Wineshark HK Restaurant Review - Caprice

This Michelin 3-star restaurant is located in Four Seasons Hotel Hong Kong, offering exquisite French cuisine under the helm of Chef Guillaume Galliot. My last visit was almost five years ago, and it is with great anticipation we arrived on the night, to enjoy a nice meal before I have to head to Sumatra on the next day.

We were seated at the window side overlooking the gorgeous view of Victoria Harbour, and the familiar ambience, with the soft lighting, white tablecloth, comfortable chairs and soft music on the background, all created a wonderful experience for us to savour every moment.

We ordered the Menu Connaisseur ($3,988 each) and the prestige wine pairing ($2,480). For the start, I also had an extra glass of Louis Dousset Rose de Saignee ($400), a rather unique rose made from Pinot Noir. The Amuse Bouche comprised of three pieces, one was Foie Gras with Mushroom Tart, the second was Ballini with Egg and Caviar, and the last was Pita Bread with Curry Chicken Mousse. All three were creative and finger-licking good in taste. 

The first course was White Asparagus Veloute with Kristal Caviar from La Maison Kaviari. The thick white sauce was delicious, full of flavours from the stock. The prized white asparagus underneath was tender and without any fibre, but the most eye-catching was the large amount of premium caviar, with its savoury and salty notes helped to bring forward the delicate taste of the white asparagus. The wine paired is Etienne Sandrin A Travers Celles Extra Brut, a Champagne dominated by Pinot Noir, blended with a bit of Pinot Blanc. A very interesting wine. 

The second course was Alaskan King Crab, Crustacean Jelly, Gillardeau Oyster and Oscietre Prestige Caviar from La Maison Kaviari. A signature of the restaurant, the complexity in flavours when mixing the different elements together was mind-blowing. The sweet and delicate crab meat, the rich, slightly briny oyster, umami from the crustacean jelly and the savoury of the caviar all combine so well together and harmonized to make this amazing dish. The wine paired was Domaine Gallety Cuvee Gallety Blanc from Rhone, a blend of Grenache Blanc, Roussanne and Marsanne, matching well with the food in complexity.

The third course was Green Pea Soup, Brie d’Amour Cheese Ravioli with Almond Emulsion and Mint Oil. The rich, velvety green pea soup was memorable, highlighting the green peas with the right amounts of acid and seasoning from the mint oil and almond emulsion. The ravioli was cooked perfectly, with the goat cheese filling oozing a bit of creamy softness. The wine paired was Anne-Claire Schott Chardonnay, a biodynamic wine from Switzerland, with good acidity and nice minerality. 

The fourth course was Brittany Blue Lobster, Beetroot and Chocolate with Ruby Sauce. The lobster was very sweet in taste, and the beetroot on the side had an interesting flavour mixed with chocolate. The ruby sauce was made from the lobster stock, mixed with raspberry juice to form a sweet and savoury condiment to pair with the lobster. The wine paired was Domaine Prieure Roch Ladoix Le Cloud. A very juicy and easy-drinking Cote de Beaune to go well with the lobster, even though it is a red. 

For the fifth course, I had chosen the Poached Chicken with Lemongrass, Green Asparagus and Tom Kha Gai Sauce, while my wife had Kagoshima Beef, Potato Croissant Garnished with Beef Cheek ($500 additional). The chicken was juicy and not rough, with the Thai-flavoured sauce a surprisingly creative element, the spicy and herbs were not overpowering. There was also a langoustine on the side which felt a bit awkward to me though. The green asparagus, however, was tender and good in taste. The wine paired was Julien Cecillon Cornas, quite an interesting match with the spicy note of the sauce. Frankly, after checking with my wife, probably going for the beef would be the better option.

The sixth course was Caprice Cheese Cellar, with the staff pushing a cart displaying a wide range of cheese. Definitely one of the largest selections, I ended up picking some more traditional ones, like Roquefort, Camembert, and Petit Fiance des Pyrenees. All the cheese were very good, and if I was not so full, I would be tempted to try out much more. The wine paired was the famous Chateau d’Yquem, with the apriot and honey flavours so vibrant, matching perfectly with the blue cheese in my opinion.

For the pre-dessert, the Yogurt Sorbet was refreshing, with a bit of shaved lime on top to further brighten the aromas with citrus notes. A good transition to the more indulgent and sweeter dessert coming up.  

The seventh course was Chocolate Souffle. The perfectly formed souffle was fluffy and airy, rich in the cocoa aromas, and appropriate in sweetness. The touch of spicy notes made this warming to the stomach. On the side was the vanilla ice-cream which was also very nice. The wine paired was Bodegas Toro Albala PX Converto Seleccion 1955! A very old aged PX with fantastic development characters. 

Service was very good, with the staff friendly and courteous, as would be expected from such a highly esteemed restaurant in one of the top hotels in town. The bill on the night was $12,772 which apparently was very expensive but if you want to enjoy a nice French dinner featuring premium ingredients and exceptional cooking techniques, this is still a good option to consider.