Wineshark HK Restaurant Review - Mikasaya

Like most people we love Japan cuisine, and if we have to count sushi omakase this certainly is our most visited one, reaching 23^rd time and still counting. As a regular customer we will come every few months, to meet up with Chef Motoyama and his team, and experience the wonderful and seasonal ingredients he prepares.

Today we come to the restaurant, located at L Square in Causeway Bay, on the Christmas Day to celebrate. One of the reasons I like Mikasaya is the intimacy, with the chef able to manage the whole dinner well and interact with the customers individually. As usual, we order the Dinner Omakase Menu ($1,800 each) and ask Chef to recommend the sake to pair with the food.

The first sake 若波 純米吟醸 雄町 ($330) comes from Fukuoka, made from the sake rice Omachi, the renown ‘father of sake rice’. This sake has a good acidity, elegant and rounded, with delicate melon aromas. This is the one I like most among the three sakes I had on the night.

The first course features the seasonal, prized Kobako-Gani 香箱蟹. The Female Snow Crab can only be caught during November to January. Here, Chef Motoyama has meticulously removed the crab meat, and put on top of the brown fertilized eggs sotoko and orange unfertilized eggs uchiko, adding some vinegar jelly and shredded myoga on top. A great treat to celebrate Christmas.

The second course is a signature of the chef. Cutting a large slab of Saba 鯖, he adds sesame, shiso, making a maki. Cutting the Mackerel roll into slices, it was served on a piece of crisp nori, with a rich taste and a bit of sourness note, deep in umami. A traditional Edomae sushi of wonderful flavours.

The third course is a mix of three sashimi, including Hirame 平目, Buri 鰤, and Tako 蛸. The Olive Flounder has a firm bite, delicate in taste, with its engawa having a more crunchy texture, with more intense flavours from the fat. The Yellowtail is very good, fatty and very flavourful, while the Octopus is sliced thinly, with a nice crunchy texture and rich in umami. All very tasty.

The fourth course is Ankimo 鮟肝. After cutting thick pieces of the Monkfish Liver, Chef Motoyama adds a bit of narazuke on top. The delicious liver is much superior to foie gras in many ways, rich but in no way feeling greasy, and the flavours of the sauce have seeped in beautifully. The pickles further add a touch of matured yellow wine taste. Unstoppable.

Moving to the sushi, the first piece is Isaki 伊佐木. Pale pink in colour, the Chicken Grunt has a lean and delicate, sweet taste. Very good.

The second piece is Aji 鯵. This Japanese Horse Mackerel comes from Oita. With a bit of grated scallions on top, this flavourful delicacy is rich in taste and sweet. Excellent.

Finishing the first sake we proceed to ちえびじん 純米吟醸 山田錦 ($240). From Oita, this sake has a fruity aroma, more full-bodied than the last one, with a gentle, rounded sweetness. I agree with Chef Motoyama’s sequencing, as this is a better match with sushi than the sashimi.

The third piece is Kuruma-Ebi 車海老. The Japanese Tiger Prawn is served raw, and while generally the prawn will taste sweeter when boiled, the soft and tender flesh is maintained. Very good.

The fourth piece is Akami 赤身, and the chef has marinated the Lean Tuna in shoyu briefly to enhance the umami flavours. The tenderness is phenomenal. Excellent.

Taking a break in the sushi, Chef Motoyama goes to the kitchen to prepare the Amadai 甘鯛, pan-frying the Tilefish while pouring hot oil on the scales to make it stand and edible. The sauce is made from shrimps, with some deep-fried Sakura shrimps and scallions added. The crunchy texture of the scales contrasting the softness of the flesh, mixing with the delicious sauce is simply excellent.

The fifth piece of sushi is Ika 烏賊. After cutting on the surface of the Squid, the chef has added some rock salt on top to season, with a bit of yuzu shavings to freshen up. Very good.

The sixth piece is Shima-Aji 縞鯵. The Striped Jack has good lean texture and more delicate flavours, with a sweet note on the finish. Very good.

Next is Shirako 白子, coming with a ponzu of momiji oroshi and chopped scallions to the creamy Cod Milt. While some people might not like what it is, we both like this delicacy. Very good.

The seventh piece of sushi features Kinmedai 金目鯛. The Splendid Alfonsino has a beautiful red skin, with a delicate and tender flesh, good fat content and having nice umami. Very good.

The eighth piece is Chu-Toro 中とろ. The Medium Fatty Tuna has rich flavours, soft in texture while not too fatty and heavy. Very good.

Coming to the third sake, the chef has picked 福田酒造 福海 山田錦 火入 ($300) from Nagasaki. This sake has a fresher and more crisp texture than the last one. Smooth and easy to drink.

The ninth piece is Kohada 小鰭. The Gizzard Shad is often used as a reference for sushi chef, as each one has their own style. The time in vinegar and other factors decide how it tastes. This one has a higher acidity than many others which I like, full of umami. Very good.

The tenth piece is Hokkigai 北寄貝. The Surf Clam has a good sweetness, with a good crunch on the bite. The chef has slightly seared to make the clam even more delicious. Very good.

The eleventh piece is Sawara 鰆. The chef has seared the Japanese Spanish Mackerel to vitalize the fish oil, with great umami flavours. Rich and delicious. Very good.

The twelfth piece is the last sushi, featuring Bafun-Uni 馬糞海胆. Using a nori sheet to wrap the shari and sea urchin to serve to us, the sea urchin is sweet and does not have any weird taste. Very good.

To warm the stomach, the chef has prepared Noodles in Fish Soup. The intensely rich and flavourful fish soup is his signature, made using a lot of fish heads and bones to prepare, also adding lots of ginger. The noodle has a nice al dente texture, and it is so delicious we finish every single drop of the soup.

For dessert, it is the Homemade Ice-Cream Wafer and Strawberry Daifuku. The ice-cream is not too sweet, rich in milk flavours, while the Daifuku has a sweet strawberry wrapped inside the chewy rice cake, along with a delicious red bean paste. Even though very busy, the chef is still committed to make these desserts by himself, again testimony to his dedication to food and quality.

Service is very good, with Chef Motoyama friendly and bringing fun to all the customers, no matter regular or new ones. His whole team is also very customer-focus and eager to interact. The bill on the night is $4,917 which is very good value for money. No question it is my most visited sushi restaurant.

Wineshark HK Restaurant Review - Fu Ho Restaurant 富豪酒家

This Cantonese restaurant has been awarded Michelin 1-star since 2011 for fourteen consecutive years, showing the high quality of its food. Their abalone is certainly the most famous, with the owner Mr. Yung (Ah Yung) recognized as a master of abalone. Today is our second visit after four years, when the city was still in the midst of COVID.

Greeted warmly by the staff, we are shown to our table. Apart from the main dining hall there are various VIP rooms on the side. The décor has not changed, with a neat, relatively simple ambience and not having unnecessary extravagance. I like the paintings and calligraphy which decorates the walls.

We order the Star Specialities Menu ($3,380 each). The first course is Braised Shark’s Fin in Brown Sauce 紅燒砂鍋包翅. Served in a sizzling hot claypot, the shark’s fin needles are quite thick, with the broth delicious, apparently made from many ingredients boiling for long hours. It is appropriate in thickness too, not too watery or gluey. With a bit of shredded Chinese ham and bean sprouts added, a great start of the meal. Very good. 

The second course is Braised Aohu Dried Abalone (12 ppk) 12 頭奧戶網鮑. The farmed abalone actually comes from Hawaii, with the original breed coming from Japan Ezo abalone. Fairly large in size, the abalone is cooked perfectly, with a sweet core, intense in abalone flavours, and quite similar to the premium Iwate abalone. The sauce is also spot-on, with the flavours complementary to the abalone and full of umami. Unstoppable. Excellent.

Served alongside the abalone is the third course, Poached Chinese Lettuce 鮑魚汁生菜膽. Taking the most tender part of the lettuce, the vegetable is poached perfectly, crunchy on the texture. Adding a bit of the abalone sauce adds the necessary savoury and umami to the lettuce and while it might look simple, delivering to perfection is a testimony of the skill and attention of the chef to the full extend. Very good.

The fourth course is Crispy Whole Fish Maw 脆皮原隻花膠. The fish maw has been dipped in a batter before deep-fried, having a crisp thin layer and not feeling excessively greasy. The fish maw is large in size, but because it does not have taste on its own, the dish is quite bland. Even adding the abalone sauce on the side, it is not too particularly tasty. A bit disappointed, it might be better if they change to something else in future. Decent.

It takes quite a while before the fifth course comes. The Deep-fried Crispy Pigeon 金牌脆皮燒乳鴿 is freshly made, with the chef marinated the pigeon and then dipping in hot oil repeatedly to deep fry. The skin is very crispy while the meat is tender and not overcooked, rich in flavours and no need to use any of the dipping salt or Worcestershire sauce. There is an option of picking chicken instead of pigeon too. Very good.

The sixth course is Fried Rice with Shrimp and BBQ Pork 生蝦叉燒炒飯. The fried rice is prepared in the serving counter on one side, with each grain of rice distinct. The ingredients include shrimp, BBQ pork, scallop, roasted duck, and scallions. Seasoned beautifully, the rice is another highlight in the menu, and even though we are quite full we finish the whole serving without problem, and eager for more. Excellent.

The seventh course is Stewed Superior Bird’s Nest 原盅清燉官燕. The bird’s nest is served in a bowl with the almond juice, coconut juice, and syrup provided on the side, so that we can add based on our preference. Enjoying this premium dessert is a treat, with good amount of bird’s nest and the juice rich in flavours, apparently freshly made in-house. I suggest a mix of both the almond and coconut juice for best effect. Very good.

The Dessert 精美甜點兩款 includes Walnut Cookie 合桃酥 and Coconut Bar 椰汁糕. The walnut cookie is fantastic, with a crunchy texture and appropriate in sweetness, dry and not feeling greasy. The coconut bar is also spot on in its sweetness, with the soft cake adding some split peas to increase the texture. Both snacks are very good, and finish our meal on a happy note.

In addition, the manager offers us a Fresh Papaya to finish the meal. Coming together is a wedge of lemon, and after squeezing some lemon juice in, I am surprised to find that the special papaya note has disappeared, making it much fresher and for someone who does not like papaya (like me), this is a good way to enjoy the fruit. Very good.

Service is good, but some of the staff are too focused on catering to a regular customer. I was also a bit upset how much time we have to wait for the pigeon, and it is only when I show my black face the manager becomes aware and follow up. Something to improve. The bill on the night is $7,535. A lot of very good dishes, and Ah Yung is truly a master of abalone.

Wineshark HK Restaurant Review - Bayfare Social

This Spanish restaurant is located in Rosewood Hong Kong, offering a mix of different dining experience including a paella counter and tapas bar in addition to the dining area. Coming early on this Tuesday evening we are the first table, but very soon all the nearby tables are occupied, testimony to its popularity.

The décor is chic, with an open kitchen on one side where we can see the chefs busy in preparation, on the opposite is the tapas bar, with the seafood corner displaying the fresh and seasonal catch. The dim lighting offers a comfortable ambience, with ‘greens’ hanging from the ceiling giving a touch of nature and highlight the hotel’s sustainability focus.

I have a bottle of Bodegas Albamar Rias Baixas 2021 ($590) to pair with the food. Coming from the famous white wine producing region in Spain, this Albarino is made from grapes grown on the seaside, before hand harvested and goes through fermentation partially in neutral oak and stainless steel. Refreshing with a hint of salty minerality. Quite nice.

The first tapas we have is Pan Con Tomate ($98). Served on crunchy crystal bread, the chef has put the grated tomato on top, drizzled with Arbequina olive oil, a light and smooth Spanish olive oil famous for its fruity fragrance and pleasant flavours. With some chives scattered, it is a simple tapa, but one highlights quality of the ingredients to the full extent. Very good.

The second one we have is Scallop Crudo ($198). The raw scallops are sliced and placed on Escabeche dressing, together with some avocado. The unique dressing is a local vinegar sauce, providing nice acidity, with bits of garlic, salt, lemon juice and plenty of olive oil. On the scallop are some pickled chopped onions to add to the flavours. Very good as well.

The third one we have is 48-months Iberico Ham ($380 for 50g). The aged ham has rich and intense flavours, freshly cut with the surface still moist. There is a right balance of lean and fat, upon chewing the great savoury taste seeps out from the ham, pure luxury and wonders, but not overly salty. Really high quality and must try for ham lover.

The fourth one we have is Tortilla de Patatas ($180). The signature Spanish potato omelette, has alioli and some Iberico ham placed on top, decorated with also some chives. The omelette is beautifully seasoned, fluffy and soft in texture, with the ham adding the rich savoury to enhance the flavours. It is my favourite dish in the evening. Highly recommend.

The fifth one we have is Pulpo a la Gallega ($198). The Galician octopus has been cut into small bite-sized pieces, drizzled with olive oil and sprinkled with smoked paprika. The octopus is amazingly tender and can be chewed without difficulty. According to the staff this dish is the most popular one and I can understand why. Very good.

For the main we have a Medium Seafood Paella ($358). The paella has great flavours, using intensely rich seafood broth to cook the rice, adding clams, prawns, baby squid and alioli. The rice has also a nice crisp at the bottom for extra fragrance and texture, and we can taste the freshness of the seafood, very different than those frozen ones. Really good.

For dessert, since we are already very full, we go for something lighter, picking Vanilla and Raspberry Gelato ($78). Appropriate in sweetness, it helps to cleanse the palate and is refreshing. A nice finale to the wonderful tapas and paella.

Service is good, with the staff friendly and attentive, helpful in explaining the menu and introducing some signature dishes for us at the beginning but would be good if they can explain a bit more on the dish when they are served. The bill on the night is $2,354 which is also reasonable. A good place for Spanish tapas.