Wineshark Mystery Restaurant - Ta Vie

My first visit to this French restaurant was back in 2020, and I was very impressed with the wonderful food and services. Now already a Michelin 3-star, today we came back to The Pottinger Hotel to experience what Chef Hideaki Sato has prepared to showcase in his menu.

Stepping out from the elevator, on the wall is the board showing the restaurant is celebrating its 10^th anniversary. Led to the innermost table, its décor has not changed, with a white and dark theme, dated wooden shatters on the windows, aged wooden floor tiles, and different oldies gadgets re-creating a vibe of nostalgia.

The Seasonal Tasting Menu costs $2,980 each, and I also go for the wine pairing at $1,980. Starting with an aperitif, Maison Mumm RSRV Blanc de Blancs 2015 ($298). Chef Sato has been appointed by the champagne house as their Gastronomic Global Ambassador, and it is best to start the dinner with this BdB, refreshing and subtle, having a delicate minerality.

The House-made Sourdough has been served since the restaurant’s opening in 2015, crunchy on the outside while soft and moist inside, one of the best sourdoughs I have eaten in HK. Chef Sato has also prepared house-made butter as well as ricotta cheese which is freshly made everyday at their own kitchen. The cheese and olive oil spread was phenomenal.

The first wine is Cave d’Occi Albarino 2023, from Niigata in Japan. While the prefecture is famous for sake rice, the winery focuses on grape cultivation and this Albarino delivers a nice perfume nose, with good acidity, rich minerality to match with the geoduck.

The first course features Shiromiru White Geoduck, which are prepared two ways, raw and grilled. Seasoned with lemon juice and olive oil, the geoduck is tossed with julienned vegetables and jalapeno pickles for additional flavors and texture, while setting on top of a terrine made from cucumber, celery and seaweed. Together with a geoduck sauce, with some capers and vinegar to give the necessary acidity, resulting in a fantastic dish with wonderful taste and texture, appetizing with the umami of the geoduck shining through.

The second wine is Maison Mumm RSRV Cuvee Lalou 2013. The bottle is the house’s flagship champagne, this wine features a 50/50 blend of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, with a nice buttery, ripe yellow fruit, toasty nose, and the hazelnut and rich flavors made it a good match with the blue lobster.

The second course is Crispy Blue Lobster Paella, presenting the crisp bottom of the paella upside down. Inside with the diced lobster meat with the rice and shallot, cooked in lobster broth and saffron. On the side is Rouille red bell pepper and tomato sauce, together with parsley oil infused with lobster shell extracts. Mixing everything together, the paella is amazing, with the different components integrating perfectly in taste, and each component are showcased to its full extent. Another phenomenal dish.

Another bread served is their other signatures, but I cannot remember its name. Made from wheat flour from Hokkaido, with a thin crunchy crust while the inside is airy and chewy in texture.

The third wine switches to a Japanese sake. From Gochouda Brewery in Saga, Azumaichi Junmai Ginjo is made from 100% Yamadanishiki, with rich umami flavors that goes well with sea urchin and the richer sauce in the upcoming pasta.

The third course features House-made Fresh Pasta, and the chef cooked the pasta together with Aonori butter sauce, topped with some fresh Yamaguchi uni. The pasta has the perfect al dente texture and picking up the rich flavors of the seaweed butter sauce, supplemented further by the umami and sweet taste of the sea urchin. It might look simple, but the flavors are amazing.

The fourth wine is Domaine Tollot-Beaut Corton-Charlemagne Grand Cru 2022. The prized Burgundy white has a complex nose, with a clear buttery oak on top of the citrus, white peach, pear and honey, as well as the strong minerality and almond characters. An elegant wine with body and richness that goes well with the corn and its butter sauce.

The fourth course is a seasonal dish featuring Crab & Corn. The chef used Hokkaido Kegani crab, removed the meat and made it into a dumpling. Together with steamed sweet corn from Hokkaido, some deep-fried pasta made from corn flour on top, it is dressed with Cajun spices butter sauce to give a hint of spiciness. Again, both the quality of crab and corn are showcased impeccably, true to Chef Sato’s belief in pure, simple, and seasonal.

The next bread served is Pain de Campagne, with distinct flavors of roasted chestnut. All the bread were so good that we finished all the pieces straight away.

The fifth wine is Hospices de Beaune Volnay 1er Cru Santenots 2015. The wine has a beautiful ruby red with a fresh nose of berries, nice mineral notes of earth, with also silky, elegant tannin to go with the veal.

The fifth course is Roasted Limousin Veal. The nicely roasted veal is cooked to medium rare, juicy and seasoned beautifully with garlic and herbs, together with a rich and flavorful veal jus with Madeira wine reduction, along with some shaved black truffle on top. On the side is a mashed potato stuffed with beef ragu, along with sauteed spinach and brown butter confit carrots, top with roasted hazelnuts. Everything is harmonized, on the texture, flavors, and it is like a orchestra of delicacies. Fantastic.

To transition to dessert, the chef has prepared a Signature Flower Tea to cleanse our palate and helps to remove the heaviness in stomach. Made with Roselle flowers and dried blood orange, it is fragrant and soothing to the palate.

The sixth pairing is not wine but a cocktail instead. Guava Salty Dog is an original cocktail concocted by the restaurant, to match with the seasonal fruit of guava and white peach featured in the dessert. Refreshing and not too sweet, it is a nice cocktail I am happy to order on its own.

The sixth course is Peach & Guava Sorbet with Soda Mousse. With a beautiful pinkish crispy peach scarf covering, the sorbet has rich flavors of Yamanashi peach and pink guava, covered with guava jelly. The combination of the two fruits is surprisingly complementary, enriched by the different textures of sorbet, mousse, and crisp. Very delicious.

The seventh and final pairing features Prototip Raki Lot 2023, a liquor from Turkey, made from distillation of fermented must, like grappa. There is fragrant star anise aroma, with a smooth palate and while the alcohol level is high, it does not have a burning feeling on the swallow.

The seventh and final course is Pineapple Compote with Anise, dressed with anise liqueur from South of France. On top are some mousseline creams and a piece of crispy puff pastry and meringue for additional texture. On the side is pineapple sorbet, together with pineapple mint sauce and vanilla yogurt sauce. The chef also provided a fizzy drink made from pineapple, anise and lime juice to go together with the dessert. A great finale.

After a cup of nicely brewed coffee, the Petits Fours is Chocolate Praline serve in a jar. The rich chocolate goes perfectly well with the coffee, and wraps up the night for us with a happy, satisfying contented feeling.

Service is very good, with the staff all very polite and courteous, as would expect in typical high-end Japanese restaurants. It is great to see Chef Sato and his wife come to the table repeatedly to introduce the dishes and wines. The bill on the night is $9,610 and while it is not cheap, it is one of the best French restaurant in HK in my opinion to experience the pure and true flavors of the top-notch ingredients in perfectly crafted dishes. Impeccable overall.

Wineshark Mystery Restaurant - Tung Fong Siu Kee Yuen 東方小祇園

When I was still a secondary school student, I usually went to the bus stop in front of this restaurant to take the bus home. Just knowing that it is a veggie restaurant, and I was not particularly interested in the cuisine, I did not pay any attention then. I was surprised to know later that they had such a long history, opening in 1905. Today, we came to Wanchai to try it out.

Even though it was already 1:30pm, the restaurant was packed, but the staff helped to arrange a table for us. Having renovated, it has a neat ambience, with bright lighting, and some Chinese calligraphy decorating the walls.

Starting with the most common, Buddha’s Vegetarian Pot Stewed Delight 佛門齋滷味 ($72 for small), it is an assorted mix of different delicacies, using wheat gluten to make vegetarian char siu, duck kidney, chicken, plus the different flavors of sweet and sour, curry, and oyster sauce gluten. Apart from the sweet and sour gluten, which is quite nice, the rest are only mediocre.  

We also order two dishes, including Fried Pipa Bean Curd 琵琶豆腐 ($88) and Braised Monkey’s Head Mushroom with Broccoli 鮮猴頭菇扒西蘭花 ($90). The pipa bean curd is quite nice, with the deep-fried minced bean curd balls soaking up the oyster sauce which is quite nice, and there are also some choi sum on the side for complement.

The monkey’s head mushroom has a good texture, and no wonder many people would use this to replace meat as it has certain similarities in taste. The chef cooked this together with some straw mushroom and broccoli, but the broccoli unfortunately has not been soaked and cleaned well, and we did find a worm which apparently put us off.

To go with the dishes, we have Congee with Sweet Corn and Diced Mushroom 粟米菇粒粥 ($55). The portion is enough for two people, with the congee having a nice cotton texture, with the sweet corn and diced mushroom giving a bit of crunchy bite and fragrance.

Service is decent, but we can at the same time see a neighborhood ambience from the chats and dialogues between the staff and customers. The bill on the day was $329 and while the food is not particularly impressive, it is an anchor and should be cherished as an old HK establishment.

Wineshark Mystery Restaurant - Dara

Even though there is a large Filippino population in HK, when talking about their home cuisine, it is not very common. Having spent a year working in the country I have some fond memories of the people and food, and today, I came to Sai Ying Pun to try out this Filippino restaurant called Dara, located on G/F of Soho 189.

Arriving early in the evening, we are the first table of customers. Apart from the dining area, there is a bar section on one side. The décor is modern, smartly using wood and rattan to create the tropical and SE Asia ambience. There is also a pop-up store selling used clothing at the back.

Starting with some cocktails, I have picked Buko Colada ($118) while Ivy has chosen Pandan Guava Fizz ($88), cool and refreshing. For the food, we opted for the Tasting Menu ($298 each), considering that it has several dishes I want to try, and saving me time to think.

The first starter is Ensaladang Talong. It is a salad with roasted eggplant, cherry tomato, mango, coriander, red onion, and finishes with calamansi dressing. While it might seem simple, the flavours are truly wonderful, with the smokiness of the eggplant adding an extra layer of fragrance to the different ingredients, and the citrus acidity from the dressing helps to integrate everything together impeccably. A must try.

The second starter is Inihaw na Baboy. The pork shoulder is prepared on skewer to grill, very flavourful from the delicious soy sauce and garlic-based marinade. Scattered on top are some crushed pork rinds for additional texture, while on the side is green mango salsa to provide a refreshing condiment to go with the pork. Another wonderful dish.

There are three main courses, beginning with Sizzling Sisig. The staff recommends squeezing calamansi juice onto the dish while it is still hot, to the charcoal grilled pork maskara and chicken liver. Maskara is pork face and head meat, which are treated as discards in most other countries. But in Philippines the food is put to best use, smartly using calamansi, garlic and chili to season, and becomes a national dish, with unique texture, and delicious. Another must try.

The second one is Kare-Kareng Baka. The curry is made with a thick peanut sauce, not spicy at all, with beef rib finger, deep-fried beef tripe, baby eggplant, French beans, and pak choi, for a more balance of meat and vegetable. Scattered with some crushed peanuts and annatto oil, the dish also has shrimp paste as a condiment to provide savoury and saltiness if needed.

The third one is Inasal na Manok. The chicken leg and thigh have been marinated in lemongrass and ginger, quite tender on the bite. On the side is annatto oil and vinegar dipping sauce, it is served also with Ensaladang Mustasa, a salad of fresh mustard green, together with anchovy dressing.

Together with the three main courses, Garlic Rice is also served.

Dessert is Mango Graham Float, which is made with layers of whipped cream, fresh mango, and graham crackers. Dusted with cashew nuts powder on the surface, there are some mango pearls on top. We both like it as it is not too sweet, with the crunchy crackers giving a nice bite. A good finale for the meal.

The bill on the night is $935, which is very reasonable. Service is good, with the staff friendly and cheerful, always eager to help. After knowing that I did spend time in Philippines we have some good conversations. and share that the restaurant will offer my favourite dish Bicol Express when they change the menu. Looks like I have more reason to return in the near future.

Wineshark Mystery Restaurant - Ru 如

Continuing the birthday week feasts, we came to Nina Hotel Tsuen Wan West, to try their Cantonese restaurant Ru. The restaurant is located on 7/F of the hotel.

Seated at a table on the window side, looking out to the Tsuen Wan waterfront and Tsing Yi in the distance, the décor of the restaurant is modern and neat, offering a comfortable dining environment.

We picked Chef Simon Wong’s Tasting Menu ($888 each), and a bottle of Clos de L’Oratoire des Papes CDP Blanc 2008. Unfortunately, the bottle was corked. After trying another bottle, it has the same problem, so I decided to change to Champagne Coessens Largillier Brut Blanc de Noirs ($1,180) instead. It has ripe and concentrated fruity notes plus some saline minerality. An elegant champagne versatile to pair with food.

The first course features three small bites. Chiu Chow Style Chilled Marinated Threadfin Fillet 潮式凍馬友, Crispy Eel with Shrimp Paste in Bean Curd Sheet 錦衣百花脆鱔, and Foie Gras infused with Champagne and Apple 香檳蘋果鵝肝. The threadfin showcases its original flavours to the full extent, while the meaty eel is delicious, with the minced shrimp paste having a wonderful bouncy texture, good in taste as well. The foie gras is a specialty, wrapped inside a jelly membrane, adding refreshing acidity to balance the richness.

The second course is Double-boiled Fish Maw Soup with Melon, Sea Whelk, and Dried Scallop 蜜瓜螺頭瑤柱燉花膠. The clear broth is steaming hot and very delicious, with intense umami sweetness from the essence of the different ingredients. The prized fish maw is also of a good size. Very nice overall.

The third course is Baked American Lobster with Whisky and Preserved Radish 威士忌老菜脯焗美國龍蝦. The meaty lobster tail is baked perfectly, with the flesh keeping a nice texture and not overly dried. The chef has stir-fried some finely diced mushrooms and added with the preserved radish to provide a good bite, additional aromas and savoury flavours. It is my favourite dish in the evening.

The fourth course is Stir-fried Grain-fed Wagyu with Termite Mushroom, Bell Pepper, and Lily Bulb 油雞蹤菌彩椒百合炒穀飼和牛肉. The beef cubes are not too fatty, flavourful, marinated and seasoned well. Together with the different vegetables of various textures and taste, serving on a crisp made from deep-fried whitebait to hold the beef and vegetables, which further adds nice savoury to the taste.

The fifth course is Fried Rice with Abalone and Scallop in a Claypot 窩燒鮑魚帶子飯. Served in a sizzling hot stone pot, the fried rice is very delicious, as it is dry but not hard, having some nice rice crisps at the bottom. The seasoning is spot on too, so even though the portion is not small I devour the whole in no time.

The sixth course is the dessert, with three components, including Almond Bean Curd Pudding 杏汁豆腐凍, Red Date Mille-feuille 棗皇千層酥, Black and White Sesame Roll 黑白芝麻卷. Each is good in taste, and I like the fluffy red date mille-feuille for its texture, and the fillings also appropriate in sweetness. The sesame roll is also memorable with the chef taking the extra effort to prepare the different layers.

Service is good, and while there is a hiccup on the wine it is not the fault of the staff. The food is delicious overall, and I also like the portion is just right, making us feel full but not bloating. The bill on the night is $3,337 and considering the overall experience it is of good value. A good place to enjoy nice Cantonese dining in Tsuen Wan.