Wineshark Mystery Restaurant - Sabatini Ristorante Italiano (IFC)

Sabatini is one of the Italian restaurants that has a long history in HK, with more than 30 years of experience, operating at The Royal Garden. In 2023 they opened another outlet in HK side, in IFC Mall at Central. Today we went there to see whether there is any difference vs. what we experienced in TST.

Seated comfortably at a table in the middle of the dining room, facing the full-length windows, with the gorgeous harbour view as the backdrop, the restaurant is neatly designed, with arched ceilings, dome walls and brick floors all combined to create a classy and comfortable vibe.

As we were in the white truffle season, we decided to go for the Seasonal Tasting Menu ($2,288 each). Starting with Amuse Bouche, which is a mini tart with beef tartar, plus shaved white truffle on top. The chopped beef tartar was seasoned well, having some capers to give a bit of acidity, with the aromatic truffle integrated into the flavours.

Next came Pink Prawn Salad. The prawn had been minced to a delicious gooey paste, where the tartar is served with prized Oscietra caviar and smoked oil, adding umami and a touch of woody fragrance. Together with salad vegetables scattered on top, it is of wonderful taste, a complete and fantastic starter.

Then it was Slow Cook Egg, which is one of the most iconic ways to enjoy white truffles. The poached egg was placed in the middle, surrounded by porcini mushroom, as well as a sauce made from Parmesan cheese. The Alba white truffles were shaved on tableside, with a fantastic nose that insert its presence but not over-powering the other ingredients.

Next was Boston Lobster Bisque. Very rich and flavourful, the soup was served nicely hot. Apart from the lobster meat, which was firm and sweet in taste, there were some croutons to add texture to the soup. The complex and intense flavours was phenomenal. Another must-try.

Continuing the white truffle specialty dishes, another signature to feature the prized delicacy is pasta. The Homemade Tagliolini with Alba white truffle delivered its promise, perfect al dente in texture, and the pasta was able to carry the sauce and the amazing truffle taste so well I would like to order another one straight away.

The main course was Veal Loin served with morels, parsnip puree and veal jus, plus white truffles. The veal was very tender, beautifully seasoned, with the portion just right to be filling but not too much. The rich flavours of the jus enhanced the enjoyment, with the puree creamy and tasty. The truffle was the icing on the cake.

Dessert was Alba White Truffle Ice-Cream. An interesting ice-cream which had distinguished white truffle flavours but did not feel awkward in taste, having good sweetness level but not excessive, and the crumbs at the bottom provided extra layer of texture and delights.

The Homemade Petits Fours included Almond Biscuits with Jam, Compote Jelly, and Chocolate Mousse on mini taco. All nice small bites to pair with the delicious, fragrant coffee. The menu also included coffee or tea, and with a cup of double espresso the meal finished on a high note.

The bill on the night was $5,144. Service is good, but the staff did not spend time introducing the dishes or ingredients and even did not talk about this year’s white truffles. Considering this is a special menu apparently it is a big miss. Food quality is good though and continue to live up to the Sabatini reputation.

Wineshark Mystery Restaurant - The Tai Pan

This modern bistro is located inside The Murray, on Cotton Tree Drive in Admiralty. Seated at a table on the window side looking out to the terrace, the space is comfortable, neat and chic.

Tai Pan Salad ($298) is an upgraded Caesar, with some Canadian lobster meat added to the salad with lettuce, endive, apple, dill, avocado, scattered with Parmesan cheese. Taste is not bad, but I wonder why the lobster shell was kept and placed inside the salad, as the meat has already been taken out.

The Tai Pan Signature Mussels ($388) is served in a large pot, with the mussels stewed with white wine, onion, and herbs. The mussels are fresh and rich in flavours, of a decent size as well. On the side there are some deep-fried fries which are also very good. It is my favourite dish in the evening.

For the main course, my wife has Flamed Grilled Canadian Lobster ($538), with the lobster meaty and good in taste, having a bit of smokiness from the open fire, and able to keep moist and not dried from grilling. On the side are heirloom tomato salad, seasoned with oregano and ricotta, to help balance and give freshness.

I had Sizzling New York Striploin ($548), with the steak cooked to medium level. Nicely seared, though the meat had already been cut and the jus had seeped out, affecting the enjoyment. On the side are roasted padron peppers, with some of the peppers quite spicy, paired with romesco and almond.

To have a lighter dessert, we decided to order a Strawberry Ice Cream, as well as double scoop of Lime and Raspberry Sorbet ($40 per scoop). Served with some frozen berries, the dessert is refreshing, though the sweetness of the white chocolate pieces made the sorbet too sour in taste.

Considering this is a restaurant inside a high-end hotel, the service is a bit disappointing, with one of the staff apparently lacking enthusiasm in serving us. There is a 10% discount from OpenRice, and the bill on the night is $2,532, which includes two glasses of wine and coffee. Not the best deal in terms of food quality or service. It is the software that matters.

Wineshark Mystery Restaurant - Sushi Kamitachi

Knowing that Chef Kami has recently moved to this new place, we came to FOCO, located on Cochrane Street in Central to try it out. Arriving a bit earlier, we had to wait outside before the restaurant was ready, and sharp at 7pm, the door opened, and we were led to our seat, served by Chef Shing.

The long sushi bar can accommodate a total of 12 customers. The Omakase costs $1,880 each, and I also ordered a bottle of 飛露喜 純米大吟釀 ($1,080) from 廣木酒造 in Fukushima. It is nice sake, versatile to pair with different seafood. I also appreciate the restaurant did not make a big mark-up on the price.

The first course was Tako Sakurani 蛸の桜煮, with the octopus tentacles heavily massaged to loosen the muscle before braising in the Sakura sauce, softened to a wonderful tenderness with also a beautiful pinkish red.

The second course featured Hirame 平目. After cutting two slices of the olive flounder, the chef wrapped one with some shiro-ebi, using the small white shrimps to give extra sweetness, while the other piece was matched with irizake jelly for its traditional flavours. A small grilled engawa was served on the side too, with a wonderful fragrance of fish oil.

The third course was Shima-Aji 縞鯵 Sushi. The popular Japanese stripped jack has delicate flavours and a nice buttery texture.

The fourth course was Kuruma-Ebi 車海老 Sushi. After removing the head and tail of the tiger prawn, the chef had kneaded the sushi into a ball instead of the usual shape, making it smaller and able to eat in one go. A clever and thoughtful way to facilitate customers.

The fifth course was Ankimo 鮟肝. Slicing two bite-size pieces from the huge monkfish liver, they have an amazingly silky soft texture, melting-in-the-mouth essentially picking up the umami from the sauce impeccably.

The sixth course featured the sashimi of two, Mebaru 鮴 and Kamasu 魳. The former is a type of rockfish, with large patchy eye, having a light taste and good bite. The other is barracudas, lightly seared with a richer taste comparatively.

The seventh course was the lightly blanched Kama-Toro カマトロ, the prized and fatty cut from the collar and jaw area of the tuna. The rich and buttery texture, and intense flavours were a match with the high-quality wagyu, paired similarly with egg yolk as well.

To provide some complements to the sake, the chef had asked the kitchen to prepare some deep-fried Shiro-Ebi 白海老. With crunchy shell, the small white shrimps could be eaten whole and a perfect match with some icy beer or sake.

The eighth course was Akagai 赤貝 Sushi. The ark shell was large, with a good crunchy texture, sweet in taste.

The ninth course was Kombu Uni 昆布海胆 Sushi, with the chef using kombu to marinate the sea urchin to enhance the umami flavours and also form the shape to make it easier to eat as a sushi.

The tenth course was Awabi 鮑. The steamed abalone was very soft, with a tender texture and full of umami flavours. To supplement the chef had prepared the liver paste which was creamy and wonderful In taste.

The eleventh course was Akami 赤身 Sushi. The lean tuna had a soft bite, with the chef marinating the cut in shoyu for a brief while to tenderize.

The twelfth course was O-Toro 大とろ Sushi. The fatty tuna had very rich flavours, seeping out abundance of fish oil on each bite. Great in taste.

The thirteenth course was Grilled Mehikari 目光魚. The greeneye had delicate flavours, with a very tender texture, while the skin was crisp. With some narazuke as condiment it was very nice in taste.

The fourteenth course included Katsuo 鰹 and Sawara 鰆. The skipjack tuna had been smoked, infusing the flesh with a fragrant note, while the Japanese Spanish mackerel had been grilled on the skin, paired with a miso sauce.

The fifteenth course was Sanma 秋刀魚 Sushi. This year’s Pacific saury was so good that I did not have one so far that was disappointing.

The sixteenth course was Bafun Uni 馬糞雲丹 Gunkan. Inside the gunkan the chef had added kanpyo for a contrast in texture with the creamy soft sea urchin.   

The seventeenth course was Maguro 鮪 Handroll. The chef had minced the different parts of the tuna, and together with a shiso leaf, wrapped in the nori sheet to form a hand roll. A filling and delicious conclusion for the meal.

With room for another piece, I asked for an additional Shima-Ebi 縞海老 Sushi. The striped shrimp had nice sweet flavours, with the chef adding extra layer of sea urchin on top as a treat.

The Tamagoyaki 玉子焼 had a fluffy texture, reminiscent to a nice sponge cake on the upper half, while the lower had a denser texture, with richer seafood flavours. The first time I saw the restaurant taking the effort to combine the two styles into one.

Before serving dessert, the fish soup helped to warm the stomach with comfort.

The first dessert was some Seasonal Fruit, including melon, grape, and poached mango, together with Pudding. The chef further asked whether we wanted the ice-cream as well, and duly served us the Yuzu Ice-cream, with good balance of sweetness and acidity.

Service was nice, and the bill on the night was $5,324. A highly enjoying dinner, with the chef having a good chat with us throughout and taking care of us. While many would ask for Chef Kami to serve, I think Chef Shing also did a great job on the night.

Wineshark Mystery Restaurant - Man Kee Cart Noodles 文記車仔麵

If we must pencil down some of the local delicacies in Hong Kong, I believe cart noodles will be on the list. Even though it is common, those that can be rated as ‘must try’ are not so many. I have a personal preference on one in Causeway Bay, but hearing this one is also very good, we came to Fuk Wing Street in Sham Sui Po to experience.

Arriving at the early lunch hours at 11:30am, there was already a queue lining up outside. Fortunately, many people are buying to takeaway, and we did not need to wait very long before it was our turn to order and got seated straight away.

The price apparently depends on the number and type of ingredients ordered. I had Yellow Noodles with Pig Intestines, Turnip, Chives Dumpling, and Small Shiitake Mushroom ($58). With added spiciness, the soup is delicious, without feeling excessive use of MSG. The noodles had a good texture, and the ingredients were also very good. I was particularly impressed with the intestines for its tenderness and thorough cleaning, as well as the mushroom having a rich fragrance and taste.

My wife had Thin Noodles with Beef Tendon, Pig Knuckles, Small Shiitake Mushroom, and Sweet and Sour Gluten ($62). The beef tendon was very soft, full of collagen, with deep flavours.

We also had the signature Swiss Chicken Wings ($39). The name came from the misunderstanding when the locals translate ‘sweet’ to ‘Swiss’. The chicken wings were tender with the sauce tasting similar to the famous Tai Ping Koon, though I would say the latter did have the better chicken wings.

The other side dish was Curry Four Treasures ($45). A traditional snack featuring fish balls, pig skin, pig blood curd, and turnip with curry sauce. All quite nice, except the fish balls, which were disappointing. The curry sauce was fragrance but not spicy at all, so you would need to ask for extra spiciness.

The bill on the day was $206. The overall experience was generally good, and I can understand why there are so many customers. But there are better cart noodles we had tried.

Wineshark Mystery Restaurant - Tabia

This Italian bistro is located on Caine Road, offering northern Italian cuisine, inspired by the rustic towns around the beautiful Dolomite Mountains. It is a popular restaurant as even though we are the first group to arrive, very soon after we have settled, all the tables are filled, and we are also advised to return table after 90 minutes.

The place is not big, but there is a homely and cozy ambience which are very comfortable and relaxing, using plenty of wooden furniture and warm lighting. There is also a row of highchairs on the window side facing the street. Interestingly, on the logo and some other decorations the Dolomites hare is featured.

We order a small plates to start: Burrata e Pomdoro ($138). The salad is a treat visually, with the creamy and soft burrata cheese in the middle, surrounded by heirloom tomatoes and vegetables. Dressed with olive oil and aged balsamic vinegar, it is seasoned well and appetizing, having good sweet and sour balance.

Next, we have the pasta Casunziei ($198). This ravioli is of limited supply, with the dumpling filled with beef and leek ragu, served together with red wine jus and tarragon. The pasta dough has a wonderful al dente texture, the fillings are seasoned well and delicious, and the tarragon helps to provide an extra touch of lovely fragrance.

Originally, we wanted to order the yellow chicken for sharing, but as it is not available, we go for Cotoletta di Maiale alla Milanese ($308) instead. The bone in pork loin is prepared in Milanese style, breaded and pan-fried. With a beautiful golden brown colour, the meat is nicely seasoned and tender. With a few drops of lemon juice, and some salad on side, the pork loin does not feel heavy at all.

For dessert, I have Tiramisu ($88). Served with a cute hare biscuit on top, the layer of mascarpone is airy and delicious, sweet but not excessive, with cocoa powder on top. Very good. My wife has Crème Brulee ($88), with a crunchy crust and silky pudding inside. Again, it is of appropriate sweetness to make you happy but not too indulgent.

Service is decent, and together with some beverages, the bill on the night is $1,137. If you want to enjoy some nice Italian cuisine in the Soho neighbourhood at a relaxing ambience, without spending a fortune, this one is a good choice.