Wineshark HK Restaurant Review - Fook Lam Moon

This famous Michelin 1-star Cantonese restaurant is located in Wanchai. Established in 1948, it has the nickname 'Canteen for the Rich and Famous'. This branch in Wanchai is the flagship, with four levels in total. Coming on the Valentine's Day, we were greeted warmly by the staff when approaching the restaurant, and after checking our reservation, courteously took us to the private elevator to the third floor main dining hall.

The setting is decent, but not extravagant, with ample space between tables, allowing private conversations. Even with the coronavirus going on most of the tables are occupied, showing the popularity of the place. We also saw a famous old-time singer at another table.

The first dish that came was a signature here, Baked Stuffed Crab Shell with Onions and Fresh Crab Meat ($200 each). The beautiful golden brown crust on the outside is nicely done, and personally I like to add a few drops of Worchestershire sauce on top which makes it even more appealing with the acidity. The stuffing is very delicious, with abundant of fresh crab meat, delicate and sweet. The onion further added the flavors while not dominating the taste. A really good dish and one of the best stuffed crab shell I have tasted in town.

 

The next dish originally was frog's leg but unfortunately the restaurant did not have that on the night, so we changed to Honey Roasted Fresh Eel ($260) instead. The eel is fat and meaty, with the chef grilling it to perfection, having a crunchy skin while the meat is moist. The honey sauce added the sweetness and fragrance to the eel, which is seasoned well. Again a very good dish and did not disappoint us even though we could not have the frog's legs we want.

Upon ordering we were told the big garoupa was not available on the night for the wok-fried fillet we would like, so they recommended us to try the Stir-Fried Fresh Lobster with Black Beans and Chili ($1200). The staff also suggested us to have about 4 tael of lobster for the two of us. Honestly the presentation might not be the best but the taste was amazing. The lobster was was cooked just right, not a bit of overcooked or rawness, maintaining the best texture and sweetness of the ingredients. The black beans and chili added the savory and slight spiciness to enhance the overall complexity, and it was really good. The portion also was appropriate. If you like lobster but don't want to bother with the shell I strongly suggest trying this dish.

Next was a dish recommended to us: Crystal Noodles in Soup Flavored with Dried Flounder and Choi Sum ($230). Seems simple when it was served, but I like this dish very much. The choi sum was very young and tender, and fully absorbed the flavors from the supreme broth, very delicious and tasty indeed. The glass noodles on top are sprinkled with some dried flounder powder, and that alone was another wonder, fantastic in taste as well. The broth was so good I had the urge to drink it. Highly recommended.

The last dish we ordered was Stewed Chicken with Huadiao Wine ($360). The staff alerted us beforehand that it would take a 40-50 minutes before serving, and so we waited patiently, with the other dishes already finished. But it was worth the wait. Served in a clay pot, it was heated again beside the table. When first opened, the intense fragrance of the huadiao wine came to the nostrils. The chicken was tender and the unique flavors from the huadiao had penetrated to the meat. The sauce was really good and I could finish a bowl of rice just with the sauce alone.

For dessert we had the Steamed Leaf Wrapped Glutinous Dumpling with Red Bean Paste ($55). A signature dessert for the restaurant, the dumpling was chewy with the red bean paste appropriate in sweetness. A traditional dessert but the restaurant managed to add elegance to it in my opinion.

Last I had the Sweetened Almond Soup with Egg White ($60) while my wife opted for the Sweetened Red Bean Soup ($55). The dessert was good, with concentrated almond flavors but in my opinion a bit too sweet.

The service throughout the meal was excellent, and despite we are not frequent customers we were not 'left out', but you could see how the staff interacted with the others who are definitely familiar patrons.

The bill on the night was $3003, a bit expensive but that is mainly from the lobster. The other dishes I would say is fair for a high-end restaurant. Overall a good place to enjoy nice Cantonese cuisine.

Wineshark Hotel Stay - Hotel Chinzanso Tokyo ホテル椿山荘東京

Address: 東京都文京区関口 2-10-8

Tel: 03-3943-1111

Website: https://hotel-chinzanso-tokyo.jp/

Date of Visit: 28 Jan 2020

Driving from Narita Airport, it took about one hour to arrive at Hotel Chinzanso Tokyo. There are ample parking spaces (up to 400) available and for guests staying a daily parking fee of 1,000 yen is charged. After a simple registration we were shown to Room 929, a Prime Deluxe King with Garden View.

The room is very spacious, about 60 sq.m, with a sitting room having a large writing desk, a sofa and marble side table, along with a comfortable king-sized bed. There is a separate powder space with vanity, before entering into the bathroom with bathtub and a shower stall. The toileteries are also premium, from L'Occitane.

As the hotel is famous for its garden, before getting too dark we went for a walk. The garden entrance is located on 1/F, and after coming out from the hotel, we walked down a U-shaped slope through the woods, and soon saw the Monument of Chinzanso, with the engraved words of Duke Yamagata Aritomo when he named Chinzanso in 1878.

Crossing the beautiful red Benkei Bridge, there are 20 or so Rakan stone statues, representing some of the 500 rakan drawings by Ito Jakuchu, a famous painter in the middle of the Edo Period. Each of the statue is about 50 cm tall.

Continuing there is the Koshin Stone Monument. Carved in 1669, it depicts the beliefs of the Koshin school of Taoism. In front there is the Yusuichi Pond. It was created when the garden was first constructed, with a gourd-shaped having a lot of big and beautiful Koi swimming inside.

Further along there is a famous well called Kokosei, with the quality of the spring water being recognized as the best in Tokyo. Beside the well there is the 13-tier granite monument honoring warrior tea master Oda Yuraku, the younger brother of Oda Nobunaga, the famous military commander.

Along the path we saw the statues of the seven gods of fortune. Ebisu is the god bringing business prosperity and fishing success, also serving as the protector of those who loves the sea, fishing and sailing, as evidenced by the fishing rod and sea bream he is holding. It is also interesting to see the staff preparing the raincoat for the gods on the day.

Soon we reached the two buildings in the garden, one being the restaurant we were going for dinner on the night, Mokushundo. The restaurant offers unique iron-kettle and stone-grilled kaiseki cuisine, while the other is the historic Zangetsu Teahouse. Baron Fujita relocated the teahouse from a villa in Hakone and now is recognized as a Tangible Cultural Property.

Continuing we passed the sacred tree, the oldest tree in the garden at about 500 years old with a trunk of 4.5 metres in circumference and 20 metres high, before seeing two more of the seven gods of fortune: Jurojin, the god of longevity, and Hotei, the god of luck.

Then we came to probably the most famous monument in the garden, the historic Entsukaku Three-Storey Pagoda. Relocated in 1924 from a temple in Hiroshima Prefecture, this legendary pagoda is said to have existed since around the 12th century. Tests show that many of its materials date from circa 1420. During a major renovation, it was consecrated in honor of Kanzeon Bosatsu, the Buddhist Goddess of Mercy.

Beside the pagoda there is also a stone lantern, dated to the late Kamakura period (14th century), and praised by many experts as a masterpiece of the Hannyaji style. Coming downhill we saw two other seven gods of fortune: Bisyamonten, the god of wisdom and bravery, and Fukurokuju, the god of fortune, wealth and longevity.

Then right in front we saw the crystal chapel, in which the hotel is famous for, and no wonder it is a premium and popular place for weddings. The Gojo waterfall beside has a 'hidden passage' where one can see through the waterfall to the garden.

Returning to the hotel building, we came across the last two of the seven gods of fortune: Benzaiten, the goddess of music, eloquence and fortune, and Daikokuten, the god of the five cereals.

After wiping ourselves dry with the towels provided, we went to the lobby lounge Le Jardin for afternoon tea. Looking at the greenery while comfortably sitting in the elegant sofa and table, I had the Dessert Set (1,900 yen), enjoying a rich and tasty New York Cheesecake with Strawberry Ice-cream, and a cup of coffee.

After a good sleep, on the next morning we went to the Japanese restaurant Miyuki for breakfast. With an elegant and traditional atmosphere, the hearty breakfast includes Salmon and Grilled Vegetable in Sweet Vinegar, Pickled Plum, and Small Dishes of the Day; Japanese Grated Yam; Boiled Vegetable Oshitashi; Simmered Eggplant; Grilled Fish of the Day; Rolled Egg Omelet, Grated Daikon Radish, Salted Cod Roe; Steamed Rice, Pickles and Miso Soup; and Fresh Juice.

Another compliment I have is that the hotel concierge was very helpful in purchasing tickets for the recently opened Snoopy Museum, saving us the time later to queue up. Overall we were very satisfied of our stay in Hotel Chinzanso Tokyo, with spacious and comfortable room, delicious food, impeccable service and the really nice garden. It is worth every penny I pay for.

Prime Deluxe Room with Garden View (including breakfast for two) - 68,460 yen

Wineshark HK Restaurant Review - La Rambla

This Spanish restaurant is located in IFC, offering diners Catalunya cuisine in a comfortable setting with a gorgeous harbour view. There is also an outdoor terrace to enjoy drinks and small bites. On the night, we were seated at a velvet booth, and right behind us was a replanted tree, with a sense of serenity, and on the background there is an art-piece of Barcelona artist Javier Calleja which I found fun and welcoming.

We ordered a few starters per the recommendation of William, the maitre'd. Unfortunately I could not try out their extensive Spanish wine list as I was driving. The first starter was Red Prawn Carpaccio ($180). The red prawn were minced to a paste, marinated beautifully, and on the bite exhibiting a creamy and smooth texture, while bursting with intense flavours from the sweetness of the prawn, plus the caramelized onion, black garlic puree, olive oil and prawn essence. There were a few pieces of toast to allow us to scoop the carpaccio on give a contrasting yet great crunchy bite. A really good tapas I recommend.

The second starter was Avocado Lobster ($210), with finely sliced pieces of avocado wrapping a lobster salad, then adding some caviar and salmon roes on top. Again this one was a fantastic tapas, very nicely presented and also great in taste. The delicate fillings of the lobster meat matched very well with the avocado without one overpowering the other in flavours, and the sauce did an amazing job to raise the umami of the dish to another level.

Then we had something more traditional. But instead of having hand-cut Iberico ham we opted for Jamon Croquetas ($120). The croquetas were deep-fried to a great golden-brown colour, served on a wire basket. Biting in, it was truly soft and creamy, with the bechamel sauce mixed with finely diced Iberico ham, offering a wonderful highlight of the fragrance of the jamon without the heavy and fatty mouthfeel comparing with just eating the ham. Another of my recommendation.

For the main course, we decided to try out the Tomahawk Rubia Gallega ($1,435) as suggested by William. This beef was considered one of the best meat in the world, grass and maize fed, and was dry aged for 21 days beforehand. Certainly it was flavorful, and was also less fatty. The chef has grilled to medium well for us, and the meat was very juicy. The portion was simply too big for the two of us to finish, and I think we could only finish half of it, and have to pack the rest home. We also ordered the Green Asparagus ($80) for the side, grilled nicely, tender and served with some truffle mayonnaise.

Already too full we did not have room for dessert but I had a Double Espresso ($65) to wrap up the meal. Overall the food was good and per William the seafood was their signature, but because of the coronavirus situation in town they did not order much to avoid the write-off and loss. Looking around at the restaurant there were quite a few tables so overall the business was not too bad but I could feel the desperation underneath.

The bill on the night was $2,387 which was mainly because of the tomahawk. I would suggest probably coming and trying more the tapas and other dishes instead, unless you are a big meat-eater. I also hope that the virus and all the challenges the city is facing could be over very soon, and we would be able to return and try out more the Mediterranean seafood in this restaurant.