Wineshark HK Restaurant Review - Tin Lung Heen 天龍軒

This Chinese restaurant is located on 102/F of ICC, inside The Ritz-Carlton Hong Kong. Awarded Michelin 2-star status, we came on the night to sample its traditional Cantonese cuisine. 

After seated at a table on the window side, the breathtaking sea-view certainly was amazing. Even though it was not facing the HK Island, the view offered a nice backdrop of West Kowloon, with the container port and Stonecutters Bridge in the distance.

The ambience is elegant, quiet and serene. With a very high ceiling, the use of dim lighting helps to present the night view even better. And there is also a bar behind to prepare the beverages, from some good tea to a nice range of wines.

We ordered the Signature Tasting Menu ($2,138 each), which included a glass of Champagne. Knowing that we did not drink on the night, the staff kindly replaced them with apple juice. The amuse bouche is an Egg Custard with Young Ginger, Wolfberry and Chinese Yam. With the sour and sweet marinade of the young ginger, matching well with the savory of the egg custard, it is a appealing start for the dishes.

The first course is a Platter of Appetizers including Wok-Fried Eel with Plum Sauce, Barbecued Pork with Osmanthus Flower Honey, and Deep-Fried Shrimp Toast. Starting with the toast, the minced shrimp is bouncy in texture, nicely seasoned and the crispy toast does not feel oily at all. The eel is thick but cooked beautifully, with the plum sauce giving a nice fragrance to the mouth. The BBQ pork is my favorite, with the thick cut extremely juicy and tender. The honey also is delicate on sweetness. All three are very good and I give high marks. 

The second course is Pan-Fried Fresh Crab Claw with Crab Meat and Lily Bulb. The crab claw is cooked without adding much seasoning or sauces to highlight the original taste, and also to complement with the delicate notes of the lily bulb. A dish with finesse but for me a bit more seasoning would make the dish even better. 

The third course is Double-Boiled Chicken Soup with Fish Maw in Baby Coconut. The soup is clear, having the sweetness from the chicken and the coconut water. Really tasty and I cannot stop spooning into my mouth. The fish maw is also impressive, thick and large, rich in collagen. A soup I strongly recommend.   

The fourth course is Braised Australian Fresh Abalone. Frankly on presentation it might look a bit frugal, with half an abalone and two pieces of kale. But I was surprised with the tender texture of the abalone, giving a similar bite as a nice Japanese dried abalone, further supplemented by the delicious abalone sauce. The kale is also young and crunchy on the bite. 

The fifth course is Stewed French Duck Leg and Onion served with Pan-Fried Foie Gras. A fusion dish, the duck leg is soft and tasty, but would be a bit too rich and heavy. As a result the chef cleverly added some purple onion shreds to balance the fat. The foie gras is nicely pan-fried, and the gamey notes is perfect in harmony with the duck leg. A great example of how the chef merged the Western ingredients into Chinese cuisine.

The sixth course is Wok-Fried Assorted Mushrooms served in Crispy Net. Beautifully presented, the different types of mushroom are cut into shreds and put on a bird's best made by deep-frying rice noodle. The bird's nest as a result can absorb the sauce from the mushroom, making the originally bland taste flavorful. 

The seventh course is Braised Rice with Diced Garoupa, Salted Egg Yolk and Taro. The rice got a nice aromas, with generous amount of fish meat and the taro adding the signature flavors, enhanced by the egg yolk. The chef used some cherry tomatoes to add acidity and freshness to the rice to balance, with some chives on top to give further fragrance. 

The eighth course is a Platter of Desserts including Chilled Milk Pudding with Snow Swallow, Steamed Dumpling with Red Bean Paste and Vintage Tangerine Peel, Purple Rice Mochi, and Almond Biscuit. The various desserts are all good in taste, with the pudding creamy and rich, and the snow swallow giving both a luxurious addition and a contrasting bite. The dumpling is also good in taste, with the red bean paste appropriate in sweetness and the tangerine peel highly aromatic. But I like the purple rice mochi most, with the chewy bite and the nice taste really memorable. 

Service is very good, with the team attentive to our needs, but like most Chinese restaurants I still believe they can provide customers more information on the ingredients and the way the dish is prepared, which would give another dimension to them. The bill was $4,800 which was reasonable considering the overall experience and the quality of food and service.