Located in the heart of Causeway Bay at Lee Garden Three, Aroma Wine Bistro is a newly opened urban gem offering French bistro cuisine. Despite its relatively cosy dining space, it showcases a mighty selection of enjoyable, affordable wine alongside an impressive food menu – no small feat for the area.

Aroma’s relaxed indoor dining space and al-fresco area capture a unique Nordic aesthetic that’s ideal for a cheeky city escape, even for an afternoon coffee. 

Baby cuttlefish with pistachio-parsley oil (HK$178)

We were first presented with a beautiful dish of palm-sized cuttlefish grilled to perfection. Despite their size, the cuttlefish were exceedingly juicy and tender, slicing effortlessly. On top is a refreshing pistachio-parsley olive oil dressing, with its nuttiness, crunch and herbaceous notes complementing the seafood – sometimes less is more when preparing gems from the sea. 

Fried chicken with Jura vin jaune sauce and caviar (HK$158) 

The second course was an elevated version of an Asian favourite – fried chicken. The chicken was fried to perfection, with the meat being both tender and juicy; the cross-section above shows a full display of its glistening succulence. Another worthy point of mention is the sauce, which is made using vin jaune (French for “yellow wine”), a type of white wine produced in the Jura region of eastern France that is traditionally cooked with chicken. Here, Chef Roger Boschman has skilfully crafted a sauce to complement the fried chicken. The end product is a rich, nutty, apricot-, spice- and apple-flavoured sauce with a golden hue, achieving a flavour profile akin to Shaoxing wine. The surprise of the night!

Mille-feuille potatoes with Wagyu beef tartare, bottarga roe and herbs (HK$148) 

Mille-feuille, with its distinctive layering of puff pastry, is traditionally used in French desserts, but Aroma has transformed this highly labour-intensive pastry into a savoury dish. The potatoes are roasted for four hours before frying. Their crispy exterior encases an airy, fluffy potato interior – truly a rewarding bite.

Wagyu eye round is used for the beef tartare, which is no doubt buttery and luxurious in taste, but given the doubled-up richness, I would suggest slightly turning up the acidity level in order to cut through the intensity. The bottarga roe on top acts as a umami and savoury enhancer, giving diners the opportunity to devour a bite-sized surf-and-turf creation. 

Black truffle handmade chitarra pasta (HK$198) 

The beauty of this dish lies in the handmade chitarra pasta, giving a chew to the bite, as well as the freshly shaved black truffle. The truffle-based sauce is rich and creamy and includes an abundance of assorted mushrooms. The freshly shaved black truffle gives the al-dente pasta strands a much-needed earthy nuttiness to cut through the sauce.

Handmade chitarra pasta with beef ragù (HK$188)

Thinking of a baked pasta dish reminds me of Harry’s Bar in Venice, and this rendition pays homage to the famous Venetian restaurant at only a fraction of the price. This extremely satisfying dish showcases a beef ragù cooked in pancetta fat and tossed with handmade chitarra pasta. On top is a glorious, lusciously lathered béchamel sauce, topped with a layer of 12-month Parmigiano-Reggiano and then baked until crisp. This could easily be crowned the king of all baked pastas.

M8 Wagyu zabuton steak with three-Michelin-starred Pierre Koffmann extra-thick fries (HK$388)

Zabuton is a unique cut of steak that refers to the chuck area located between the shoulder blade and back rib. Produced only in small quantities from each cow, it’s known for its tenderness and marbling, and being able to enjoy zabuton at Wagyu level is a pleasure. We equally enjoyed the fries sourced from three-starred French chef Pierre Koffman; they are textbook perfect – crispy on the outside and fluffy and pillowy on the inside.

Verdict

It’s not easy to find a French bistro in Hong Kong, let alone a high-quality one, and Aroma offers an elevated French bistro dining experience at an affordable price point, particularly given its prime ingredients. We could really taste the restaurant’s heart and soul when trying out the menu. As with the ever-changing dining scene of Hong Kong, innovation married with tradition seems to be the way forward to keep up with the times, and Aroma beautifully captures this essence. For wine lovers in particular, Aroma showcases a great selection of well-priced wines from France (especially Burgundy) and also some interesting wines from other parts of the world. Aroma is definitely one to look out for and might just have risen to the top of our list when it comes to French bistro dining in Hong Kong!

This write-up is based on a complimentary media tasting provided in exchange for an honest review and no monetary compensation. The opinions expressed here represent the author’s.

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Located at Harbour City, Azure 80 by Taste Gourmet Group positions itself as a Shanghainese-Sichuan eatery, boasting stunning 270-degree views of Victoria Harbour. The palatial-style decor is ultra luxurious.

The Azure 80 culinary team have been trained by reputable Master Chef Chan Kai Tak, who has had an impressive career as the head chef at The Ritz-Carlton in Shanghai and Yun Yan, a Bib Gourmand Michelin establishment here in Hong Kong. Chef Chan has graciously shared the recipes of 20 of his favourite Sichuan dishes with the team, teaching alongside them to design a few of the restaurant’s signatures.

Let’s take a look at some of Azure 80’s most notable dishes.

Chilled jellyfish in aged vinegar (HK$238)

Presented as individual dainty, flower-like items, this dish is almost too beautiful to eat. At first, I thought the jellyfish had been deliberately carved into a delicate floral pattern, but little did I know that these bite-sized gems are a particular (miniature) type of jellyfish from Mexico! The mini jellyfish are crunchy and crispy – a significant contrast to the huge strands of jellyfish that diners normally encounter at a Chinese restaurant, which are often slightly tough. The intricate pores of these jellyfish provide the ideal absorption medium for holding pockets of the aged vinegar. The end result is tangy and sweet, leaving diners craving more.

Mandarin fish in sour soup (HK$468; +HK$398 to add Boston lobster)

The first big hit of the night! A Sichuan delicacy, mandarin fish in sour soup (酸菜魚) has proved its popularity in Hong Kong, with many restaurants claiming the best rendition of this dish. This preparation utilises deboned slices of mandarin fish (桂花魚) to deliver a tender texture. An abundance of Sichuan peppercorn, dried chilli and preserved greens are used to create an addictively spicy yet numbing sensation. Our only suggestion to the culinary team is to enhance the broth – which ideally should be a fish stock made from the bones of the fish – with more layering of flavours. 

Azure 80 takes pride in its seafood selection, and at an additional cost, one can add a fresh lobster to the soup; the Boston lobster served to us was sweet and succulent. However, with this type of broth, any additional seafood item would be worthwhile.

Barbecued Ibérico pork (HK$278)

This dish was highly recommended by the staff and has already become a favourite of diners at Azure 80. Unfortunately, it was a miss for us. Perhaps the BBQ pork (叉燒) game is rather strong in Hong Kong, giving Azure 80 a very high level of competition and small margin of error. Ibérico pork has been chosen for a more meaty flavour, and the ideal cut of pork shoulder butt is used. Nonetheless, the sauce was too sweet for my liking, and it tasted of plain syrup rather than a fragrant BBQ sauce concoction. The pork served to us was overcooked, leading to quite a tough texture, and the edges were dry and chewy. Given its strong reputation, I reckon this was just a slip in consistency – something I hope Azure 80 can work on. 

Crab coral stone-pot rice (HK$788 for 4)

The second big hit of the night! This deluxe stone-pot rice is made with freshly shucked crab roe that’s mixed with rice, fried and served tableside. This dish is almost a theatrical performance, starting with a whopping 200 grams of crab roe glistening on the table. The sizzling-hot stone pot containing a bed of rice is fried in front of diners, together with the crab roe. The final product even has a generous dollop of crab roe on top, much like the cherry on top of an ice-cream sundae. This dish is an explosion of crab, with the fragrant roe mixed together with the meat, then folded into the bed of egg fried rice. There is certainly no holding back on flavour (and sheer quantity) with this one!

Verdict

Though Azure 80 comes at a higher price point, it displays Chinese cooking at a fine-dining level. The culinary team use premium ingredients to redefine Chinese cuisine for diners looking for a more luxurious experience. The panoramic harbour views make this restaurant the perfect choice for anniversaries, birthdays or any celebratory event.

This write-up is based on a complimentary media tasting provided in exchange for an honest review and no monetary compensation. The opinions expressed here represent the author’s.

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The mastermind behind Penna, which falls under the LUBUDS portfolio, is local celebrity chef Ken Lau, who has garnered a promising reputation for his series of restaurants under the F&B group. Chef Lau has over 30 years of culinary experience and has worked at top restaurants such as The Verandah and, at The Peninsula Hong Kong, Chesa, Felix and Gaddi’s. This time, he employs his creativity in serving up homestyle Italian dishes with international culinary influences at Penna.

Let’s take a closer look at Penna’s signature dishes.

Roasted bone marrow with baked oysters (HK$298)

A few restaurants in Hong Kong are starting to pair beef and oyster, but this combination at Penna certainly stands out amongst the crowd. Whole bone marrow is roasted to a decent level of charring and caramelisation, with the baked French oysters exuding gentle aromas of sake and herbal butter. The idea of this dish is to first slather your toast with a generous amount of bone marrow and then add a baked oyster on top as the crown jewel, devouring it in one go. Glorifying an interplay of richness on richness, the lingering harmony of this combination on the taste buds is nothing short of explosive.

Roasted Italian escargots (HK$138)

We were next presented with a delicacy from France. The snails are profoundly flavourful given their marination in milk, shallot, onion and garlic, then cooked together with Italian herbs, brandy and heavy cream. The bed of mashed potato beneath the snails manages to soak up all the buttery, garlicky goodness – if only there were more! Unfortunately, the escargots were slightly overcooked, creating a mildly rubbery texture. Perhaps the pitfall of a heavy marination and cooking preparation means that the cooking time on the snails was prolonged – something to watch out for in future.

Roasted three-yellow chicken with chicken gravy (HK$168 for ½; HK$298 for whole)

Using local produce cooked in a Western technique is a trend in Hong Kong. In this preparation, the chicken is dry-aged for two days in order to remove any excess moisture from the skin so that it crisps up during roasting – in fact, this is also a very Chinese method of preparing poultry. The chicken was roasted to perfection, with both the thigh and breast regions remaining juicy and tender. The dry-ageing process also enables the chicken’s flavour to intensify, much like how dry-ageing beef works. To bind all this together, an intense chicken jus is served on the side, which is a concentrated mixing pot of chicken and vegetables flavours. 

Lobster-ricotta ravioli (HK$298) 

And of course there has to be pasta on an Italian menu! This lobster ravioli has a ricotta filling containing hints of basil and shallot to cut through the richness of the cheese. The ravioli skin was adequately al dente, and the lobster meat was springy and full of oceanic flavour. Rounding out the dish is a rich and lively lobster sauce. By serving the whole lobster shell including the head, we were able to mix some of the tomalley into the ravioli as a cherry on top to amp up those flavours, creating our own unique head-to-tail pasta dish. 

Confit duck-leg risotto with beetroot and gorgonzola (HK$268) 

A classic French dish that has Italian influences seeping through, this dish exhibits a joyful balance between crispy duck skin and tender strands of duck flesh falling off the bone. The spices and herbs penetrate sufficiently into the meat to create a flavourful bite each time. The risotto is creamy yet still full of body and character, while the beetroot is an interesting yet delightful addition to this traditional Italian dish. It’s appreciated that gorgonzola is part of the ingredients used to elevate the flavour profile of the risotto, but the cheese itself is somewhat lacking and perhaps could be strengthened a bit just to savour that salty punch in flavour. 

Verdict

Located in one of the largest shopping malls in the Taikoo Shing area, Penna gives its rival Italian restaurants in the neighbourhood a good run for their money. The eatery serves up an array of authentic Italian dishes blended with some innovative ingredients and preparation techniques from other cultures. Another point of mention is that the portion sizes are quite substantial, which is in line with their intent of offering family-style sharing dishes. Having just opened a few weeks ago, Penna is one to look out for!

This write-up is based on a complimentary media tasting provided in exchange for an honest review and no monetary compensation. The opinions expressed here represent the author’s.

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Enchant your summer with a visiting culinary heavyweight from Singapore – Chef Bjoern Alexander Panek, the ex-mastermind behind two-Michelin-starred Italian restaurant Octavium, comes to LUMA

LUBUDS group has joined forces with Chef Bjoern Alexander Panek of newly opened Matera in Singapore (and formerly of the 852’s very own two-Michelin-starred Octavium) to cook up a culinary storm this August and September. The highly acclaimed German-born chef has curated exclusive tasting menus that pick up on Italian, Japanese, Chinese and Thai traditions. His East-meets-West interpretation of flavours and cooking techniques showcases his confident and competent yet convention-defying culinary approach.

Let’s take a closer look at what’s on offer in this collaboration at LUMA:

Amuse-Bouches – Scallop Burrata, Caviar, Chives; Tomato, Passionfruit, Chia Seeds, Tomato Jelly; Smoked Bean-curd Roll with Vegetables; Celtuce with Sichuan Peppercorn

Our LUMA meal kicked off with an almost savoury version of a petit four. Amongst the amuse-bouche quartet, we most enjoyed Chef Panek’s signature scallop burrata. Chunky bits of sweet and tender scallop are paired with burrata, topped with a dash of lime juice and lime zest and finally wrapped in pickled daikon to righteously cut through the richness. The finish is lasting, and the experience is pleasurable and rewarding.

The smoked bean-curd roll is an interesting play on the traditional Chinese crispy bean-curd roll (素鵝). A further layer of flavour is bestowed upon this dish following a Westernised smoking preparation.

In the tomato dish, it’s appreciated how the team have tried to deliver a slightly acidic dish to enhance our salivation at the start of the meal, but the passionfruit element is slightly too overpowering and acidic for my liking. The sweetness of the tomato barely shines through, and it seems to me that the chia seeds don’t add much value given that the crunch from the passionfruit is already adequately present.

The celtuce was sufficiently fresh, crisp and crunchy, with a dose of peppercorn aroma – a standard preparation. 

Red Prawn Carpaccio, Citrus Jelly

Red prawns are renowned for their abounding sweetness and profound shrimp flavour, and this dish is no exception. On top of the thinly sliced, glimmering sheets of red prawn, there are chunks of red prawn and tobiko scattered to give both bite and crunch – a rather smart way to elevate the textural element of the dish. Instead of lemon, blood orange is incorporated as the acidic component to complement the seafood, further enhancing the sweetness of this elegant crustacean. 

Lobster, Carbonara Sauce, Egg Yolk, Parmesan 

Cooking lobster tail remains a tall order for most chefs as they are rather non-forgiving when cooked. The lobster in this dish was textbook tender and glided effortlessly when cut across, whilst retaining some springy and almost crispy goodness from the muscle fibres. This dish doesn’t stop there – the first wave of magic happens within the sauce, which is a classic carbonara, but with the guanciale already intelligently blended into the sauce, giving it the authentic full smoky and salty package. The second wave of magic comes from the slow-cooked egg yolk on top, which serves as a silky jam to enhance the creamy and buttery aftertaste of the lobster. The third and final wave of magic comes from the drops of chive oil, which give the dish some much-needed freshness to break up the richness on the palate. A note of mention goes to the Parmesan tuile; despite being there as a garnish, it’s quite pungent in flavour, and one may decide to eat it on its own rather than together with the lobster.

Squid Spaghettini, Squid, Thai Style, Crispy Garlic

The menu includes two pasta dishes. The first pasta is a squid spaghettini with a Thai twist. The pasta was sufficiently al dente, with a hint of tom yum flavour in the background. The squid was flash-fried and succulent. As is often the case, the tom yum mix of lemongrass, lime leaf and galangal can be overpowering, but in this dish, the squid remains pristine and flavourful on its own. 

Red Prawn Ravioli, XO Sauce, Dried Scallop

Next comes the heavyweight red prawn ravioli, which truly packs a punch. The rich, glorious orange sauce is made of red prawn and Chinese dried scallop. It’s supported by the jewel in the crown – the ravioli itself. The filling of the ravioli consists of red prawn and scallop, topped with some crisped-up XO sauce that acts as a textural and umami enhancer.  It was clear at this point that I was determined to lick the plate clean…

Half & Half Soup

We were served two soups in cappuccino-sized cups, which I thought would be the meal’s intermission, but it turns out that these two preparations are LUBUDS’ signature soups. Safe to say, they have earned their accolades. The onion soup is boiled down to a rich and sweet vegetable stock, with a substantial dose of thyme as one of the aromatics. The lobster bisque is intensely flavourful and thick enough to actually coat your palate. The body of this bisque is full, the taste is dynamic and it’s bold in character. 

Black Cod Papillote, Sichuan Chilli Stock

Black cod is like a double-edged sword – tender and flaky flesh that comes sliding off, yet with a rather high oil content that may be too rich for some. In this preparation, Chef Panek pairs black cod with a spicy, tangy and garlicky Sichuan chilli stock, a recipe acquired from neighbouring fine-dining Chinese restaurant The Queen. Referencing the Sichuan dish of fish with pickled cabbage (酸菜魚), this plate is a true marriage of East and West, bringing together the cooking techniques of two very different culinary personalities. The papillote preparation enables the fish to continue to steam through its own convection current – a cooking method that allows a protein to be cooked gently and uniformly, which is especially beneficial for delicate seafood like cod. 

Pigeon, Black Truffle, Button Mushroom, Pepper

This dish comes with a special note from the server asking whether or not the diner can handle their pigeon cooked medium rare to rare – of course, we took our chances. The LUMA pigeon is quite something to devour, with the surface being covered with chicken mousse, miso and truffle. The gaminess is overcome by the sweet, earthy notes from the ingredients on top. And upon further questioning of the chef, his deliberate rarer cook on the bird together with his choice of ingredients is exactly there to counteract the gaminess of the pigeon, which may be off-putting to some distinguished diners. Having said that, if you prefer your poultry to be more gamy, you are more than welcome to fine-tune the pigeon cooking time. To finish off this dish, there’s a piece of humbly sweet and soft slow-cooked onion bulb on the side that acts as a palate cleanser. 

RELATED: See what else is new in the July & August new restaurants and menus top list

USDA Rib-eye Cap, Donabe Rice, Comté, Beef Tendon

Now we get to the finale of the meal. As you might know, a rib-eye consists of the eye and the cap, and to many meat enthusiasts out there, the cap is definitely a carnivore’s dream. Grilled to a perfect medium rare, the marbling of the meat is innately impressive, and together with the limited connective tissue, it contributes to unparalleled tenderness. To accompany the beef, claypot rice made with beef tendon, Comté cheese and garlic is served tableside. The use of Japanese rice ensures the plumpness of each grain, and with each grain coated with this nutty, rich and pungent concoction of cheesy and garlicky goodness, the end result is truly explosive.

Verdict 

Having had the pleasure of savouring many fine-dining experiences, both locally and internationally, I can safely say that LUMA has collaborated with the always dependable Chef Panek to produce a sublime menu of synergy. I was particularly impressed by the team’s microscopic attention to detail in achieving well-balanced flavour combinations, coupled with their impeccable seafood preparation methods. The menu is indeed quite seafood heavy, but each course features a unique standout dish of its own, with flavourful surprises emerging course after course. It’s also well curated, offering an organically gradual succession of dishes and near flawless execution. Tapping into the fusion market is a wise move by Chef Panek as diners are always on the lookout for originality coupled with innovation – welcome to 21st-century dining! We wish much success to Chef Panek with his new restaurant in Singapore – Matera – and we look forward to the chef’s next collaboration with LUBUDS here in Hong Kong.

This write-up is based on a complimentary media tasting provided in exchange for an honest review and no monetary compensation. The opinions expressed here represent the author’s.

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Sawadee Chef is celebrating its first anniversary with a special collaboration. Being Olympian City’s landmark contemporary Thai restaurant, Sawadee Chef has invited Chef Uthai John, a master of Thai cuisine with over 30 years of experience, to join forces with LUBUDS’ Chef Ming to create new dishes that give beloved Thai plates a smart Chinese twist.

The specially curated menu showcases this Thai-Chinese collaboration, as well as each chef’s personality, with a line-up of creative dishes that feature bold, exotic flavours in vibrant colours .

Deep-fried runny egg (HK$88): to kick-start our dining experience, we were served an appetiser of deep-fried soft-boiled egg, prepared Thai style. The rich and buttery egg yolk is balanced with a tangy-sweet tamarind reduction. Topping this creative dish is fried pork floss, which gives the plate some much-needed texture. We would have liked to see some crunchy and nutty flavours, such as toasted peanuts, to truly elevate the dish.  

Chiang Rai sliced pork belly (HK$98): this dish is a riff on the Shanghainese favourite of sliced pork with rough-chop garlic (蒜泥白肉). Thin slices of poached pork are served with a sauce made of fish sauce, lime juice, coconut sugar and garlic, a play on classic Thai flavours. The garlicky, pungent, sweet and sour flavours of the sauce are on point, but unfortunately, the pork slices were rather tough on the day of tasting. Regardless, we would have liked a larger portion to really dig into the mouth-watering flavours.  

Deep-fried soft-shell crab with curry sauce (HK$218): here comes one of the star dishes of the night – a mountain of perfectly fried soft-shell crab with an airy and light batter served with a side of curry sauce. The batter is textbook crispy, encapsulating generous chunks of crabmeat. The curry sauce is slightly reduced so that the crab can be lusciously slathered in this fragrant dipping sauce. Despite this being a fried dish, it’s safe to say that we did not experience any excessive and gruesome greasiness, perhaps owing to Chef Ming’s 30 years of culinary experience in seafood preparation.

Shredded chicken and winged bean salad (HK$88): served as an interim course between the deep-fried crab and the hearty soup dishes later on, a refreshing salad was brought to us. The chicken is soft and tender and actually quite generous in portion too. Despite this dish being a seemingly lacklustre salad, it’s packed with different pleasing textures including the crispiness of the cabbage and lettuce, the springiness of the winged beans and the crunch of the fried rice puffs. The sauce is made using familiar Thai condiments, with the addition of lime leaf providing an extra punch of tanginess and zestiness.

Extra-rich boat noodles (HK$138): Sawadee Chef is renowned for its boat noodles, which showcase a complex cooking process and a nod to the dish’s authentic Thai roots by using pig’s blood. Given the darker hue of the broth, it’s surprisingly rather herbaceous, with a strong aroma of star anise, rather than having the expected savoury soy and pork-bone complexion. The broth is also less irony than anticipated, which is an attractive quality for those who want to savour their boat noodles without worrying about the mineral-like aftertaste. The toppings for this bowl are impressive in quantity, consisting of pork balls, sliced pork, fish cakes, fried fish skin and an array of pig offals – hugely comforting and guaranteed to fill your stomach. A worthy note of mention is the dollop of tom yum paste atop, which adds some extra acidity to the broth (an acquired taste for some – one may ask for it to be served on the side instead).

Khao soi with chicken drumstick (Hk$128): the meal ended with the traditional northern Thai noodle soup of khao soi, here served with a whole chicken drumstick. Not only is the bowl visually impactful, but texture-wise, the chicken is braised until the meat falls effortlessly off the bone. The soup is thick, rich and creamy, enabling it to efficiently “hang” onto the egg noodles, which are adequately al dente. The curry broth exudes a strong coconut aroma, with hints of chilli and lemongrass kicking up the taste buds. It was a true delight to end our meal with this classic Thai comfort food.

Verdict

Sawadee Chef offers an extensive selection of Thai dishes with Chinese influences. There are a lot of appetiser options on the menu, and we feel the few we tried could be elevated to showcase their full potential. We’re particularly impressed by the eatery’s hot main dishes, which are very well executed. Likewise, the comprehensive menu encompasses a vast array of cooked dishes featuring different proteins and cooking methods. They are currently serving seasonal favourites – steamed Thai-style giant grouper with lime and roasted chicken with coconut and black sesame – and we expect these dishes to be just as flavorful and delectable as those we experienced. If you’re finding your usual pad thai or chicken curry slightly mundane, I’d recommend paying Sawadee Chef a visit!

This write-up is based on a complimentary media tasting provided in exchange for an honest review and no monetary compensation. The opinions expressed here represent the author’s.

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Yes, you heard me right, but this isn’t your ordinary hotpot with a lacklustre alcohol pairing. Instead, it’s uniquely selected alcohol that’s deliberately spiked in the pot in front of you!

Situated in the neighbourhood of Sham Shui Po, Bino N’ Booze is a new hotpot concept offering a traditional Hong Kong hotpot experience with a modern, boozy twist. The four signature alcohol-infused soup bases include red-wine oxtail and tomato soup, BnB seafood soup, hua diao Chinese herbal soup (with an option of chicken or beef shank) and pig tripe and chicken in beer soup.

The restaurant’s funky, modern design features remnants of the past such as Hong Kong’s traditional neon lights and Chinese-style arches. The dining room is rather spacious – a luxury for hotpot restaurants, which can often get quite stuffy.

Our menu was curated for tasting purposes. The prices shown below reflect the prices of the original menu items, which offer a larger portion of food than what we were served.

Signature red-wine oxtail and tomato soup (HK$288): the soup base is a tomato-based broth with a standard soffritto mix of celery, carrot and onion. A worthy point of mention is the use of fresh oxtail, which gives the soup a slight gaminess that we found delectable. I was told that the broth had been simmered for five or six hours, so I had hoped to find some meat-off-the-bone action, but unfortunately, it wasn’t quite there yet. However, a highlight was the tableside spiking of Shiraz into the pot, which I originally thought was a marketing gimmick – little did I know that it serves a functional purpose too. Using “fresh” wine gives the soup base another dimension of acidity, rather than the wine being fully cooked out for hours, which can sometimes lead to a tannic, bitter aftertaste.

Golden shrimp toast (HK$88): light and airy fried toast with shrimp paste on top. The buttery exterior gives the toast a brioche-like texture. A well-executed pre-hotpot snack.

Iced marinated abalone (HK$58 each): a Japanese-influenced preparation of abalone with soy sauce, mirin, sake and salt. Though generally a well-marinated piece of seafood displaying a pleasing amount of firmness, the centre of the abalone was slightly undercooked for my liking.

Deep-fried cuttlefish with salt and pepper (HK$88): standard deep-fried cuttlefish with a crisp batter and salt-and-pepper seasoning – nothing mind-blowing.

Steer beef, chuck flap cut (HK$328 for regular portion; HK$438 for large portion): steer beef is produced by male cattle that are castrated before they reach maturity, which is typically around 12–15 months of age. By definition, this meat should be more flavourful and tender. Having tried many cuts of steer beef in my lifetime, this steer chuck flap was slightly on the underwhelming side. The meat was tender and relatively juicy, but the imperative beefy, umami flavour was lacking. This finding has been notified to the restaurant, and hopefully an improvement may be seen in due course.

Signature hua diao drunken chicken dumplings (HK$58/3; HK$98/6): this is a rendition of the Shanghainese favourite, encapsulated in a xiao-long-bao-like wrapping. There’s just the right amount of hua diao to harmoniously complement the delicate chicken mince. The story doesn’t end there – a lengthy, aromatic finish of the Chinese wine lingered on my palate, easily making these dumplings a favourite of the meal.

Abalone and black truffle dumplings (HK$78/3; HK$138/6): this dumpling is an interesting interplay of texture, flavour and culture. Inside is a mixture of pork mince and abalone, offering a pleasing textural contrast. The Italian truffle paste, increasingly popular in fusion Chinese cookery, is a flavourful East-meets West addition. Another solid, rewarding effort by the eatery.

Berkshire pork and chive dumplings (HK$48/3; HK$78/6): these standard-looking dumplings are made from chives sourced specially from Chiu Chow that have an extra-garlicky pungency, electrifying in both aroma and flavour. A small but mighty presence – a true delight for chive lovers like myself.

Fresh prawn wontons (HK$58/3; HK$98/6): unfortunately, these were a miss for us, especially in contrast to the strong competition above. The filling and dumpling skin were wrapped too tightly, with the final product being a firm dough ball encasing pork and shrimp that lacked the necessary airy texture and notable goldfish-esque wonton tail.

Handmade shrimp balls (HK$58/4; HK$98/8) and handmade cuttlefish balls (HK$58/4; HK$98/8): both were slightly disappointing. The texture was acceptable, with fine bits of the respective proteins, but their consistency was too firm and their flavour lacking any briny seafood umami.

Supreme fish maw (HK$188): this fish maw is pre-soaked and pre-cooked to achieve its desired gelatinous texture. We got a fair dose of oceanic goodness from this piece.

Fresh vegetable platter (HK$88) and Japanese Inaniwa udon (HK$48): your usual hotpot suspects! We recommend allowing the tomato-wine-oxtail concoction to slightly reduce before adding in the udon, making the consistency of the broth thick enough to hang onto the noodles.

We were served a trio of desserts – white truffle ice cream (HK$38), brown sugar ice jelly (HK$38) and Oreo ice cream (HK$38). The jelly is a pleasant cooling medium, sweetened by brown sugar syrup and texturised with dried fruits on top. Both ice creams are homemade, with a special shout-out going to the white truffle variety; its milky creaminess is contrasted with a paradoxical savoury explosion of truffle flavour – I couldn’t help but go for seconds of this strangely addictive combination.

Verdict

This new kid on the block puts up a good fight against the traditional HK-style hotpot eateries around town, especially in the older neighbourhood of Sham Shui Po. Bino N’ Booze’s location might not be the most convenient (it’s a 10-minute walk from the MTR station), but I was informed that parking is available (be sure to phone the restaurant ahead of time). I was also told that there will be special soup bases from time to time, and if one desires an off-menu soup base (e.g., winter melon), it can be made to order upon request.

Bino N’ Booze has its edge, but it also has some room for improvement (we’ve already mentioned our concerns to the restaurant). I’d say give it a try if you’re bored with your average-Joe hotpot, particularly if you want to give your taste buds a boozy spike!

Where: Shop A, G/F & 1/F, Hyde Park, 205 Hai Tan Steet, Sham Shui Po

For reservations: phone 2682 4300 or WhatsApp 6353 5519

This write-up is based on a complimentary media tasting provided in exchange for an honest review and no monetary compensation. The opinions expressed here represent the author’s.

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