Wineshark HK Restaurant Review - Fook Lam Moon (Kowloon Bay)

This famous Cantonese restaurant has been in business for over 70 years and has been awarded Michelin 1-star. Today we come to their branch outlet in Kowloon Bay, located in Kingston International Centre.

The design here is more modernized compared with their Wanchai flagship, with bright light and high ceiling. The main dining area is spacious and can accommodate a lot of tables, but it is very quiet on this Saturday evening, with only two groups. Most customers in fact are seated inside the various VIP rooms on the sides.  

I have a bottle of Paul Pernot Bourgogne Cote d’Or Chardonnay 2021 ($760) to pair with the food. A simple Burgundy white, it has nice acidity, crisp and easy to drink, and goes well with the various dishes we have ordered.

For starter we have Deep-fried Frog’s Legs with Spicy Salt ($360). The portion size is surprisingly large, which looks more like a main dish than an appetizer. The frog’s legs are deep-fried perfectly, crispy on the surface while not drying out the flesh, with the spicy salt spot on, not overly salty or spicy. Excellent.

From the staff recommendation we also order Braised Garoupa with Thousand Layer Tofu ($1,280). The fish is the day’s special, meaty but not rough in texture, braised together with tofu, roasted pork, and mushroom. Again, the seasoning is spot on, bringing forth the flavours of the ingredients nicely while not excessively salty. Another excellent dish.

The other main dish we have is Sauteed Fillet of Pigeon with Caramelized Jinhua Ham ($380). The pigeon breast is rich in taste, stir-fried perfectly to cook through but still maintain the tenderness. The Chinese ham has been sliced thinly, with its savoury taste a good complement with the pigeon meat. Even though we are quite full by now we finish every single piece of the dish. Excellent.

A specialty of the winter season is Claypot Rice with Cured Meat ($360 for two). The rice picks up the fragrance from the cured meat, wonderfully delicious. The Chinese sausages and cured meats are also of good quality. A highly recommend dish. If you like the cured duck leg, there is also the option to add one too.

There is complimentary dessert provided, including Sesame Rolls and Sachima. Both are tasty and adjusted to reduced sweetness, to cater for the modern palate. The fluffy sachima has an amazing texture, while the sesame rolls have intense sesame flavours. I would be happy to order them even if we need to pay for it.

My wife has Sweetened Red Bean Soup with Lotus Seed ($60), with plenty of red beans and more ‘solid’ which is to her liking. It is sweet but not excessive, delicious and satisfying. I go for Sweetened Almond Soup with Egg White ($60), with the delicate almond taste and sweetness providing an elegant finale for a wonderful meal.

Service is good, with the manager very professional and well-trained. We can see how she focuses on the details and keeps reminding the more junior staff how things should be handled. The bill on the night is $3,699 and the restaurant does live up to the reputation of its Wanchai counterpart.

Wineshark HK Restaurant Review - Medora

This restaurant under famous chef Vicky Cheng is located on Wellington Street in Central, with its name meaning mother’s gifts, offering casual Western cuisine in a relaxed yet chic environment. Opened just recently, we come on this Tue evening to try its dinner menu.

At the entrance there is the ice-cream parlour Liz & Tori, named after Vicky’s two daughters. The staff greets us warmly and leads us to the L-shaped dining area, at a corner table looking out to the busy Queen’s Road Central below.

The décor is neat and using plenty of beige colour. The mirrors on the wall help to make the space larger. The plants both inside and outside on the windowsill give a touch of vibrancy. I order a glass of Barrel Aged Manhattan ($150) as aperitif to start our meal.

The starter is USDA Prime Tenderloin Beef Tartare ($248), with the minced raw beef tender and seasoned well. On top the chef has added some vegetables, along with a bit of gherkins and a smoked pickled quail egg, with the runny yolk mixing with the tartare to make it even smoother and creamier in texture. Very delicious.

We both order a soup, with my wife going for French Onion Soup ($148). The traditional soup is made with a rich beef broth, with the shredded onion stir-fried sufficiently to caramelize and bring forth its sweetness while not burning to cause bitterness. The chef has added a piece of beef tendon to add to the bite but skipping the Gruyere cheese per my wife’s request. Nice and tasty.

I have Baby Oyster Chowder ($158), with the soup served in a sourdough bread bowl. The chowder is thick and delicious, with the baby oysters fresh and great in taste. The finely chopped chives add fragrance to the soup, and I applaud that the chef is served very hot, warming my stomach comfortably. The sourdough is not bad but is probably too much to finish it all.

For pasta we have Spicy Scallop Spaghetti ($228). The texture of the spaghetti is very good, al dente, and the chef has stir-fried together with Thai basil, chardonnay vinegar and some chilies, giving a nice kick of spiciness but not excessive. The scallops are sweet in taste, caramelized on the surface, while keeping raw in the middle to maintain its tenderness. Simple yet delicious.

For the main course we have Grilled Boston Lobster ($688). The whole lobster is beautifully grilled with garlic escargot butter, with the chef removing the claw meat from the shell to facilitate eating. Served on some silky-smooth mashed potato, the pesto butter adds flavours to the delicate taste of the lobster meat perfectly. A signature combination of ingredients and cooking techniques the chef wants to showcase, it is very nice.

For the side dish we have Grilled Broccolini ($98). Broccolini is like broccoli but with long and thin stem, also much more tender. After blanching, the chef has stir-fried with plenty of crispy garlic, reminding me of the HK-style typhoon shelter crab. Surprisingly good.

For dessert, we decide to order the gelato from Liz & Tori. There is a dine-in menu, but with a higher price. My wife has Hazelnut Crunch ($88), which features feuilletine crunch and candied hazelnuts. The crunch is made from thin, crispy sweetened crepes with a nice texture. The hazelnut gelato has rich flavours which are appealing and not too sweet.

I decide to try Forever Young Coconut ($88). The gelato is made from young coconut, infused with young coconut meat so that there is a chewy bite, with also some toasted coconut scattered on top. The more delicate flavours of the coconut is ideal if you do not like so much indulgence in the dessert.

Service is good, but the environment is quite noisy. It is important to bear in mind the restaurant is meant to be more casual dining than intimate occasion. The bill on the night is $2,172 which is quite reasonable. A nice spot to enjoy familiar Western cuisine in a decent, relaxing atmosphere in Central.

Wineshark HK Restaurant Review - Shun De Cuisine 順聯薈

This Shunde restaurant is located on 6/F of Kwan Chart Tower in Wanchai. It is set up with only VIP rooms, so customers need to make reservations and there is no walk-in. Hearing that the owner has his own farms to secure the best ingredients we come here with high anticipation.

Seated at a room with two tables, we occupy one of the smaller ones, but as there are no other customers we are able to secure the whole room. The decoration is quite basic, but the staff are very friendly and helps to recommend the signature dishes for us.

Starting with 酥炸鯪魚球 ($98), the minced dace meatballs are much larger in size than in other restaurants, and has a softer texture also. Nicely seasoned, another highlight is the clam dipping sauce, which has rich savoury taste and not excessively salty.

Next, we have 順德拆魚羹 ($98 each). Served steaming hot, the thick soup has plenty of ingredients. Apart from the shredded fish meat, there are mushroom, pork, luffa, with a bit of chrysanthemum petals too. The soup is tasty and not fishy, suitable for all ages.

Per the recommendation of the manager, we also order 陳皮欖角骨 ($188). The spare ribs are deep-fried and then cooked together with a thick sauce made with black olive and mandarin peels, with a nice fragrance, touch of sweetness that is appetizing. A bit too many pieces for just of two though.

Then we have the signature Shunde dish 砂鍋啫啫大魚嘴 ($258). Served in a sizzling hot casserole, the big fish head has been deep-fried to crispness, with the chef using plenty of ginger, garlic, and shallot to give a fantastic fragrance, and the sauce is also delicious. What I like most is that the dish is not too oily, unlike most other Shunde restaurants, which I give high marks. Must try.

For dessert we have the famous 手磨薑汁撞奶 ($38 each). The milk custard is appropriate in sweetness, with rich ginger flavours, and soft in texture. Happy that the staff recommends us to try this and helps to reserve for us as they are of limited availability.

The bill on the night is $975, very reasonable. Service is good, with the staff helpful and eager to recommend. At the end the owner of the restaurant comes to chat with us and introduce his farm in Shunde and how he ensures the quality of the food. A good place to try Shunde cuisine.

Wineshark HK Restaurant Review - Jimmy's Kitchen

This restaurant has a long history, opening since 1928, taking the European continental cuisine to Shanghai and then to Hong Kong. It has been closed for a short period but has recently re-opened in Pedder Building, next to its original location in Central.

Walking up the flight of steps, the staff greets us warmly and shows us to our table at the back of the sizable, rectangular-shaped restaurant. The setting has an upgraded premium ambience, but offering also a more modern twist in the design.  

I have Hong Kong Style Tea Punch ($140) to start, a clarified whisky cocktail infused with Sri Lanka Ceylon tea leaves, with also kumquat, ginger, vanilla, lemon and milk. It is inspired by Hong Kong style milk tea, quite refreshing and nice in taste.

The starters we order include Pickled Dutch Herring Fillets ($148). The herring is a small fish that tastes a bit like sardine, and this one has a nice sour note from pickling, but not too fishy, with the chef prepared some new potatoes and sour cream to complement.

The other starter we have is Baked Escargots ($208), with the snails stuffed back into the shell with a bit of garlic herb butter before baked in a casserole tray filled with creamy mashed potatoes, which are so delicious I end up finishing the whole serving.

For soup, I have the traditional Beetroot and Vegetable Borscht ($108). The recipe is from the Shanghai days where the local chef reformulated the Russian signature soup. With a bit of sour cream, the soup has a rich taste and would be even better overnight.

My wife has the French Onion Soup ($138), which originally comes with a melted gruyere cheese, but upon our request the cheese is skipped. With a large piece of garlic crouton on top, the soup is made from a rich beef broth, supplemented with the sweetness of onion.

We share Beef Wellington ($988) in the main course. Beautifully presented, the beef fillet has been cooked to perfect medium rare, wrapped in a mushroom puree and bacon, before encased inside the puff pastry. Together with some beef jus, everything is in great harmony. A slight improvement is to use some less salty bacon. Still my favourite on the night.

For dessert we both have a Scoop of Ice Cream ($48), with me picking chocolate while my wife has the vanilla flavour. It is a standard serving, decent in taste, but nothing special. I also order a cup of Double Espresso ($52) to wrap up my dinner.

Service is good, with the staff attentive despite very busy, and did her best to check in with the customers and making recommendations. The bill on the night is $2,152. A nice place to have some ‘traditional’ Western cuisine we are familiar back in the 80s.

Wineshark HK Restaurant Review - Le Garcon Saigon

This Vietnamese restaurant is located on Wing Fung Street in Wanchai, just adjacent to PP3 on the uphill road. With plenty of plants on the flowerbeds outside, the blue frame glass doors allow the daylight in, the restaurant offers a nice chic brasserie ambience to diners.

Seated at a table on the side, the rattan chairs are comfortable and what attracts the attention is the neat tiled floor and the large mural on one of the walls. It is a popular spot in the neighborhood, packed during lunch hours, with also lots of people hang out after work before dinner.

I have a cocktail to start. La Vie Boheme ($138) is a concoction mixing gin, French fortified wine, elderflower, grapefruit, lime, and sparkling wine. Refreshing and a bit fizzy, the cocktail is a nice aperitif to get the dinner started. My wife has a Young Coconut ($78) which is also good.

For the food, we start with Goi Ga ($128). It is a salad made from shredded cabbage, chicken and Vietnamese herbs, seasoned with ginger nuoc cham, with prawn chips on top. The nuoc cham sauce is very good, amazing and complex in taste, bringing the flavors of the ingredients to the full.

We also have Cai Trang Xao ($98), a simple dish of wok fried cauliflower, mixed with black bean, chilies and pickled garlic. The cauliflower has the right texture, well-cooked with still a nice bite, with the black beans giving some savory taste and a bit of kick from the chilies.

For the main course we have Tom Nuong ($208), grilled tiger prawns drizzled with garlic burnt butter and seasoned with some kaffir lime leaf. The prawns are fresh, with the meat firm and delicious, and the butter has a nice garlic note but not feeling excessively greasy. Tasty.

The restaurant has a few signature rice paper rolls, and we picked Heo Nuong ($308), with USA pork collar, lemongrass, and caramelized fish sauce. My favourite dish, the pork collar has a nice char, delicious in taste and not dry, with the other vegetables and ingredients helping to balance, and the fish sauce magically combines all the flavors together seamlessly. Must try.

It is probably too much but we did order also Banh Xeo ($208), a type of omelette with a crispy wrap enfolding pork belly, soft shell prawns, beansprouts, and spring onion. Eaten together with lettuce and nuoc cham sauce, the different texture of the different components make it interesting, and again the nuoc cham weaves its magical flavors throughout.

Service is good, but we can use more explanations of the dishes which can help to elevate the dining experience. Total bill on the night is $1,370 which is reasonable. A good place to enjoy Saigon cuisine near PP3.

Wineshark HK Restaurant Review - Castellana

The last time we visited this Italian restaurant was 2021, where it was still located in Causeway Bay. It has now moved to Duddell’s Street in Central, continue to offer Piedmont cuisine prepared by Chef Romeo Morelli. Today, we return here, aiming to enjoy the seasonal white truffle together with the authentic Italian food and hospitality.

The décor here is chic, with a luxury premium vibe, using plenty of wood, marble, and brass in the design. We are seated at the window side of the rectangular dining area, looking out to Duddell’s Street below. In between tables there is a drape to separate for better privacy while not creating the constraints of a ‘small room’ with solid partitions.

We decide to go for the 4-course Alba White Truffle Menu ($3,180). The Amuse Bouche includes a Foie Gras stuffed with Veal, as well as Lardo Roll with Foie Gras. While the first one is creamy rich and delicious, the lardo is my pick, with the thinly sliced pork fat translucent, and with the foie gras inside it is surprisingly not feeling fatty or heavy. A nice starter.

When the team brings us the white truffle it draws a big gasp of wonder, as it is frankly probably the largest piece served to us, weighing 905g. However, the staff says that last year the restaurant had an even bigger piece, weighing over 1kg. The fragrance can be smelled at a distance, bringing us high anticipation for the coming dishes.

The first course is Uovo e funghi. Using yellow eggs from Piedmont, the chef has poached them perfectly, with the yolk still runny. Paired with some Chanterelle, with some dried porcini sprinkled on the egg to add extra flavours, while the stem of the mushroom is made into a sauce to add to the egg. Finally, the prized Alba white truffle is shaved generously on top. The delicate taste of the egg helps to highlight the great aromas of the truffle, complemented well with the other two mushrooms. Very good.

For the second course, there are a choice of Ravioli al faraona e Castelmagno, or Tajarin, faraona e burro. I have picked the ravioli while my wife has opted for tajarin. The homemade ravioli has a nice al dente texture, with one type stuffed with pulled guinea fowl meat and the other with DOP Castelmagno 24 months, a type of Piedmont cheese with a nice taste through the ageing process. Simply cooked with butter, the ravioli has also plenty of shaved Alba white truffle on top, delicious and rich in flavours. Very good.

The other pasta is the homemade ‘tajarin’ pasta, a type of classic pasta from Piedmont that looks like spaghetti but thin like capellini, made of egg dough with a mix of semolina and flour. The pasta has a butter emulsion, with also guinea fowl, and abundant of Alba white truffle shaved on top. Comparatively this one is less heavy than the ravioli, with the pasta also very nicely done, of equally al dente texture. Both are very good.

For the third course we both opted for Astice blu, zabaione salato e funghi (additional $680 each). The Brittany blue lobster has a sweet taste, and while it is smaller than the more common Boston or Australia varieties, it is more flavourful. On the bottom is zabaione, a type of custard made from egg yolk and Marsala. With a mushroom sauce poured on top, and finishing with the shaved Alba white truffle, the combination of the umami from the lobster and the savoury from the mushroom sauce, plus the fragrance of the truffle presents a wonderful orchestra of enjoyment. Excellent.

The fourth and final course is Panna cotta e nocciola gentile Re Langhe. On the panna cotta there are some hazelnut pieces, with a hazelnut sauce and also some gold flakes to elevate the presentation, before adding the shaved Alba white truffle on top. It is just right on sweetness level, pleasant on the palate, and form an interesting combination with earthy truffle note. Very good.

Service is very good, with the staff friendly and engaging. An interesting thing is that the chef’s wife is also working in the restaurant, and they now offer special vacation package in Piedmont. The bill on the night is $8,779. Not cheap but consider we have white truffle in all dishes it is to be expected. A nice dinner overall and prompts me to wonder how great it will be to visit their hotel and restaurant in Saluzzo, in the truffle season next year. Hope this will come true.