Wineshark HK Restaurant Review - The Merchants 嘗申滙

On the National Day holiday and the approach of the hairy crab season, we decide to go out for dinner and have booked this restaurant, which offers Shanghai cuisine. Located on the 45/F of Gloucester Tower in Landmark, we need to first go to the 43/F reception, and then take the elevator inside to reach the restaurant, adjacent to Cristal Room by Anne-Sophie Pic which we visited a few months back.

We are seated at a comfortable cherrywood banquette, just outside the two private rooms at the end of the restaurant. The design here is elegant, with plush carpet, cozy and premium ambience, with large windows on one side looking out to the Victoria Harbour and Central skyline, while on the other side are some embroidered wallpapers handcrafted by artisans.

Originally thinking of ordering the Hairy Crab Journey Menu, we have finally decided to go for the Autumns Treasure Tasting Menu ($1,680 per person) instead, in order to sample more of the restaurant’s signatures, together with some additional hairy crab dishes. The restaurant has thoughtfully printed the menu on the table with my name, in a way to personalize the dinner for us. A clever way to impress the guests.

The first course is The Merchants Selection of Classic Appetizers 嘗申滙經典前菜拼盤, which includes Crystal Pork Terrine Served with Vinegar 水晶肴肉, Tossed Jellyfish with Aged Vinegar 涼拌舟山紅蜇頭, and Braised Wheat Gluten with Black Fungus and Mushrooms 四喜手撕烤麩. All of the appetizers are delicious, with the savoury pork terrine going well with the vinegar, the jellyfish having great crunchy texture, the wheat gluten absorbing the flavours of the sauce and great in taste. The presentation is appealing too. A good start and raising our anticipation of other dishes.

The second course is Yellow Croaker with Vegetable and Bamboo Shoot Soup and Fish Maw 花膠薺菜黃魚羹. The soup is served steaming hot as it will start to get a bit fishy when cooled down. It is super delicious with great umami flavours, spot on in mouthfeel without being too watery or gluey. The yellow croaker meat has been cut into small pieces, along with Shepherd's Purse, bamboo shoots and fish maw, offering a great sense of enjoyment on each spoon. Fantastic.

As my wife loves hairy crab, I have pre-ordered an additional Six-Tael Lake Taihu Hairy Crab 六兩太湖大閘蟹 ($628) for her. The crab is of a good size, with plenty of crab roes. She enjoys it very much. I am not a big fan as it takes a lot of time and effort to get the meat, so I decide to skip.

But instead of just waiting for her to finish the crab, I also order an additional Hairy Crab Roe with Green Bean Noodles 蟹粉粉皮 ($588). With an abundance of crab roes fully covering the green bean noodles on the bottom, the taste is simply phenomenal, with the noodles picking up the crab roes and its intense flavours, plus the vinegar adding extra dimension to the enjoyment. I almost finish the whole serving by myself, it is a must order in my opinion.

Resuming to the menu, the third course is Wok-Fried River Shrimps with Snap Peas 甜豆河蝦仁. The river shrimps have a good sweetness in taste while the snap peas have a great poppy texture, with the two combining to offer delicate, pleasant flavours. The chef has made some vinegar pearls to put in, looking a bit like large caviar, and also in a creative way control the amount of vinegar added by the customer to ensure the taste is per what the chef wants to highlight. Very clever.

The fourth course is Kanto Sea Cucumber and Scallion with Pork Belly in Sweet Soy Sauce 蔥燒關東遼參拌紅燒肉. The pork belly has been braised impeccably, having a melt-in-the-mouth enjoyment, rich and flavourful. The sauce has provided a perfect condiment for the sea cucumber, which has a contrasting bouncy texture, with the scallion providing a nice fragrance to the dish. Very good.

The fifth course is Boneless Baby Yellow Croakers with Spiced Salt 椒鹽無骨小黃魚. Instead of the whole fish, the chef uses only the fillet and then deep-frying to crispness, then adding the spiced salt to season. Not overly salty or spicy, the flavours of the delicate fish fillet are significantly enhanced. A good way to prepare the traditional dish with a modern twist to facilitate customers to enjoy.

Before serving the next course, the staff tells us it is time for the fireworks and take a pause in serving the dish. I ask that they continue, not knowing that the restaurant will switch off the lights completely for customers to better enjoy the show. At the end some of the dishes come during the fireworks but we have difficulty eating in complete darkness. Not the fault of the restaurant, it is a mistake I will not make next time.

During the fireworks comes the sixth course, Braised White Cabbage with Jinhua Ham in Chicken Consomme 上湯腿絲娃娃菜. The clear consommé is light yet highly flavourful, apparently prepared for long hours using chicken and Chinese ham. The cabbage has a nice, sweet taste. Some finely shredded ham on top has added a bit of extra savoury flavours. Really good.

Included in the menu are two hairy crab roe dishes, including Hairy Crab Roe Clay Pot Rice 砂鍋蟹粉飯. As this is also served during the fireworks, we have waited a bit before eating, and frankly it is less enjoyable as a result. I also believe if the rice is drier the whole experience will be even better. Maybe I should return to try this one again.

The other one is Hairy Crab Roe Xiao Long Bao 蟹粉小籠包. With a delicate dough holding the pork and crab roes, the soup comes out on the bite, filling the mouth with wonderful tastes. It is a good dim sum to finish the meal, and I can probably have another couple, not because I was still hungry, but more due to how good they are.

The dessert is Glutinous Pearl in Osmanthus Sweet Soup with Rice Wine 桂花酒釀丸子. The soup is not too sweet, with the fragrant candied osmanthus flowers giving appealing aromas to the chewy glutinous pearls. Nicely done.

To go with the food, I have opened a bottle of M. Chapoutier Chante-Alouette 2018 from Hermitage ($1,530). This is a Marsanne varietal white wine, with a brilliant golden colour, exhibiting delicious quince, honey, ginger, white flowers and walnut aromas. Quite a good match with most of the food on the menu, including the hairy crab roes.

The bill on the night is $6,824. Service is good, with the staff friendly and attentive. On the night the restaurant is fully booked, which is not a surprise given it is a great spot to watch the fireworks, but considering the quality and price it is still a very good option if one wants to enjoy nice Shanghai cuisine in a comfortable and premium setting. Definitely worth returning again.