors.

The tenth piece has the chef mixing different cuts of Maguro 鮪, together with onion, takuan, and scallion, with some crispy on top. Delicious.

The eleventh piece is Kuruma-Ebi 車海老 Roll. Inside are the tiger prawn with cucumber, and after cutting into serve size, the chef puts a few caviars on top to decorate.

The twelfth piece is Bafun-Uni 馬糞雲丹. The Hokkaido sea urchin has a sweet taste, without any weird notes, and serving on a nori sheet to facilitate eating.

Wrapping up is a Clear Soup, made with plenty of clams which got a rich umami taste, and helps to warm the stomach and digestion.

Dessert is a slide of Melon, juicy and sweet, together with a piece of Mango which are also nice. A complete and satisfying dinner overall.

Service is good, with the chef having interactions with us throughout. The night is not too busy, and the pace is well-controlled as a result. The bill on the night is $5,126 and considering the food quality and overall experience, I would rate them a Good 70 points, worth trying.