Wineshark Mystery Restaurant - Mian 紅棉

This Chinese restaurant is located at The Murray, on Cotton Tree Drive in Admiralty, under the renowned executive chef Ronald Shao, who integrates ideas from the different culinary regions of China to create some unique dishes. Today, we come to experience what magic Chef Shao has weaved for us.

Going up a flight of steps from the entrance at the podium, the staff shows us to our table. It is spacious and comfortable, and the neat décor provides a pleasant and relaxing ambience. Apart from the indoor dining area and VIP rooms, there is also an outdoor terrace. With the cool weather I was surprised there were many diners sitting outside.

For starter, we have Chilled Mantis Shrimp 英芥椒香瀨尿蝦 ($498). Very beautifully presented, the chef has removed the shell of mantis shrimp and served the meat chilled, with a bit of English mustard mixed with chili paste on top to give a touch of spiciness and fragrance, plus some sliced fennel on top to freshen up the palate.

Upon the recommendation of the manager, we also ordered Mian’s Roasted Barbecue Iberico Pork 別不同叉燒 ($288). Unlike the typical local char siu, Chef Shao had added plenty of coriander on top, bringing in extra layer of fragrance to the tender and juicy BBQ pork, perfectly grilled and marinated very well. 

Then we had Chrysanthemum Tofu Soup 松茸浮萍菊花 ($208 each). The clear broth was intense in flavours and rich in umami, without a hint of oil. The tofu is skillfully cut to resemble a blossoming chrysanthemum, with matsutake slices to add an elegant fragrance. Fantastic soup not to be missed.

Another of Chef Shao’s signature is Sweet & Sour Pork 刁轉咕嚕肉 ($338). The pork meat was coated with a thin layer of tapioca starch before deep-frying, making the surface crisp while the inside is still juicy and soft. The sweet and sour sauce was perfect in balance, and the use of dried pineapple helped to keep the sauce thick and sticky to meat.

We probably had ordered too much but did not regret having Beef Brisket & Tendon in Chili Pepper Broth 椒香清湯牛筋蝴蝶腩 ($264 half portion). With only limited servings per day, the beef brisket was so tender it must have been braised for long hours. The other highlights was the broth, with an appetizing peppery note that was amazing. 

To finish off we had Baked Japan Kagoshima Pork Chop Rice 有機番茄焗日本黑豚豬扒飯配煎荷包蛋 ($298 half portion). Everything is made to order, from fried rice to deep-fried pork chop, while the taste was very good, having good acidity from the organic tomato and the fried egg perfectly done, it was not exactly out of this world as many had claimed. 

For dessert, the manager helped us to combine Black Sesame Roll 生磨芝麻卷and Hawthorn Cake 山楂糕 ($98). The black sesame roll was rich in sesame flavours and brought back memories enjoying them when we were small. The nice surprise was the hawthorn cake, having good sourness and sweetness, good for digestion.

Service is good, with the staff recommending we have half portions for some of the dishes, so we did not end up ordering too much. The bill on the night was $2,486. Considering the food quality and overall dining experience, I would rate this restaurant an Excellent 75 points, worth returning to try some more of Chef Shao’s signature dishes.