Wineshark HK Restaurant Review - Carbone

This Italian restaurant is located in LKF, inside the LKF Tower. With the decoration being one of New York brassiere of the mid-20th century, there is a bar where one can enjoy a nice drink before the meal. On the night the restaurant was pretty busy. Ordering a bottle of still water, the staff told us that the water was charged per person but would be refilled which was a good arrangement.

For appetizers we ordered a Octopus Pizzaiolo, which got large three pieces of octopus, cooked perfectly that retained the bite but not overly rubbery. There were also plenty of roasted bell pepper which was sweet and tasty, with some fingerling potato as well. A nice start for the meal indeed.

The other appetizer we ordered was Baked Clams, comprising of three types of baked clams, one stuffed with oreganata, one with uni and pesto sauce, and the last one with chili and cheese. The  portion was generous with 12 clams in total. For me I like the chili and cheese one the most, as they got a kick on the taste to highlight also the freshness and brine notes of the clams. Overall another nice dish too.

Then we had the Lobster Ravioli, which was recommended by the staff. It certainly delivered my expectation being one of the signatures of the restaurant. The sauce was creamy with a nice acidity from the Vermouth, and the herbs also giving the color and fragrance to the sauce. The ravioli is homemade, with the right portion of fillings and the lobster was simply phenomenal. Full of flavors, got the perfect texture on the bite, this is my favorite on the night for sure.

For the main course we ordered Scallop Livornese, with five big pieces of scallop seared nicely, with the inside medium-cooked to give a beautiful texture. And the scallops were also fresh, good in quality, as evidenced by the great authentic taste. There were also tomato, olive and green onion accompanying to give also the color contrast and additional flavors.

The other main course we had was Double Lamb Chops. I had to admit I should look at the menu carefully next time because when it was served we were all amazed by the portion size. It was simply huge with four large pieces, and even dividing among us it was still too much. The Tasmanian lamb was soft and cooked to medium per request, paired well with a mint and olive oil sauce. My only critics was that the lamb was a bit too fatty so the layer of fat was quite difficult for the health-conscious public now to handle. It also got minimal seasoning so for some it might be a bit light on taste.

Wrapping up the dinner we also had a slice of Tiramisu. In fact by then I was so full that I couldn't eat much, but from the bite the cake was fairly good with a moist inside, different layers clearly visible and the cocoa coating of the right sweetness too.

Overall the service was good, with the staff all friendly and attentive. Having a Virgin Mojito as well, the total bill on the night was $2,290 which was a bit expensive. And the environment for many might also be called 'noisy'. But if you like the sort of environment and some good food, Carbone would still be a good choice for an Italian meal.

My overall rating was 68/100.

Nutritionist Recipe - 39. Pan-Fried Shredded Potato and Turnip and Fish Floss

Ingredients (for 4):

• Potato - 2
• Turnip - 1
• Celery - 1 stem
• Fish floss - 6 tbsp.
• Garlic - 4 cloves
• White pepper powder - 1/3 tsp
• Soy sauce - 4 tsp
• Oyster sauce - 4 tsp
• Black pepper finely - 3 tsp
• Oil - 1 tsp

Procedures:

1. Peel the potato and wash, then cut into thin strips and soak in water.

2. Peel the turnip and wash, then cut into thin strips.

3. Remove the old stem of the celery, wash and then cut finely.

4. Peel the garlic and cut into slices.

5. Mix the fish floss with the celery, then season with white pepper powder and celery.

6. Heat the pan and then add 1/2 tsp of oil, pan-fry the fish floss until golden, then take out to cool down

7. Cut the fish floss into thin strips.

8. Heat the pan and then add 1/2 tsp of oil, pan-fry the garlic.

9. Add the shredded potato and turnip.

10. Season with soy sauce, oyster sauce and black pepper finely, and continue to cook until the potato and turnip are both softened.

11. Add the shredded fish floss and mix well before serving.

Nutritionist Recipe - 38. Crispy Shrimp Toast

Ingredients (for 4):

• Shrimp - 10
• Baguette - 1
• Honey - 2 tsp
• Crab roe - 4 tsp
• Small dried shrimp - 24 pieces
• Garlic salt - 3 tsp
• White pepper powder - 1/2 tsp

Procedures:

1. Clean the shrimp, remove the shell and intestine.

2. Chop using the other end of the chopper until mashed, then season with white pepper powder and garlic salt.

3. Cut the baguette into pieces.

4. Spread the shrimp paste onto the baguette.

5 Pre-heat the oven to 200 degree Celsius, then bake the baguette for 4 minutes.

6. Take out and wipe a layer of honey on top, before putting back into the oven to continue to bake for another 3 minutes.

7. Put on a rack to cool it down, then spread some crab roe and dried small shrimp on top before serving.

Wineshark HK Restaurant Review - Tai Woo Seafood Restaurant

This is a traditional Chinese restaurant that I remembered my family used to frequently visit when I was still a kid. When it first started it brought a new wave of modern Cantonese style cuisine, focusing on seafood and more high-end dim-sum, successfully opening a new market then.

Now many years later, they continued to command good royalty for many customers, as evidenced by how quickly the restaurant was occupied on the night. I came around 6:15pm, very early for dinner in HK standard, but already there were a few tables. And by 7:30pm essentially 85% of the restaurant was full, which was a good turn-out for a normal weekday evening.

We ordered a three-course set which included Sesame Chicken Baked in Salt, Baked Red Crab with Ginger and Spring Onion, as well as Steamed Fish. The chicken was decent but not particularly impressive, with plenty of sesame on the skin of the chicken. The skin was crunchy but the meat was a bit rough in texture.

The red crab was also just so-so, being of quite reasonable size but I think the supposedly rich ginger and spring onion taste was a bit lacking. If I want to sample the delicate taste of the crab meat I probably would go for a steamed crab. So this dish for me could not deliver that more intense flavors one would expect.

The fish was in my opinion the worst of the three. It got a bit of muddy taste and while we did not assume we would have a premium wild fish because of the price tag, the overall quality was still disappointing in view that this is a seafood restaurant and this would be their most basic dish. The meat texture was rough, and even the soy sauce did not give the right enhancement to the overall taste as it should be.

There was also a Deep Fried Egg Roll with Honey Sauce included as dessert. The egg roll was crumbly on texture, and reasonably good in taste.

And the restaurant also provided a Red Bean Soup for free. It was not overly sweet but could only be rated as acceptable.

Service overall was fair, with the staff attending us to replace the plates when we were eating the crab. And because I didn't drink the red wine included in the set they also offered to swap for a jar of orange juice for us.

The bill was $920 for the above as well as two bowls of rice, and in my opinion not cheap, especially considering the quality.

My overall rating is 55/100.

Gunma Trip 2017 - Day 1

This is my first attempt to dig deeper into a single Japanese prefecture on my travel, and I have chosen Gunma because it has one of the top three onsen in Japan. But before going there, the first day I mainly used for the travel from HK and staying in Tokyo to take a rest before driving to Gunma.

Not sure whether because of the recent layoff in Cathay Pacific, I was greeted a couple of times on the flight by the flight attendants. Recalling my experience in the last few trips, when I was simply being ignored all along, it felt much better. But it might also be a bit too late for frequent travelers like me.

Arriving at Narita, we were examined by the customs as in our last few trips. The officer directly asked us why we came to Japan so often. I was at a loss and wanted to say that I wanted to help boost your economy and give you a job but thought it was probably too rude. Anyway after a short search we could leave the hall and went to pick up our car at Toyota Rent A Car.

On the same flight there were about 4-5 groups who also made the reservation but fortunately we came early so we didn't need to wait for registration. But because there were a big group following us, we had to wait for 15 minutes before the staff took us to the shuttle.

After a short ride we arrived at the depot and got our Camry Hybrid. The car was very new and comfortable, after an hour of smooth drive we arrived at the hotel we picked on the night - Hotel Okura Tokyo.

The hotel we were staying was in fact the South Wing Annex, as the original site was now under renovation, to be re-opened in 2019. The lobby was beautifully rendered, grand with a Japanese touch of elegance and luxury. I believe the Annex was much smaller, and after parking and registration, we were shown to our room on the roof top, Penthouse Deluxe Double Room P 320.

The room was very spacious, decorated in modern style with a nice cozy atmosphere. Along the entry was a closet and cabinets, then turning round we saw the large windows looking out to a balcony with plants to make it feel like a garden. There was a large sofa, a double king-sized bed, a dining table looking out to the window, and a writing table at the end. The washroom was also nice and hip.

Since we only had breakfast on the flight and no lunch, we went to the Café Camellia for an afternoon tea. I ordered a Double Espresso and a Club Sandwich, while Ivy went for a Cappuccino and a Mixed Sandwich. The portion was quite generous, with plenty of French fries on the side, so we were very full after eating, and the taste of the sandwich was quite nice also.

Returning to the room for a brief rest, we then took a taxi to Ayumasa in Shinbashi, the restaurant I booked via Pocket Concierge for dinner. It was not that far, taking us about 10 minutes to arrive, and once we entered the staff greeted us by name, and showed us to our private room upstairs.

The restaurant specialized in Shimane cuisine, particularly its sweet fish. The room is cozy and nice, giving us privacy to enjoy the wonderful food. I had pre-ordered the Hana Set with 9 dishes and including the premium local Shimane sake.

After a nice appetizer of different delicacies, then came the Pike Conger in Okura Soup. The fish is delicate and had a light taste, balanced nicely with the okura and in fact without telling us I would never guess it was the plant as it was so finely chopped, with the clue only the slimy texture. There was also some mushroom which gave a nice bite to the dish to complement.

The third dish was Sashimi with Japanese Egg Cockle, Japanese Spineless Cuttlefish, Prawn, Flounder and Horse Mackerel. The sashimi was all extremely fresh and tasty, with the cuttlefish simply melting in the mouth, and the prawn having a nice bite and sweetness. All the seafood was wonderful and the Zingibar Mioga finely cut into shreds also gave a good supplement.

Then came my favorite on the night, the Grilled Sweet Fish. Look simple, the two sweet fish were from Shimane Prefecture and grilled perfectly, allowing us to eat it whole. Dipping in the Tadesu sauce it further enhanced the flavors and immediately got me to think when I could come back for the full Sweet Fish course.

The fifth dish was the Deep-Fried Stonefish, with the spines and skin fried to such crispiness that it was just like a chip. However it didn't mask the nice sweet flavors of the stonefish and there was also no oiliness on the dish . Overall it was another great example to demonstrate the skills of the chef of Ayumasa.

Next was the Stewed Vegetable, including Taro Stem, Fava Beans, Eggplant, Chinese Yam. The vegetable were very fresh and full of flavors, again showcasing the quality of the ingredients. I particularly liked the Fava Beans, which were toasted before stewed, and that tremendously enhanced the flavors and every bite released a strong and wonderful taste.

Then came the Abalone and Firefly Squid, accompanying by some fresh vegetable, again pairing with the green Tadesu sauce. It was a great pairing with the sauce strengthening the rich aromas and taste of the abalone, which was cooked nicely, giving it a soft bite and not too rubbery. The squid was a local delicacy in Shimane. Though small in size, they were tender and tasty.

The last main dish before dessert was the Conger Eel Rice with Miso Soup and Pickles. The rice was cooked in a clay pot, and before serving we could already smelled the fragrance of the rice. Even by then we were so full, the rice was so good that we couldn't stop and finished two bowls for us each. There were also some charred rice remaining at the bottom which was another wonder on its own.

The dessert was a Noodle made from Japanese Arrowroot, and it was served on ice to make them not sticky to each other and having a nice texture. Dipping into a Black Sugar Sauce, the dessert had a wonderful balance of sweetness and freshness, and wrapping up the fantastic dinner to a great conclusion.

Finishing the whole bottle of sake, I was a bit drunk and decided to take a taxi to go back instead of walking as originally planned. All in all, a great start of my Gunma trip and looking forward to tomorrow!!

Wineshark HK Restaurant Review - The Golden Leaf

This Cantonese restaurant is located in Conrad Hotel, Pacific Place. There are not a lot of tables but the setting presents a premium, high-end atmosphere. Seated comfortably, we started to see a lot of politicians, including our new CE Carrie Lam, arriving and realized that there was a dinner event in the private room beside us.

As there were only three of us, we didn't order the tasting menu (which need minimum four persons) and went for a la carte. To start I had the Hot and Sour Piquant Soup with Seafood. The soup was good with plenty of seafood, including shrimp, scallops, fish maw and crab meat. It had the proper sour level though I would prefer more spiciness to balance. But overall it was still a very nice soup. My wife had the Double-Boiled Clear Broth with Bamboo Piths, Black Mushroom and Brassica which was equally tasty.

Then we had the Barbecued Pork Glazed with Queen's Honey. The glistening look of the dish was appetizing, with a good mix of fat and lean meat. However, I would not say it was anything impressive when we ate them. Given that it was supposed to be freshly roasted, it was only lukewarm and the texture of the meat was a bit too soft as well. It was a bit disappointing.

Then came the Sauteed Fresh King Prawns with Chili and BBQ Sauce. Contrary to the BBQ Pork, the look of this dish was rather unappealing. The sauce was very thick, dull in color and looked like it had been cooked for a while and the sauce had already thickened and solidified. The prawns were also small in size. Even though there were a number of them it was not what one would expect. The taste was fairly good but it could not compensate for the letdown in appearance.

Hope that the rest of the dishes would perform better, the Assorted Dried Seafood with Mixed Vegetables and Essence in Casserole was fortunately decently good. The broccoli and Shanghai pakchoi was boiled to a soft bite but not over-cooked. The cured ham, dried shrimp and squid provided enhanced flavors, and the bamboo pith plus glass noodle giving a contrasting texture. The broth was nice too and in the end we finished the whole casserole including the broth to show how good it was.

The last dish we had was the Poached Chicken with Chicken Essence. This was a signature of the restaurant, and I would say it delivered my expectation. The chicken was tender, with the skin melting while the flesh soft and smooth. All the bones were removed as well and I could not stop to admire the skills of the chef for that. By poaching the chicken in the essence it enhanced the flavors of the chicken, by the chicken flavor itself, so we could taste the original taste of the chicken. Maybe for some people it would be a bit light on taste but I still like it very much.

Overall I would say it was a bit below my expectation, but it might be due to the event I mentioned, as I saw all the staff quite anxious and tense attending to that, and likewise maybe the kitchen staff also were focusing too much there and could not properly attend to the other customers. It is of course not an excuse but I could understand.

One highlight was that there was a credit card discount of 15%, and with all the above the bill was $1,628 which was honestly a good price. Considering that, maybe I would try this restaurant another time to see if it did better.

My score: 63/100.