Wineshark HK Restaurant Review - Ham & Sherry

This Spanish tapas house is located in Ships Street, which is becoming another landmark for good restaurants in the Wanchai neighborhood. The decoration is interesting, with a lot of blue and white tiles of different patterns, on both the wall and floor. There is an open kitchen and counter where you can sit back and see some of the activities in the kitchen. We got a table on the window side which is comfortable and offering nice privacy as we came early so the place was still relatively quiet.

We ordered a few of the signature tapas, and first is Octopus, Chili and Smoked Paprika. On first bite I was caught by pleasant surprise, as the octopus was so tender and soft that was quite beyond my expectation. And besides the wonderful texture the seasoning was perfect, with the smoked paprika having a beautiful sweet note to accompany the slight spiciness of the chili. It was nothing 'hot' but very appetizing, and got us started with a great experience.

The second tapas is the Selection of Charcuteria, which has four different cold cut, including chorizo sausage slices, salchichon sausage slices, copita iberico and paleta iberico. The two sausages are nice, and personally I like the chorizo more because of the stronger chili and paprika flavors. The two hams are also wonderful, and both of us picked the copita as it got a layer of sweet taste. The paleta is aged 48 months, with an oily sheen and intense savory aromas. A nice assortment but if you know which one you prefer might be best to order that directly.

The third tapas is the Heirloom Tomato, Black Olives, Basil and Pine Nuts. It is a highly refreshing one, with a mix of different tomatoes, of interesting texture, size, sweetness and acidity. The color is also wonderful with the basil adding the fragrance while the pine nuts an additional dimensions. The black olives are chopped finely and then sprinkled along with the dressings so overall it is a fiesta of flavors and though simple, it is a great tapas.

The fourth tapas is Scallops Ceviche, Lemon and Coriander. The very fresh scallops are big in size, and then sliced into the right thickness, with the dressings of lemon juice, some coriander and a slice of radish. The radish got a contrasting bite of crunchy to the tender scallops and again it is simple yet great in taste, as well as offering great presentation which on appearance alone would win over most customers.

The fifth tapas is Jamon, Manchego & Truffle Toastie, with Quail Eggs. The toast is just freshly prepared, crispy on the outside, warm and inside got a piece of jamon ham, manchego cheese and truffle paste, offering very rich, flavorful fillings and with the quail egg yolk seeping on the toast it is something out of this world. Another great one and with the octopus these two are my favorites on the night.

Wrapping up we ordered the Suckling Pig which is on the blackboard and not on menu. The portion is quite big, with the skin roasted to great crispiness, as you can hear the sound when you cut it. On the side there is a nice salsa, a cinnamon and apple puree, as well as the jus. Probably since we already were quite full so this dish was not as appealing to us which is a bit unfair. I am sure if this is served right at the beginning of the meal it would be well-received by everyone.

As its name implies, the place has a good range of sherry but unfortunately I could not try any since I was driving. Maybe next time I should come with some wine buddies for a sherry tasting. With a bottle of still water, the bill on the night was $1026, without any service charge. Seems a little bit high on the price tag but considering the quality of the food and the atmosphere it is quite reasonable in my opinion.

My overall rating is 68/100.