A few weeks ago, I started putting together my list of forgotten restaurants in Wanchai, which I'd like to go back for a visit. This list currently consists of places like 22 Ships, Amuse Bouche and Fishsteria, all of whom have made a good first impression but have fallen through the cracks for whatever reason.
Opened by Chef Gianni Caprioli on Wan Chai's Queen's Road East, Fishsteria is yet another Italian restaurant from the famed chef that focuses on fresh produce and traditional recipes. Their 3-course lunch menu starts at $238. Not bad considering its pedigree, decor and service.
Lunch got off to a shining start, first with a plate of poached asparagus which was served with anchovies, crispy ham and artichoke cream.
I was a little disappointed not to see more pasta dishes in the "main course" section. While the homemade strozzapreti and rigatoni looked promising, I went another direction with their Atlantic cod fish instead.
This was beautifully pan-fried creating a lovely crispy skin on top. It was served with a mix of Mediterranean vegetables in ratatouille style.
Dessert was a very foamy mascarpone cream with coffee sauce and crispy flakes. I was looking for something less heavy so this was just perfect (Although I won't mind a homemade tiramisu if it's available for picking!).
Food Rating: 5.5/10
Price: $$$
Address: G/F-1/F 111 Queen's Road East, Wanchai, Hong Kong
Closest Metro Station: Wanchai
Tel: +852 2343-8111
Website: www.fishsteria.hk
June looks like a very busy month for restaurant openings with The Flying Elk, La Petite Maison and ICHU Peru all reportedly ready to open their doors during the month. Following months of speculation, it was The Flying Elk who edged out the other new kids on the block to make their debut first.
Taking over the space previously occupied by Fish and Meat, The Flying Elk is the latest venture by three Michelin starred Swedish chef Björn Frantzén, a gastropub concept which has worked wonders in their first Stockholm location.
Like sister restaurant Frantzén's Kitchen, the food menu here comprises of multiple sections including snacks, medium-sized dishes (They recommend 3-4 of these per person) and dessert. I decided to randomly pick a few from each section with the help of my server.
Boneless chicken wings ($50) - I love boneless wings and these were reasonably good. The seasoning was a little strong but I like the Kvibille cheese and crispy parsley topping.
Gougères ($40) - Bite-sized choux pastry with Allerum cheddar cheese filling. They were finished with some fennel seeds and chestnut honey on top. I found these quite addictive and a little better than the wings.
Halibut tartare and king crab ($215) - The star of the night for me but Jelloman disagreed. I thought the slightly crunchy halibut cubes were surprisingly good match with the king crab meat. There's a wonderful combination of acidity coming from the lime hollandaise and sour carrot backed up nicely by an extra kick from the cayenne pepper.
Roasted scallop ($190) - A highly touted signature dish and a pretty interesting one indeed. Four slices of beautifully roasted scallops were served on a bed of scrambled egg (which tasted more like mashed potato) with shaved truffle and crispy potato. Very buttery and the beurre noisette with smoked soy made this even more buttery. Definitely not bad but I expected a bit more from a house specialty.
Cod “Rossini” ($215) - A twist from the classic beef rossini where they replaced the beef with a piece of roasted cod. I was a bit curious of how the cod fish and pan-seared foie gras worked together and was pleasantly surprised with the sharp contrast of flavors that jumped out beautifully. The only thing I didn't like about this dish was the seasoning. Way over the top especially the truffle jus, which proved to be a little too flavorful for me.
Umami salad ($150) - A dish we didn't order but they mixed up our orders with another table and we ended up getting it for free.
This was no ordinary salad though. Underneath the crisp lettuce were duck confit, shiitake mushroom, crispy onions and they put the finishing touch on with some smoked pecorino shaving and a homemade "umami" dressing. I swear there were some truffles in there and probably some duck jus as well making this one of the most unhealthy yet delicious salad in the world. I think I can live with unhealthy food once in a while.
Grilled beef tenderloin and smoked heart of beef ($240) - The least successful medium-sized dish of the night. I couldn't help but ask my server where the beef came from and she thought it's from New Zealand. This was a little chewy and even the nice touch of horseradish, celeriac remoulade and pickled mustard seeds couldn't save the day.
“Marängsviss” blueberries ($75) - We only had time for one dessert so we wanted to make it count. This was pretty refreshing. I love the clean and refreshing flavors from the blueberry sorbet, compote and lemon thyme working well with the meringue, and the matcha powder giving the dessert a final lift.
All in all, I thought it was a pretty good meal with the expected ups and downs (after all, it's their third day of operation). As I have already expected, it's very different from what Frantzén's Kitchen is doing, which is a bit more structured and sophisticated.
P.S. All cocktails were on the house tonight which gave me another strong reason to drop by during their first week of operation. Thanks for the drinks!
Food Rating: 5.5/10
Price: $$$$
Address: 1/F-2/F, Wyndham Mansion, 32 Wyndham Street, Central, Hong Kong
Closest Metro Station: Central
Tel: +852 2565-6788
Website: www.theflyingelk.com/hk/
When Oreryu Shio Ramen (俺流塩らーめん) first opened their doors at Metroplaza in Kwai Fong 2 years ago, I was mildly interested in trying out their ramen but those awfully long line-ups really scared me away. Since then, they have adjusted their floor plan and expanded with additional seats to reduce waiting time.
Oreryu shio-ramen ($59) - The good news is that we only waited in line for 5 minutes. The bad news? Well.....
For a ramen shop that prides themselves as a shio ramen specialist, of course I had to check out their signature shio ramen (salt based). According to the description printed on their menu, their broth was made by "slowly and carefully simmering a large quantity of chicken bones and green onions". It should therefore be pretty flavorful (or umami-rich), right?
But this broth, which was supposed to be the heart and soul of the ramen, was way too bland for me. Very disappointing.
Tobikkiri Asari-Ramen ($88) - A seasonal ramen offered for a limited time only. You can tell by the color of the broth that this is a lot more milky and flavorful.
This was pretty decent. The broth, the eggy noodles and Manila clams all worked fine together. In my opinion, way better than the shio ramen, which was supposed to be their best seller.
I thought these ramen shops directly imported from Japan should have been a reliable source for a delicious authentic Japanese ramen but this was way below my expectation. I just don't get why the long lineup.
Food Rating: 3.5/10
Price: $$$
Address: Shop 117, G/F, Metroplaza, 223 Hing Fong Road, Kwai Fong, NT, Hong Kong
Closest Metro Station: Kwai Fong
Tel: +852 2157-9827
