Wineshark HK Restaurant Review - Zoku 族

Five years ago, when I was working in Wanchai this location was still in construction, and today it has become a chic hotel called The Hari. Today we come to its contemporary Japanese restaurant, to see what sort of different dining experience it has in store for us. By the way, the name means ‘clan’ in Japanese.

Stepping out the elevator the staff shows us to our table, a comfortable khaki velvet booth facing the terrace, where we can also sit outside but probably not in such cold weather. The design is hip, with an asymmetrical origami ceiling. The dim lightings and overall ambience remind me more of a Western diner though.

We order the Discovering Zoku 6 Course Tasting Menu ($888 each) and also a serving of Nabeshima Honjozo 鍋島特別本醸造 ($228). The Otoshi, which are small bites, include a Tartlet with Crab meat, Inka Potato puree at the bottom, and Ikura on top. The other is an interesting Crispy Rice burger with Wagyu tartar in between, and a Quail Egg on top. Both delicious.

Next comes the Pork Broth which contains Gobou Root as well as Leek. The hot soup helps to warm the stomach. I like it being not too salty, with the burdock providing some texture in the soup.

Then it is Kaishi, or starters. We have chosen Shima Aji, with the Striped Jack cut to thin slices and then added with Umeboshi, the common pickled ume, as well as Pickled Plum, to provide the acidity to freshen the palate. There are also some crunchy sea moss at the bottom. 

The other starter is Wagyu Tataki. The A4 Miyazaki Wagyu is torched and then sliced thinly, with a bit of Sudachi juice added, together with Ponzu, to add flavours to the beef. Among the two starters I like the beef more.

Next is the Sushi, and we have chosen Zoku Roll, with Asparagus and Avocado inside the rice roll, and  melting Cream Cheese on top, finishing with some caviar. The asparagus is tender and we don’t need to spit out any tough fibres.

The other sushi roll is Crab Roll, with the soft-shelled crab deep-fried before mixing with some Tobiko, Avocado, and Cucumber to wrap into the roll. The crunchy texture of the crab is pleasant, and not greasy from the deep-frying.  

Then comes to Otsumami, which means small plates. The first we choose is Tori Niku Gyoza, with the dumpling pan-fried nicely to golden-brown on both sides, having minced Chicken Thigh filling which is delicious and the Ringo Soy Sauce helping to add umami flavours.

The other one is Kinu Tofu, which means silk bean curd, with a very soft texture, served on a delicious Yuzu Tentsuyu, the dipping sauce commonly used for tempura. There is also a Seaweed Rice Cracker on top, crispy and adding umami flavours to the tofu.

Coming to the Mains, the Hamachi Kama is the grilled Yellowtail collar. The fish collar has been marinated with miso, good in taste, with the skin nicely charred. On the side are some Shishito, small Japanese peppers, with also Daikon Oroshi, or meshed radish to help balance the fish oil.

The other one is Kohitsuji Yaki or Chargrilled Lamb Chop. Tender and juicy, the chef has added a bit of sesame and spring onion to add further fragrance, as well as a Black Garlic Sauce for additional flavours. There are also some grilled broccolini on the side too.

For Desserts, we have Matcha Cake which is like a cheese cake mixed with matcha powder. Baked to a nice brown surface, on the side is White Chocolate Ice Cream. Appropriate in sweetness and gives a satisfying contentment.

The other one is Mochi Cake, with a nice ‘q’ texture and on top drizzled with some Miso Caramel to provide salty sweet flavours. On the side is Coconut Feuille, with the coconut ice-cream mixed with a crunchy biscuit crust together.

Also included in the menu is Coffee or Tea. The service is decent, with the staff friendly but not engaging enough. The bill on the night is $2,279 which is reasonable considering the amount of food we got and the quality is also good. A nice contemporary Japanese restaurant.