This fine dining restaurant is located on 4/F of China Underwriters Centre in Wanchai, with a concept of using the cuisine to awaken familiar memories and creates new ones from the innovative dishes. Chef Edward Voon utilizes his French cooking techniques, combining with his taste experiences in Asia, to create an interesting tasting menu called Six Rounds.We sit at a table by the window, but I believe it is looking out at the pedestrian flyover, so the windows are in fact sandblasted, not able to see through. With dim lighting, the décor is contemporary, having neat and simplistic designs on the wall panels, curved ceiling, and comfortable leather seats offering diners a chic and relaxed ambience, with a touch of premium.The Tasting Menu Six Rounds ($1,480 each) also comes with a wine pairing ($880 for six glasses). The first wine that gets everything started is Blanc de Blancs Grand Cru Brut from M. Hostomme, under the restaurant’s own label. It has fresh citrus, good acidity, and fine bubbles.The Canapes includes three bite-sized appetizers. The first is Belacan Water Spinach Tart, with some deep-fried small fish added, topped with a pineapple turmeric mousse and fish sauce gel. The second is Shrimp Paste Chicken Mousse Spring Roll, with leek mayonnaise and caviar on top. The third is India street food Vadai, made from ground white beans with a bit of cucumber yogurt in the middle. Complex in taste and creative in both the idea and presentation. A wonderful start.The first course features Oscietra Caviar and Sicilian Red Prawn ‘Fujian’. The red prawn tartare is mixed with a bit of Fujian mee sauce, delicious with also impeccable presentation, having the flowery cracker on top, with the prized caviar adding savoury taste when everything is mixed together. It is so good I have scooped up every single caviar from the bowl upon finish.The Citrus Brioche comes next, paired with a homemade Chili Crab Dipping Sauce. The bread has a wonderful texture, seasoned with a bit of lime zest to give freshness and fragrance. But the highlight is in fact the sauce, made with the same ingredients used to prepare chili crab, including garlic, ginger, lemongrass, tomato, shallot, and different types of chilis. Cannot stop eating.The second wine is Tomi no Oka Koshu 2018 from Yamanashi Prefecture in Japan. The winery is owned by the beverage giant Suntory, using the local grape Koshu to produce a refreshing wine, with an interesting spicy note which goes well with the sauce of the pomfret.The second course is Wild Pomfret with Mui Choy and Beurre Blanc. The seared pomfret fillet has crisp skin while the flesh is moist and tender. The traditional French butter sauce has a twist, made together with preserved mustard greens and brown rice, to give a rich buttery note with a sweet and savoury undertone, also adding a bit of spiciness. My favourite dish in the evening.The third wine is Domaine Bouchard Pere & Fils Meursault 2017, with a nutty aroma on top of the citrus lemon, floral notes, as well as creamy vanilla. The richer body goes well with the next course, though the wine is a bit too cold for serving in my opinion.The third course is Mud Crab au Gratin, with Sakura Ebi and Tellicherry Pepper. Taking the meat from the Australia mud crab, the chef has add the 24-month Comte cheese, which has melted and adding a rich and savoury taste to the sweet and delicate crab meat, with the crunchy Sakura shrimp and chives on top, seasoned with the fragrant Tellicherry black pepper.The fourth wine is Loimer Loiserberg Riesling 2016. This Austrian Riesling has a delicate floral nose with some delicious citrus and peach, plus good minerality. The palate has demonstrated more profound characters, lively and versatile to match with seafood and shellfish.The fourth course is Britanny Lobster on Granny Smith Apple Laksa. The French blue lobster is grilled perfectly, very sweet and tasty. With the flavourful laksa sauce, there is also the green apple puree underneath, with some pickled apple pieces on top, providing the acidity to balance the palate, making everything integrated wonderfully. Another of my pick in the menu.The fifth wine is Au Pied du Mont Chauve Beaune Montee Rouge 2020. Belongs to the Picard family, the producer practices biodynamic and the wine has an earthy tone on top of red fruit of cherries and raspberry. But I do not think it is a good match with the abalone.The fifth course, Abalone on Koshihikari Rice with Tuna Bottarga ($288), is an additional dish we order. A risotto-like dish, the Japanese rice has cooked to an al dente texture with a good bite, adding a bit of the salted cured tuna roes to give an appetizing umami taste as well as to season. The South Africa abalone is meaty but not rubbery, brushed with a mouth-watering sauce.The sixth wine is Chateau Lassegue 2008. The St-Emilion wine has a nice finesse, sufficiently aged to allow the tannin to nicely integrate and rounded, with good black fruit notes, spicy, as well as demonstrating development with some savoury characters which go well with the pigeon.The sixth course features Pigeon, which has been aged for four days, then smoked with herbs like cinnamon and star anise. Deep in flavours, the meat is tender and juicy, complementing with a Shaoxing wine sauce and a black garlic puree. A croquette with cream cheese on the side, with the pickled radish to give acidity to balance the palate, completes this main course with flying colours.The pre-dessert is not on the menu. A creative combination, the chef has prepared a Chili Yogurt Ice-Cream, which has an interesting spiciness combined with sweetness, on top of some diced cucumber and cucumber sauce, giving a refreshing palate and balance to the ice-cream. With some lime zest on top, a pleasant palate cleanser.The dessert is a feast of flavours and texture. The Peanut Ice-Cream is rich and appropriate in sweetness, with a Glutinous Rice Mochi underneath, plus a sauce made with Vitagen. Pouring some caramelized Soy Sauce on top, it is a nice evolution of salted caramel, with the soy sauce having an extra layer of savoury, surprisingly harmonious with other ingredients in the dessert.The Petits Fours include Crunchy Apricot Kernels Cookie with Apricot Sauce, with some white chocolate pieces. The second one is Banana Cheesecake with Black Sesame Crisps, having rich flavours but not overly sweet. The last piece is Peach Sake Jelly, wrapped in edible rice paper, to finish the dinner.The bill on the night is $4,321. Service is reasonable, though in general I would expect more from a fine-dining restaurant. The biggest shortfall is that the food and ingredients have not been introduced sufficiently during service, as well as how the courses relate back to the concept of Six Rounds, which has significantly diminished the appreciation in my opinion. A missed opportunity.

This contemporary Vietnam fine-dining restaurant is located on 19/F of H Cube, with a concept of using wood-fire to grill the food. Helmed by Chef DoBee Lam, he aims to bring in a new dining experience to guests who like Vietnam cuisine. Arriving sharp at 6:30pm, we were shown to our table on the window side, looking down at Tai Kwun and the Mid-Levels on the background.The décor is neat, comfortable, and not overly sophisticated, with warm lighting and panels of burnt wood on the walls to represent wood-fire cooking. There are also Indochina elements, like the biophilic bamboo decorations, rattan chairs, and some artworks which integrate perfectly to the golden hue ambience.We order the Woodfired Indochine Vietnam Menu ($1,680 per guest) with me also going for wine pairing ($680 for 7 glasses). Apart from a great cook, the chef is also a designer, as he has co-designed the restaurant décor and also hand-drawn the paintings on the back of the menu, illustrating the different ingredients for each course we would be having.The first wine served is Grace Koshu 2022 of Grace Wine from Yamanashi. This Japanese wine has used grapes that are grown above 400m, with each bunch covered with a shade during autumn to reduce the effects of the rain. Having nice acidity, the wine is delicate in aromas and taste, suitable to pair with the appetizers and avoid dominating over the food.The first course is 123 Dzo! Translating to 123 Cheers! It is an assortment of great appetizers, generating fun and great anticipation for the whole menu. Starting with a welcome drink of Pineapple Lager, the light beer has a touch of refreshing pineapple note. On top is a layer of rich coconut foam which brings forth a tropical and Asian palate.The Sakura Banh Trang Caviar is the rice paper wafers snack, which has been toasted on charcoal to give a crisp texture. On top is plenty of deep-fried Sakura shrimps, with aioli and spring onion, very flavourful and umami in taste. The generous scoop of Royal Cristal Caviar, not only give a more premium touch to the appetizer but providing a slight saltiness and richness.Very beautifully presented, the Calamar is grilled squid from Korea Jeju Island. The chef has prepared three sauces for the squid, olive, red pepper, and basil, with his recommendation to mix all the three sauces well with the squid. The squid is tender and not rubbery, with its caramelized sweetness going well with the complex flavours of the sauces.The second course is Bamboo Leaf Ham. The homemade cha lua is the Vietnam pork roll made in the traditional style, wrapped in bamboo leaf, made using premium Okinawa Yamato pork, seasoned with black pepper. Together with the renown 60°C fish sauce, adjusted to our own preferred spiciness and sourness, the cha lua was super tasty, bouncy in texture, definitely one of the best I have eaten.The second wine served is Smallfry Pond Rose 2022. From Australia, this rose is made from ungrafted Cinsault and Mataro from the producer’s Barossa vineyard, with the grapes foot-trodden and left on skins overnight. It is bottled with lees, so the wine is a bit cloudy, which adds a creamier palate on top of the nice strawberry and rose aromas.The third course is District 4 Midnight BBQ Pork. The Iberico secreto is a cut of meat between the shoulder blade and loin, grilled over high fire to give a crisp crust on the outside, while juicy and tender inside. Served in a casserole with lemongrass and molasse to absorb the fragrance from the herbs, the pork is paired with a refreshing fennel salad on the side to balance the taste.The third wine served is Tantaka Arabako Txakolina Blanco Diapiro 2019. From the Basque region in Spain, it is made with some indigenous varieties and fermented in stainless steel tanks with natural yeast. With a refreshing note, bright citrus and minerality, and a richer texture coming from the lees ageing process, it goes well with the geoduck.The fourth course is Nha Trang Hai San, with the chef using live geoduck as the seasonal shellfish. The meaty grilled geoduck is very delicious, full of umami wonders seeping out from each bite, and the scallion and roasted peanuts adding an appealing fragrance. With a bit of the very spicy chili lime sauce, the flavours were elevated to an extra level.The fourth wine served is Tanakarokujugo Junmai 田中六五. The sake was produced by 白糸酒造 in Fukuoka, with its name coming from the brewer as well as the milling rate (65%) he used for making the sake. The wine has a delicious and intense melon note on the palate, with a good sweetness and body to pair well with the intensely flavourful red prawn.The fifth course is Bahn Tom. The prized Spanish red prawn is grilled, with the body and tail wrapped inside a Japanese deep-fried nori sheet like a taco, with a bit of abura-age, a type of Japanese deep-fried tofu, and some celtuce underneath. A butter sauce is made with the prawn head, rich and deep in flavours, supplemented with a few drops of calamansi to freshen up.The fifth wine served is Samuel Billaud Chablis 2022. This classic Chablis has good acidity, with a nice citrus and chalky minerality notes on the nose, while the palate has a more saline character, sharp and crisp. The wine would be a perfect complement with a shellfish dish, unfortunately it did not match well with the toothfish, showing a bit too much an iron aftertaste.The sixth course is French Quarter Toothfish. Wrapped in banana leaf, the wild caught toothfish has been seasoned impeccably, highlighting the natural sweetness of the fish to its best. On the side the chef has mixed a special fish sauce with more flavours, adding shallot, dill, turmeric, and kumquat in. With a few drops of the sauce, the fish was even more delicious, fantastic with umami.We have ordered an additional course, the Jumbo Carabineros ($880). With the two XXL red prawns weighing 300g in total, they are wrapped in laksa leaf before putting to grill on the fire pit, to the perfect medium well level. With a calamansi on the side to give a bit of citrus to freshen up, a butter sauce was prepared with the prawn head as condiment for the toasts on the side.The sixth wine served is Zuccardi Blanc de Blancs Cuvee Especial 2018. From Argentina, this sparkling wine is made from 100% Chardonnay using traditional method, with refined bubbles, a rich and refreshing pear and quince notes, plenty of bread and honey, as well as a good orange peel in the finish. A nice wine to go with the chicken, it is a nice sparkling to enjoy on its own too.The seventh course is Hoi An Old Town Poulet. The local three yellow chicken has been dry aged for 48 hours, roasted to a crisp skin while the meat still juicy. With some lemongrass lime salt as seasoning, the chef also prepared a sauce with galangal, curry leaf, laksa leaf, and lemon basil as well, along with a green papaya salad to freshen the palate.The eighth course is Hanwoo 1++ Bun Bo Hue 3.0, featuring prime Gyeongju ribeye cap, with the beef served raw in a steaming hot bowl of 36-hours lemongrass bouillon, along with Hanoi Old Quarter handmade rice noodle. The soup noodle is pure delight and superbly flavourful. There are also some fried dough and banana blossom to go with the soup as well.The ninth course is the pre-dessert, Chanh Vang. On a wedge of lemon, the chef has removed the flesh, and instead prepared an aiyu jelly with honey and calamansi to replace, making it looks like eating the fruit. With the acidity and sweetness balancing very well, it is refreshing, and I would hope the wedge is larger in size.The seventh and last wine served is Chateau de la Roulere Coteaux du Layon 2022. The dessert wine is of medium sweetness, with the late harvest Chenin Blanc from Loire having a nice touch of honey with also baked apple fruitiness. It is a good match with the s’mores as it is not very indulgent, so requires a wine of the right body and sweetness to pair.The tenth and final course is Hanoi Campfire S’mores. A creative dish, the chef has made an ice-cream using pandan leaf, coconut, and custard, and then coated with the homemade marshmallow, on a skewer, before torching the surface to caramelize. Truly creating the same feeling of enjoying s’mores at campfire, the ice-cream is not too sweet, with the marshmallow melting in the mouth nicely.Service is good, with the staff attentive and explaining the dishes to us well. The bill on the night is $5,584 which in my opinion is reasonable. It is great to see how this restaurant evolves the traditional Vietnam cuisine to offer a fine-dining experience, through a nice environment, great food and quality ingredients, good services, and interesting concept.

This French restaurant has won the 2024 Michelin one-star status as well as the green star for the effort to support sustainable gastronomy. Helmed by Chef David Toutain, who also has a two-star under his name in Paris, the tasting menu features sustainably grown products sourced from local farmers. Despite a heavy rainstorm, we came sharp at 6:30pm on the night to The Wellington in Central.
There are two sections in the restaurant, including a semi-private room. We were seated at the innermost part of the main dining area, on comfortable banquette with an oval-shaped table. There are windows on one side looking out to the Central skyline, providing a cozy and relaxing ambience for diners. The tasting Menu Terroir costs $1,599 with a 7-Glass Wine Pairing at $988.
Soon Esther, the sommelier, came to introduce the first wine for the appetizers, Weingut Tement Gelber Muskateller Sand & Schiefer 2020 is from Austria Sudsteiermark DAC. The Muscat has ripe mandarin appeal, good floral notes, with hints of fresh leaves and spice. Crisp and refreshing. The menu is divided into different stages highlighting a plant’s life. Starting with Grains & Seeds, the first appetizer is Chia Seed / Lemon Tree Kombucha. The kombucha is made from fermented jasmine tea, with a bit of lemon tree leaves extract added. Very refreshing and palate-wakening. Together with some healthy chia seeds to give a fun poppy texture, a great start. The second appetizer is Pimenta / Chestnut / Chervil. The chestnut tart is flaky and light, with a cream that has been seasoned with pimenta, having a nice touch of sweet spiciness. On top are the chestnut crisps, with great texture and dusted with some chervil powder, for visually appeal and also showcased the locally grown herbs.  The third appetizer is Mustard Seed / Shiso / Sea Grape. Really wonderful in presentation, the shiso leaf is deep-fried in tempura style, with some sea grapes added on top, and seasoned with some mustard seeds to give the acidity to stimulate the palate while enhancing the fragrance with the fresh and citrusy notes of dill, with an appealing grassy undertone.  The fourth appetizer is Madras Curry / Frog Legs / Rosemary. The frog legs have been trimmed to a lollipop shape before deep-frying to an appetizing golden colour with a thin crust. Seasoned with rosemary to add a layer of the herbal fragrance, it is paired with Madras curry sauce for dipping, with a good tartness to balance the deep-fried frog legs but not overly spicy.  The second wine pairing is in fact a sake. From Miyoshino Jozo in Nara, Hanatomoe Yodan only uses natural yeast, and has undergone four stages of fermentation, relatively rare in sake production, giving the sake more body and intensity. With aromas of mango, good balance in sweetness and acidity.
The second course is Cumin / Egg / Sweet Corn. The egg came from a local farm, with the chef carefully cutting the shell open and infuse back with egg custard with sweet corn foam. On top there is a caramel drizzle, made together with cumin, to give a spicy sweetness. A curly breadstick on the side with some fine chives is provided to mix up the egg custard to enjoy. Pretty in form and good in taste.
The third wine pairing is Domaine Denizot Pouilly Fume. The Sauvignon Blanc has undergone maceration and aging on lees, with delicate and elegant aromas, plenty of flintstone characters from the minerality. The good acidity also helps to cleanse the palate, enhancing the umami of geoduck.  The second stage of the menu highlights Roots, Stems & Leaves. Beginning with the Feuille Bread and Dill Pil Pil, the bread was one of the best I had tried, with a crusty skin, sunflower seeds on top, while the inside remains moist and spongy. On the side the dill pil pil, a spread made from blended garlic and dill with olive oil. So delicious I have to refrain from asking for one more bread. The next course is French Bean / Geoduck / Lovage. The geoduck is lightly blanched to retain its delicate sweetness and texture, seasoned with some lovage oil, which is highly flavourful and reminds me of celery. With some chopped French beans mixed with pistachio, together with vinegar, it is a complex dish with different flavours surprisingly well-integrated with each other.
On the menu there is an optional course, with the Butter Lettuce / Banana / Oscietre Caviar costing an additional $420 each. The young butter lettuce has been fermented in banana to make the salad, with different greens and some parsley pods to complement, and a bright green puree made from celery. The caviar on the side added a bit of savoury flavour to top up the taste.  The fourth wine paired is Gilles Berlioz Les Fripons 2020, a Vin de Savoie made from Roussanne, locally known as Bergeron. With apricot and floral honey, the wine has some peppery characters, quite creamy on body and has nice minerality on the finish. Good match with nasturtium in the coming course.
Coming to the fifth course, the Carrot / Sea Bass / Nasturtium has a colourful presentation, with a deep-fried water spinach leaf covering the beautifully seasoned local sea bass fillet. The orangish baby carrot is sweet, with the green nasturtium providing a bit of spicy taste, all integrated by the creamy and buttery bearnaise sauce, with some tamarind jelly to further add to the acidity to balance the palate.
The fifth wine paired is Clos des Centenaires Grenache Vieilles Vignes 2017 from Rhone. With raspberry, sweet spices and dry flowers, the wine is less tannic because of the ageing, surprisingly matching with lobster. To balance its higher alcohol, it is served at a lower temperature. Very thoughtful.
The sixth course is Pumpkin / Spiny Lobster / Saffron. The meaty local lobster has been grilled on skewers over charcoal with rosemary and citrus to imbed with extra flavours, paired with a homemade mayo sauce using the lobster head to add an umami richness. On the side there is the chewy pumpkin gnocchi, paired with pumpkin puree, with also a lobster sausage. Super delicious and our favourite in the evening.
The sixth wine paired is Stephane Ogier La Rosine 2020. The grapes actually came from Cote-Rotie, but the vines are of a younger age, so the wine is essentially a ‘de-classified’ Cote-Rotie, with a nice peppery spiciness yet not heavy, with good plummy notes as well to match with the beetroot.  The seventh course is Beetroot / Pigeon / Bok Choy. The pigeon is cooked to medium rare to keep it juicy and tender, with the red beetroot puree, the green bok choy puree, and the tasty pigeon jus to complement. An interesting addition is the pickled beetroot, with the earthy taste provides further complexity on the taste, and the touch of angelica jelly to give some musky sweetness. Gorgeous.  Coming to the third stage which is Flowers & Fruits, the pre-dessert is the refreshing Tomato / Marigold / Lemon Balm. The chef has prepared a cherry tomato gazpacho, adding tomato water to make it not too thick, with a verbena ice-cream that has got good citrus and clean taste, and further supplemented with the fragrance from the marigold and lemon balm herbs. Everything is so flavourful. The last wine paired is Domaine Huet Le Mont Moelleux 1995 from Vouvray. The Chenin Blanc has fully matured with a nice lemon and dried peach, as well as sugarcane notes. With hints of ginger and not too sweet, its good acidity goes well with the dessert.
The final course is Hazelnut / Chocolate / Herbs. On the bottom are some chocolate crumbs, with chocolate ganache on top, which has also got herbal notes of rosemary and cumin. Wrapped around is the puff pastry rings to create an appealing presentation and a crunchy bite. On the side there is basil ice-cream having the refreshing flavours to balance the more indulgent chocolate.  Finally, the last stage of Origins aims to bring back to the not so sophisticated, authentic, and original style Petits Fours. The Coconut / Passion Fruit is a coconut meringue with a passion fruit cream on top, with the tartness of the cream balancing well the sweetness of the meringue, and the two fruity tastes vibrant and giving a touch of the tropical elements.
The Fir Bud Macaron is truly showcasing the ingredients, not just on flavours but also visually, with the macaron sitting on top of the firs. The macaron is of appropriate sweetness, with a lemony and hints of woody taste.  The last one is Peanut / Vanilla, with the smoked vanilla ice-cream immersed in a rich sauce made with peanut and cream, being the most indulgent among the three to provide a satisfying and fulfilling completion of the wonderful meal.
Service is good, with attentive staff that offers good introductions to the dishes. The sommelier Esther is also knowledgeable and did a great job in pairing the wines to the food. The overall experience is impeccable and the bill on the night was $5,687. A place worthy of its Michelin status and it is amazing to taste dishes that elevate the flavours of the ingredients to utmost.

In HK one would be able to eat different types of Chinese cuisine, but one surprising miss has been Hokkien. Despite some dishes can be found in Taiwanese restaurants, there are very few dedicated Fujian diners in town. So, when I heard a new Hokkien restaurant has opened in Island Shangri-La, we quickly booked to see whether it is authentic or not.Located on the same floor as the outdoor swimming pool, the restaurant is circular in shape, with full-height windows allowing natural light in. The décor is nice and relaxing, with cozy warm lighting, comfortable seating and murals giving a sense of garden, depicting flowers and plants matching with the greens in the poolside and the hills outside as background.We started with some small dishes, first being Aged Yongchun Vinegar Jellyfish Terrine 永春老醋海蜇凍 ($88). The jellyfish had been marinated in two different kinds of vinegar, with a nice balance of sweet and sourness, really help to stimulate the appetize. The crunchiness of the jellyfish and the soft terrine provided a good contrast in texture.For many Hokkien, the Deep-Fried Five Spice Pork Roll 閩南五香卷 ($118) would be a true test on the quality of the restaurant. This one checked off a few marks for me personally, with the tofu skin crisp, and the seasoning of the pork appropriate. Perhaps for some (including me) they would prefer to see more fatty pork added, but I could understand for modern diet this might not be welcomed.Each of us ordered our own soup, with me taking Blanched Jumbo Surf Clams in Chicken Soup 雞湯汆海蚌 ($108) while my wife had Fish Maw & King Crab Meat Thick Soup 帝王蟹肉魚肚羹 ($188). The chicken soup was clear, with delicate good flavors, having bamboo pith and Chinese cabbage in addition to the surf clam. Tasty and made you feel good as a healthy soup.The crab meat thick soup had an abundant of ingredients, with plenty of fish maw and crab meat. Delicious with a good umami note, I could smell the richness of the aromas even at a distance. For those who preferred stronger flavors this perhaps would be the better pick among the two soups, which could further adjust the taste with the vinegar and white pepper powder provided.There were different portions of the Xiamen Ginger Duck 廈門薑母鴨 and we had opted for the lower side 下莊 ($388). Served on a clay bowl with tealight to keep the sauce heated, the duck was tender and juicy, with a nice taste. But it was quite different from my expectation, originally thinking it would be more like a hot pot with soup, plus plenty of ginger. I was honestly confused.With the portion of each dish relatively small, we decided to add Chrysanthemum Shaped Fish with Sweet & Sour Sauce 菊花魚 ($458). The fish fillet had been deep-fried with very thin batter, still keeping moist on the texture, with the delicious sweet and sour sauce reminded me of a similar dish from Shanghai, but this one was more refined in presentation and taste.For staple food we had Home-Style Wok-Fried Mian Xian with Dried Seafood 家鄉海味炒線麵 ($328). Again, the taste was quite good, having plenty of dried shrimps, fish cake, cabbage, carrot, spring onion, naming just a few, but the texture of the mian xian was quite different than those I am familiar, with this one a bit thicker and more similar to the Cantonese rice noodle.For dessert I had Gelidium Jelly with Honey 蜂蜜石花凍 ($68). The texture of the jelly was similar to bird’s nest, and it was something we often enjoyed in summer while I was young. This is an up-level version though, with fresh fig and blueberry, sweetened by premium quality honey. A nice one to choose from especially given it was the only cold dessert available.My wife had “Orh Nee” Sweet Taro Paste with Japanese Pumpkin 金瓜手工芋泥 ($68) instead. The taro paste was smooth and not lumpy, with appropriate sweetness but not excessive. There were some toasted sesames scattered on top to bring additional fragrance to the dessert which was a smart idea. Comparing the two desserts this one would be my recommendation.Service was good, though the staff was very soft-spoken, and we could not hear well his introduction to the dishes. Another highlight was the tea. The restaurant had her own tea sommelier and a good assortment of different types for tea-lovers. The bill was $2,187 which was a bit pricey considering what we had, and while food was nice, it might not be your cup of tea if looking for authentic Hokkien dishes.

With so many choices in dining, there are only a few restaurants that I do frequently revisit. One of them is Sushi Zinc, located in Shau Kei Wan, on the short one-ended Miu Tung Street. With its black door and the illuminated letter Z on the doorbell, they are the two clues in finding the place.Arriving right on time we greeted Chef Zinc and were seated in the middle of the 10-seat hinoki counter. The décor has a contemporary industrial vibe, with rough concrete walls and floors, but intertwined with refined elements. A glass wall allows diners to see into the activities of the kitchen as well. The omakase menu costs $2,400 per person.Following the recommendation of Chef Zinc, I started with a serving of くどき上手Jr.の超高精白株式會社 出羽の里29 純米大吟釀 ($200). Made using local Yamagata rice, with a polishing ratio of 29%, this sake has a delicate, refreshing and very clean palate, lighter in taste. Very good start.Chef Zinc began by cutting two pieces of the triangular Kuchiko 海鼠子 into very small pieces, and then took the vinegared Aka-Namako 赤海鼠 into the serving bowl, sprinkled with some kuchiko on top. The crunchy texture of the sea cucumber, with a touch of sourness, adding with the umami of the dried sea cucumber ovaries, is a perfect match. The latter is known as Japan’s top three umami delicacies.Taken out from the steamer were the Shako 蝦蛄 that had been bundled together. The mantis shrimps were caught in Lamma Islands, each with plenty of orange-colored roes inside. Pouring a thick sauce made from radish, with some yuzu shavings on top, the pure joy of eating the sweet mantis shrimp without having the trouble of taking the shell off, is memorable and luxurious.One of the seasonal seafoods in Japan right now is Torigai 鳥貝. The Japanese cockle was really fresh, with Chef Zinc telling us these arrived just before they opened on the night. He removed the bottom part, before serving the body to us with a bit of shoyu and wasabi. The freshness was apparent with the muscle quickly contracted when getting hit, and its sweetness and umami were truly unbeatable.The bottom part of the Torigai 鳥貝 was not just being discarded. Chef Zinc put it in a cup and added plenty of menegi in. Pouring some hot broth, each seep of the soup brought a comfortable, warming feeling to the stomach, satisfying not just on the palate in terms of flavors but also the wellness of the body. An example of showcasing the ingredients to their best. Amazing.Taking a tartlet shell from the kitchen, Chef Zinc retrieved three boxes from the fridge, which contained Kobashira 小柱, the adductor muscle of round clam, candied mandarin, and sweet peas. With some lemon sour cream underneath, he carefully put together the ingredients in the tartlet, then sprinkled with some salt flakes on top. Complex in taste and texture, a fusion course with western techniques.Next, Chef Zinc showed us the Seki-Aji 関池魚, a specialty Japanese horse mackerel from Oita. Meticulously cutting on the surface to allow the shoyu to seep in, the sushi was phenomenal, with the fish having a slightly firmer texture versus the other horse mackerel we had tried, but still being soft on the bite. The chef had added a bit of young ginger too to subtly add to its taste.The second sake serving was くどき上手Jr.のヒ蜜 The Nectar 純米大吟釀 ($200). One of Chef Zinc’s personal favorites, with a stronger fruity note, shows much more apparent tropical fruit and ripe characters than the first sake. A perfect match with sushi and dishes with a richer taste.The salad was another example of Chef Zinc’s mastery in flavors. Using Hotaru-Ika 蛍烏賊 from Toyama, he toasted some of the firefly squid before grinding them to make a dressing with olive oil, replacing the original recipe using anchovy. The flavors were very similar but better, with more savory taste and less salty. Together with shredded puntarelle and firefly squid, the salad was really delicious.When we arrived, Chef Zinc was busy preparing a Threadfin, and he used it to prepare the next sushi. The fish was caught in local waters, weighing over five-catty. Even though the fish is supposed to be off-season now, this one still had rich fatty oil and full of flavors. No doubt also helped by the chef cleverly searing the skin lightly to vitalize the fatty layer underneath to make it even stronger in taste.Taking the lid off the Chawanmushi 茶碗蒸 revealed the beautiful orangish Bafun-Uni 馬糞雲丹. The sea urchin from Hokkaido was sweet in taste, mixing well with the silky soft egg custard, which had been added with a bit of chrysanthemum and yuzu to give extra fragrance. The sea urchin was shipped in brine, only having a very short shelf life, but able to avoid preservatives to keep original taste.Next came Kasugo 春子鯛. The young seabream had a very tender texture, best in quality in the spring season, as the larger seabream would have roes, so a lot of fat and nutrients would be channeled there, making the flesh less delicious. Chef Zinc marinated it on a Sakura leaf and then added a bit of Sakura petals in the sushi to bring forward the taste of spring even further.The third sake serving was くどき上手 白ばくれん 山田穗55 超辛口 吟釀 生詰 ($160). This series of sake had a crisp and more subtle aroma, using the special rice 山田穗 to brew, and was ideal to pair with foods of stronger flavors.When the sous chef heated some kombu broth, I had been wondering what food would be cooked there. It was the famous Karen Kaki 華漣牡蠣 from Nagasaki, plump and with a sweet taste. Chef Zinc also used a spring wild vegetable called Gyoja Ninniku 行者葫 to prepare the sauce and some tempura on the side. The Siberian onion did not taste like leek but similar to spring onion with better sweetness.Chef Zinc then showed us the box of Aomori Shiro-Uni 白雲丹 from the famous brand 大千. The white sea urchin has a lighter color than the Bafun-Uni tasted earlier, but much bigger in size. The skill in kneading the sushi with the very soft sea urchin was a test of the chef, but not any problem for Chef Zinc. Seasoned with some rock salt, it was truly delicious, with a great umami taste.The chef then went into the kitchen for some time, before coming back with some pan-fried Hotategai 帆立貝. The scallops were very large in size, wrapped in guanciale to supplement with savory flavors, with each bite offering pure joy and wonder. Together with a Kumquat Kanroni 甘露煮 and a sauce made from dried scallop, Parma ham, and aged vinegar, another Western-style dish inserted to good effect.Taking a large slab of Akami 赤身, Chef Zinc carved out pieces of the lean tuna to make the sushi. He told us that the tuna was caught in Shizuoka, with the meat without going through any aging. The acidity of the flesh was appetizing, with the shoyu a perfect complement. Seeing how we liked them, Chef Zinc kindly served us another piece, seasoned with salt flakes instead, to bring a different taste.The fourth sake serving was くどき上手 赤ばくれん 超辛口 吟醸. Using a different rice to brew, compared with the last one, although both were super dry, this sake was less spicy, with a rounder palate and more umami notes, and I found that it might be easier to pair with food.Chef Zinc also took out a slab of beautifully marbled O-Toro 大とろ which could be easily mistaken for wagyu. Cutting thin slices of the fatty tuna, he took it back to the kitchen to prepare in sukiyaki style, then served with grilled eggplant, paired with a miso egg yolk sauce. The taste and texture were similar to wagyu, but also had an umami taste and less fibrous on the bite, fantastic.Seeing the Unagi 鰻, we knew that it was near the end of the meal. Chef Zinc had braised the eel to a wonderfully soft and melt-in-mouth texture, with another highlight being the use of sansho flowers as condiments, which are only available for a very short period of the year and very expensive. Unlike the sansho peppers, the flowers had the same fragrance but not the spiciness.As we enjoyed the Seki-Aji 関池魚 very much, we asked Chef Zinc for an encore. He generously prepared a tail of the fish for us to share, making into four pieces of sushi. To be honest, we felt a bit uneasy eating so much in front of the other customers, but the fish was so good that I knew I would certainly regret if I did not. It was a lucky day and truly recommend trying it out when there is the chance.In the conversation, Chef Zinc shared he had tasted one of the best sakes, and knowing it was available, I could not resist having my fifth sake serving. 十四代 龍之落子 大極上諸白 純米大吟釀 ($480) has nice fruit notes, a delicate sweetness, well-balanced and delicious. Definitely a must-try.Knowing we loved silver-skinned fish Chef Zinc asked whether we were interested to have Iwashi 鰯 as well. With the sardine season just about to start, he only ordered a small quantity to try out its quality, and we were lucky to be able to enjoy it. While it might not be very fat yet, it was flavorful, and we really look forward to the full season.The soup featured Sansai 山菜, with six seasonal spring wild vegetables, many of which were foreign and new to me. Two of these I recognized as Junsai 蓴菜 and Kogomi こごみ, which are watershield and ostrich ferns. The unique taste of the vegetables, mixing with the flavors of the broth made from toasted kombu, was harmonious. A healthy soup good for wellness and taste buds.The circular Tamagoyaki 玉子焼, made according to the traditional style from a mixture of fish, shrimp and egg without any flour added, had a wonderful fluffy texture and permeating sweetness from the seafood. Paired with butter and some sugarcane syrup, it reminded me a lot of pancakes, but with the flavors at an extra mile.The dessert was Hojicha 焙茶 Pannacotta, with the creamy and silky pannacotta just perfect at its sweetness level. The roasted tea flavors were appetizing as well, and the overall experience was smooth and comfortable. Perfect finale to a fantastic meal.But Chef Zinc told us he prepared a secret additional dessert as well. The homemade Milk Ice-Cream had been infused with smoke to give special flavors, surprisingly with some meaty, roasted animal fat fragrance. The creamy softness of the texture was also impeccable.Service is great, with Chef Zinc interacting with all the customers and paying attention to their needs. On the day, he noticed a customer having toothache and brewed a concoction for him to lessen the effect of inflammation. The bill on the night was $6,424. Great food with pleasant surprises every time, plus wonderful services, an unbeatable omakase experience that prompted me to return again and again.

This restaurant is pretty new, which has opened for six months only, and have Gavin Chin, who used to be the head chef of Brut! before starting this business, taking the helm. Located in Sai Ying Pun, at the entrance they proudly displayed a board with the hand-written comments from diners, showing their good feedback from prior visits.The interior décor has a contemporary and hip vibe, using plenty of pinkish hue on the bar, with whitewashed walls and lightings recreating a feeling of a relaxing place in the Mediterranean. There are a few alcoves which presents into a semi-private space. With good energy and music, the only issue is that the tables are quite packed together.

We order The Chaos Menu ($658 each), with some of the chef’s signature as well as off-menu items. The starter is Scallops, diced and mixed with some wasabi and yuzu dressing, plus the crunchy jicama and cucumber, all put inside the homemade pani puri. This finger-food is refreshing, with the different texture appealing and the delicate taste wakes up the palate with acidity from the dressing. Good.The next course has a great presentation. Featuring Leek, the chef wrapped them on nori sheet, pressed and cut to form a layer. In-between the leeks are apricot pulp and raisin, adding a bit of sweetness and fruity taste to the leeks. The kumquat sauce integrates the two components well, bringing a good harmony in taste to the dish. Good.

The third course is Chicken Liver Pate, with the creamy homemade pate having prepared together with cognac and celeriac to give a nice fragrance. Putting on top are chopped leeks that are mixed with fruit jam, as well as some green grapes and spicy toasted hazelnuts, drizzled with some olive oil. On the side is the freshly baked brioche to allow us to spread the pate to enjoy. Good.The fourth course is my favourite in the meal. The Daikon, or Japanese radish, has been braised in a broth made from shiitake and blaze mushroom to fully absorbed the umami flavours, combining with the sweetness of the radish itself. The chef has caramelized the surface with butter, with some crispy crumbs on top to create a nice bite. With a bit of mustard the taste is amazing. Very good.

Coming to the fifth course, Lamb Rack. Marinated with shio koji and curry powder, the lamb is grilled to medium rare, keeping it juicy and tender, while the meat has the right amount of fat to give flavours without being excessively fatty. On the side is some greens, water chestnut and horseradish puree to balance the palate to make the whole dish more healthy and not too heavy. Good.Before transitioning to the main course is the palate cleanser, featuring Pickled Tomato. With a strip of pickled radish on top, the acidity of the tomato is refreshing, having a delicate sweetness as well. Interestingly, underneath the chef has added some spring onion and ginger, the same condiment in the dipping sauce for steamed chicken, to create a more complex experience in taste. Good.

The seventh course is Rendang Short Rib. The beef short rib has been slow cooked for 12 hours, with the meat completely detached from the bone, very tender and full of flavours. On top of the short rib are a crust of toasted coconut and Thai basil, with also the Rendang sauce poured on the side to integrate the Asian taste into this fusion dish. Very good.Accompanying the short rib is the Fresh Fennel to provide the balance. The fennel has been shredded to strips, then added with some jam and sprinkled with gremolata on top. Gremolata is a type of green sauce made from chopped parsley, lemon zest and garlic, adding acidity and vibrancy to the fennel. A nice complement to help remove the heaviness from the meats. A thoughtful side fish to go with the short ribs. Good.

The dessert is Kopyor Coconut Granita, refreshing and sweet in taste. The chef has added the two creams, made from coriander and coconut respectively, on top to create a colourful combination. On the outside are almond crisps, offering a contrast in texture, and also the calamondin vinegar sprayed to give a bit of citrus sourness to the dessert. With a complex array of flavours from the complementary combination, it demonstrates the creativity of the chef. Good.Service is good, with the staff friendly and explaining the dishes to us in details. Together with the beverages, the bill is $1,817 which is reasonable. No wonder this place is so popular, with a full house on the night, as well as people waiting for the second seating while we are leaving. I have left them a note congratulating them for the nice food and service, and wonder whether it will end up on the board outside?

This Indian restaurant has been offering authentic Indian cuisine in Hong Kong since 1972 (older than me!). Moving from its prior location in Ashely Road, where they had operated for 29 years, to the current address in Prince Tower, the restaurant has been regarded as one of the icons for Hong Kong dining industry.Seated at a circular booth, the restaurant has a nice décor, with also a large terrace offering customers to dine outdoor. They are currently offering a Golden Jubilee Tasting Menu (with also a vegetarian version) featuring some classic dishes since 1972, and we have opted for this menu ($448 each).Starting with Homemade Green Chutney and Pappadums, the roasted dough is crunchy and having good seasoning of salt and pepper, with the mint chutney balancing well, providing the refreshing minty notes and some acidity. Nice.The Amuse Bouche is Pani Poori. It is a popular street food in India, with the deep-fried breaded hollow stuffed with tangy potatoes and lentil mix. Underneath is a small shot of refreshing mint mocktail, which cleanse the palate after eating the snack. Good.There are three Appetizers, served basically at the same time. The first is Malabar Crab Taco. Wrapped inside the soft roti taco is plenty of kerala spiced crabmeat, with the sweetness of the crabmeat and the spiciness matching well, very delicious and one of my favourite dishes in the evening. Very good.The second one is Chicken Tikka. The popular dish features chargrilled chicken brochettes marinated in yoghurt and subtle spices on a hot plate, with the chicken tender and great in taste. If only the plate is hotter to sizzling the whole experience would be even greater. But still very good.The third one is Lamb Galouti Kabab. The minced lamb cake is the pride of Lucknow, with the meat mixed with aromatic spices to give a nice taste. Very mild in spiciness, the galouti kabab are served on a small piece of circular naan. Good.For the Main Course, there are also three dishes. The first one is Kadai Prawns. The prawns are wok tossed with bell peppers, onion, tomatoes and freshly grounded herbs and crushed chili peppers. The prawns are good in taste, with the vegetables equally delicious. I also like how the spiciness not too apparent initially but gradually provides the stimulus to palate. Another very good dish.The second is Truffle Butter Chicken, a signature of the restaurant. The roasted chicken is simmered in subtly spiced pearl onion sauce infused with black truffle butter, with the thick sauce having very rich truffle flavours and a nice complement with naan or rice, but perhaps a bit too dominating, and can easily overpower the taste of other ingredients. Still good and worth trying.The third one is Dal Makhani. It is a dish originated from Punjab, with black lentils and red kidney beans simmered on a slow fire with butter and spice. The lentils and beans have been cooked to a nice texture, with a hint of smokiness, but I think it can use a bit more spiciness. Not sure this is their standard recipe, or our dish have been adjusted. Not bad at all but I think can be even better.To go with the different main courses there are Garlic Naan which are freshly made, with a good texture and nice taste. Personally, the plain naan may be better to go with the curry and sauces, but these are still very good. Despite the big portion we end up finishing all the pieces.Apart from naan there is also Saffron Basmati Pulao Rice. The rice is good, but we simply are too full and cannot eat much of it, so we end up packing them home.There are two Desserts, one is Gajar Halwa, a warm carrot cream pudding. The grated carrot is cooked with milk reduction, cardamom and rose infusion, to a nice texture. Quite sweet but not excessive, it also has an appealing reddish orange colour so is both good in taste and presentation.The other dessert is Kesar Kulfi. The homemade ice-cream is flavoured and infused with cardamom and saffron, and while it might be a bit more exotic in taste for some, the herbs provide an interesting and nice experience in my opinion.The dinner is concluded with Masala Tea, with the Darjeeling milk tea brewed with aromatic herbs and spices. On its own the herbs might be a bit too strong for local palate, but after adding sugar the tea is in fact refreshing, with the herbs also giving a warmth to the stomach with satisfaction.

Service is decent, and I believe the restaurant can do more to introduce the dishes, especially for those non-Indian customers who might not exactly know a lot of the food. Having a deeper understanding can allow the food to be better appreciated. The bill on the night is $1,207 which is reasonable.

My last visit to this Michelin 1-star restaurant was back in 2019. Returning today, while the address still shows that it is on Elgin Street, it has moved to a completely different location. A bit difficult to find, it is on top of a short flight of steps in between Fukuro and Ho Lee Fook.I have booked the Kitchen Counter on the day, trying to experience and see first-hand how the beautifully rendered dishes are prepared up-close. The counter can accommodate 4 guests, with comfortable highchairs, inside the kitchen.Chef Jacob Zuidervliet and his team greets us, and soon starts to prepare for the special Chef’s Counter Menu ($1,988 each). While also go for the 6-glass wine pairing ($988), I start with a glass of Pommery ‘Apanage’ Brut Blanc de Blancs NV ($498) as aperitif.The Amuse Bouche is Trout Roe Stroopwafel with Salmon Mousse. The stroopwafel is a Dutch cookie made from two layers of sweet baked dough held by syrup filling. The chef creatively re-formed it to look like a taco shell and stuffed with smoked salmon mousse mixed with dashi sauce, with plenty of poppy trout roes on top. The crunchy stroopwafel and the soft mousse offer a good contrast in texture, with the umami and savoury flavours appetizing. Fun and great in taste.The first wine pairing is Domaine Zind Humbrecht Rotenberg Pinot Gris 2021. From one of my favourite producers who dedicated himself to biodynamics, the grapes came from a plot of limestone soil having very rich iron contents, giving a distinctive red brick colour. The wine has nice citrus fruits to start, evolving with honey and bee wax, as well as some white fruits too.The first course is Norwegian King Crab with Radish and Shaoxing. The delicate and sweet crab meat was wrapped in radish scales that has been thinly sliced to be translucent, looking like a large circular dumpling. In the middle cavity there are some caviar, and edible flowers and other leaves creating a truly appealing and pretty presentation. On the side the chef has prepared a sauce made from Chinese Shaoxing wine, providing a bit of acidity to freshen up the palate. Beautiful and nice.The second wine pairing is Domaine de la Taille aux Loups Remus Montlouis-sur-Loire 2021. A Chenin Blanc from the Loire Valley, the wine has a quince note supplemented with aromas of ginger and pear, with fuller body to balance the heavier palate of the foie gras coming next, as well as a slight sweetness on the aftertaste as well.The second course is Tarte du Foie Gras with Plum and Macadamia Nut. A signature of the restaurant, the slice of tarte shows the different layers, with the sliced plum pieces neatly arranged on the top, with a sweet plum jelly inserted in the middle, and a very rich and indulgent foie gras pate layer, added with chopped macadamia nuts, on the thin tarte base. Every bite is pure joy and satisfaction, with all the flavours harmonized. Excellent and no wonder a signature.The third wine pairing is Maxime Magnon La Begou 2020. A white wine from the star producer in Corbieres, in the Languedoc region, which is made from Grenache Gris and Grenache Blanc. On the nose there is nice salty minerality, with also good oaky aromas. The palate has a more heavy and rounded body and is my favourite wine in the evening.The third course is Ris de Veau with Asparagus and Sauce Aigre-Douce. A special dish from Chef Jacob, the veal sweetbread is beautifully seared, with a succulent texture. On the side are the French young asparagus, very tender, together with a stuffed morel mushroom. Adding the honey soy sauce, the whole dish is amazing in taste, highly flavourful. While some people might not like sweetbread, if cooked well it is one of the best delicacies in the world. A must-try in my opinion. Excellent.The fourth wine pairing is Patrick Piuze La Butte “O” 2021. The Chablis has good minerality, sharp and crisp, with a nice green apple and citrus appeal, lots of flower blossoms and some toasted nuts. An elegant wine.The fourth course is Brill Farci with Violet Artichoke and Fava Bean. The chef has prepared a homemade sausage by adding some pea shoots to the meat, and then rolled it up in the monkfish fillet before pan-frying beautifully, with a nice, caramelized surface. With more vegetables underneath, a foaming butter sauce made with smoked eel is poured on top, giving a hint of smokiness to the fish. The sausage has a slight spiciness which was appetizing. Great in taste.The fifth wine pairing is Domaine Courbis L’ Aube Syrah Collines Rhodaniennes 2020. The varietal from Rhone Valley had a rich blackcurrant and black cherry aromas, a bit smoky, with good spiciness and minerality. Perfect with the duck as it is smoked too.The fifth course is Smoked Pekin Duck with Sugarcane and Sakura. A lot of time has been spent to dry, marinate, and prepare the duck, taking a total of three weeks. It is then roasted, followed by a further smoking process in casserole filled with sugarcane to infuse with the flavours. While carving the duck breast out for the main course, the chef also used the pulled duck meat to prepare a butternut squash tart, fully utilizing the tasty Pekin duck. Very good.After the tart we move on to the duck breast. The skin is crispy just like a Pekin duck, but the meat is amazingly tender and juicy, pairing well with the rich sauce made from the duck jus. On the side there are cherries and some artichokes, with Sakura flowers as decoration, the perfect combination with a touch of Spring. A great example of how Chinese and Western cuisine and cooking techniques are integrated to best effects, and a highlight of the whole meal. Excellent.The sixth wine pairing is Chateau Doisy-Verdines 2015. The sweet wine from Sauternes has nice apricot and honey characters, while on the palate has sufficient acidity to balance impeccably, not feeling cloying despite its sweetness. Good match with the desserts.The sixth course is Rhum Baba with Mango. The rhum baba is a small cake that is soaked in syrup and rum, with whipping cream on top, and some pearls with mango juice as fillings on the side, plus some lime zests on top to give fragrance and a refreshing note. Both appealing on presentation and tasty. A lighter dessert to start off, very good.The seventh course is Banana Charlotte, having a nice presentation with a ribbon wrapping the cake like a gift. Cutting in half to share among us, the outer layer is ladyfinger biscuits, with white chocolate banana mousse inside, and topped with a cream and white chocolate garnish. Not too sweet, the cake has good fluffy texture to enjoy with delight, without feeling heavy or over-bearing. Very good.Together with a cup of coffee, the meal finishes with the Petits Fours, including Pate de Fruit, Lychee Tartelette, and Quenelle au Chocolat. The first one is a traditional French confectionary, a fruit paste that has been set in a mould, with good sweetness and nice fruity taste. The small tart, on the other hand, looks very similar to the local egg tart with interesting lychee flavours.The last piece uses the technique of spooning the quenelle, often features in haute cuisine, of a creamy chocolate. Very rich in cocoa flavours and smooth. All the petits fours are delicious and provides a great finale for wrapping up a wonderful meal. Very good.Service is good, and it is a great experience seeing all the actions going on in the kitchen. Total bill on the night $6,244 and there is also a small box of Kouign-amann, sweet Breton cake made with laminated dough, provided to us as a gift. Overall, a fantastic dinner.

This Italian bistro is located on Kau U Fong, Sheung Wan. Helmed by Chef Max Wong, the restaurant offers cicchetti, a variety of Italian snacks and small plates that goes along with drinks, like tapas in the Spanish cuisine.The restaurant has a bar on one side with high-chairs, and dining tables on the other. The décor is no-frill, with white brick walls, concrete floor, and simple lightings, but everything is neat and tidy, giving diners a relaxing ambience.The Tasting Set ($650 each) had included three appetizers. The first was Crostini. Sandwiched between the crusty bread were the confit duck and aged duck liver pate, with the muscatel giving the sweetness to match with the rich fatty pate. Very good.The second appetizer was Stracciatella. The Italian cheese had been mixed with crab meat and then breaded and deep-fried, served together with some miso on top and a smoked Romesco puree underneath. A tasty snack for cheese-lovers, but the crab meat’s taste was subdued. Good.The third appetizer was Chargrilled Octopus. The octopus had a good bite but not tough, with good smokiness flavours. The chef had added the ink to enhance the taste, with some spiced butternut squash puree to further add to its complexity. Very good.Next came three homemade pastas. The first one was Cavatelli, which was a short, hand-rolled pasta with a hollow. The chef had prepared a sauce using seaweed to give umami, together with some smoked sardines for its savoury taste. The garlic crumbs added texture to the wonderful pasta. Very good.The second pasta was Ditallini, which looked like macaroni, and was green in colour from the spinach in the dough. Cooked with 24month Comte cheese, and some pickled king mushroom, with garlic chives to give fragrance, it was al dente and delicious. Very good.The third pasta was Casoncelli. A type of stuffed pasta like ravioli, with braised and tasty oxtail in the fillings. With the tasty black trumpet mushroom to provide a different bite to complement, a fig leaf vinegar sauce to add a savoury element, the taste was rich and memorable. Good.The next part comprised of meat, fish, and vegetable. Starting with 3 Days Aged Threadfin, which had a rich taste of the prized fish, the chef had made a creamy potato mousse underneath with some fermented cabbage and dusted some macadamia crumbles on top. Very good.Then came the Grilled Celeriac. Cutting the root vegetable into thick sticks to grill, the sweetness was pleasant, with a subtle peppery note on the background. With the herb yoghourt sauce, and plenty of parmesan shavings, it was hearty and delicious. Good.The meat was Lamb Roulade. With a large rice cracker covering, the lamb roulade was tender and juicy, and there was also the merguez, a sausage made from lamb meat and stuffed in the lamb intestine casing. Together with some eggplant, a complete dish that was filling and nice. Good.Dessert was Cannoli, with the tube-shaped fried pastry stuffed with cultured butter and ricotta, then dusted with icing sugar. The staff told us a special way to enjoy the dessert, after each bite it was to sip some of the homemade osmanthus wine, which gave a nice fragrance to the taste. Good.

Service was good, with the staff friendly. The bill on the night $1,502 and in my opinion it was good value for money, and the tasting set allows diners to experience more of the dishes so I would recommend trying it out.

We had a great time in our last visit to this Michelin 2-star restaurant back in end-2019. Today we returned, aiming to revisit the delicious food from Chef Siu Hin Chi, and explored dishes other than the tasting menu which we had tried last time.Arriving at Nexxus Building in Central, walking up to the first floor of the two-storey restaurant, the staff greeted and showed us to our table, located at a corner which allowed for good privacy and conversations. The décor showed the same comfortable luxurious vibe we both liked very much.We ordered Marinated pig feet with spices 滷水豬腳仔 ($150) to start. The pig feet were infused with the aromatic and complex flavours of the marinade, while not overly salty. Chewing the bones and skin made me wish I had a glass of beer at that moment. Good.Next came Crispy suckling pig with roasted duck 乳豬拼燒鴨 ($340). Underneath the crispy pig skin was the steamed bread slice, thoughtful for the chef to do this to reduce the fattiness, and the pork was full of flavours from the marinade. The roasted duck was equally impressive, without any gamey note, but rather showing a delicate taste from each bite of its tender meat. Very good.The third dish was my favourite in the evening, Braised crab claw with pomelo peel in abalone sauce 鮑汁煎釀鮮蟹拑燴柚皮 ($320 each). Signature of the chef, the meaty crab claw was stuffed with bouncy shrimp meat, deep-fried and then braised in a very delicious abalone sauce. On the side was the pomelo peel, thick and cooked perfectly, without any bitterness while absorbing the sauce completely. Probably the best pomelo peel I had tasted. Excellent.We ordered a few seasonal dishes including Pan-fried King Prawn with Water Chestnut, Crispy Prawn Head with Sweet Chilli Sauce乾燒鴛鴦大花竹蝦 ($280 each). The huge king prawn was served two ways, with the body stir-fried with some fried scallop shreds, Chinese celery, and water chestnut, with the naturally sweet taste of the prawn highlighted from its lighter taste components, and the crunchy texture complementing. The prawn head and tail were fried and then cooked with a sweet chili sauce, stronger in flavours and appetizing. Excellent.The other seasonal dish was Braised White Asparagus with Yunnan Ham in Bouillon 上湯雲腿扒白露筍 ($320). The white asparagus was very tender, without any fibres in chewing, with a delicate taste. Taking the flavours from the ham and the supreme broth, a dish that might seem simple but really highlighted the quality of its ingredients and the details in the preparation of the broth. Very good.For dessert, I picked Baked Sago Pudding with Lotus Seed Paste 蓮蓉西米焗布甸 ($66). The pudding was quite sweet, with a fragrant caramelized surface and a creamy texture of the sago mixing with the lotus seed paste underneath. Rewarding and fulfilling. Very good.My wife had Double Boiled Papaya with Snow Fungus and Peach Resin 萬壽果燉雙雪 ($60), and we also had Crispy Rice Ball with Black Sesame 營致雷沙湯丸 ($60) to share. The sweet dumpling was very smooth, with a touch of chewy, having delicious black sesame fillings. The restaurant also had its unique style of coating with the black sesame powder which gave extra fragrance to the dessert. Excellent.Service was very good, with the staff attentive and friendly. I would appreciate they could explain in more details on the ingredients and cooking methods for the dishes though, but this is a common issue I have written so many times for local Chinese restaurants. Total bill on the night was $2515. Definitely worth its 2-star status and a good place to enjoy wonderful cuisine in a comfortable environment.