The Walrus (Hong Kong, CHINA) ★★★☆☆

It's been a while since I last dined at an oyster bar and the timing just couldn't get any better when I read about the soft opening of the newest oyster bar in town, The Walrus, a couple of weeks ago.

Located next door to Little Bao behind PMQ, The Walrus is brought to us by the same team that owns The Woods lounge bar which also happens to be in Central.

This is your typical "closet-sized" bar in Soho with very limited space and I was surprised that they actually manage to squeeze 15-16 seats in there.

I was fighting a flu all week so instead of getting some fresh oysters to start, I opted for some cooked ones instead. They have a very good trio of baked oysters on their menu - Hail Caesar, Miso cool and U-N-I.

Hail Caesar ($48) - tasted a bit like an oyster kilpatrick. The oyster was about half cooked and it was nicely matched with lettuce, parmesan cheese and a Caesar sauce. Not bad.

Miso cool ($48) - this one has a bit stronger flavor coming from the miso sauce along with the crispy fried kale providing an interesting bite. In my opinion, the best of the trio.

U-N-I ($48) - I was going from the lightest flavored one to this one arguably with the strongest flavors. The sea urchin paste was very heavy and I thought it was slightly too overpowering. But I did like the crispy chilli strings on top. The exotic flavor of the chilli was oh-so-good to go with the oyster.

Clam chowder ($68) - nothing beats a good old New England chowder and this one was very creamy and OK flavorful. A little disappointed that there were only 2 pieces of clams though.

Best ever spaghetti aglio olio ($86) - best ever? Really? This was surprisingly good. The spaghetti had pretty good bite and just the right amount of spiciness. That was exactly the way I like it. Mushroom, onion and basil provided a nice supporting cast but my only complaint was that it was a bit too oily. My dietitian would definitely be worried.

Chocolate oyster ($58) - an oyster themed dessert to end this one. The presentation was so adorable and they even had the golden shell-shaped spoon to make it all look good.

This one was a mixed bag for me. The salted caramel ice-cream was perfectly complemented by the chocolate crumble, which together formed a deadly combo but the shell made with white chocolate was a little disappointing. 

Like I've said, a very cute dessert but expect nothing more than a scoop of ice cream.

I came in with the expectation of a stylish oyster bar but was rewarded with a blend of well-prepared seafood dishes. What a pleasant surprise! I thought service was very attentive and friendly. The only blemish was perhaps the pacing being a little slow and the space a little cramped (watch your elbow or watch out for an elbow type of environment).

Food Rating: 5/10
Price: $$$
Address: G/F, 64 Staunton Street, Central, Hong Kong
Closest Metro Station: Central
Website: www.facebook.com/thewalrushk