JW Marriott Hotel Man Ho Restaurant 深圳 萬豪中餐廳 - (Shenzhen)

  I am by statistics a little biased towards Cantonese and Sub-regional cuisines served inside China’s Guangdong region.   The world is collectively shifting towards much healthier ways of cooking as well as maintaining and preserving as much flavours of the natural ingredients whenever is possible,  and comparatively the Southern Chinese Guangdong region has gradually been running behind the trend.  It is a little more greasier,  liberal uses of pork fat and oils cannot be avoided,  and too much MSG often makes for a murkier & unnatural taste.  Yet viewing from another angle,  it could be treated as more correctly traditional!   I was half invited 1st and then half paid for my remaining stay in  Shenzhen’s JW Marriott Hotel during a long weekend,  but this restaurant inside the hotel really sprung a big surprise as it was so NOT Shenzhen or Guangdong in taste,  with clean and natural flavours manifested on every dish,  2ndly the food execution or presentation of the dishes easily surpasses many of it’s competition in Hong Kong itself.   This meal was part of the initial invitation by JW Marriott Hotel,  but if this can be maintained at this standard on every night I would really miss here..  It was that good.  It even had free Wi-Fi.  

 

 

Table Setting -

 

Chef Tsang - 
Coming from Hong Kong to work in Shenzhen ..
Apparently he appears on local TV shows regularly. 
What really made me respect him on the spot began from the discussion when we sat together after dinner.   I found him to be so well travelled within China and he not only knows so many specialty provincial ingredients I have never heard of before,   but he could pinpoint exactly what any two adjacent provinces will do differently when treating the same dish when it’s carried across the next border.   His knowledge of different regional vegetables I’m afraid,  is going to give many other Chinese chefs a scare.   A walking encyclopedia.

 

 

Condiments & Sauces -
With pickled veggies and walnuts,  XO Sauce, Chili Soy Sauce, etc..

 

Honey Glazed ‘Kurobuta’ Char Siu Pork -  蜜餞黑豚叉燒皇
The Black Kurobuta pork is of Japanese DNA but grown in Northern China.
Sauce is poured on top of the pre-heated rocks,  to create steam to arouse your senses,  a signature dish at all outlets of JW Man Ho restaurants.  Interesting!

 

3 Mushrooms & Chicken Kung Fu Soup - 三菌養生功夫湯
Served in small Kung Fu glasses.  This has 草菇, 蟹味菇 & 滑子蘑 with chicken stock.
A refreshing soup and the perfect season for Chinese mushrooms.

 

Saikyo Miso & Soy Sauce Grilled Cod Fish - 西京燒銀鱈魚
A Japanese influenced dish,  using White Miso but with the addition of Soy Sauce as a marinade.
This was done as good as most Japanese restaurants,  in fact,  this was way better than the under marinated and fishy pieces we ate at Nadaman (Hong Kong). 

 

Fried Prawns Coated with Wasabi Mayonnaise - 珊湖汁青芥抹蝦球
The Wasabi flavour was too weak to my liking.   The frying bit was handled well however. 
At least the sauce wasn’t splitting,  like encountered at many restaurants these days..

Fried Goose Foie Gras Tower with Two Mushrooms and Basil, Raspberry Sauce
九層塔爆珍菌鵝肝 覆盆子汁 -
This was interesting as the flavours would need to be spot on to be balanced,  but it came out perfectly executed with the acidity of fruity sauce balancing the gras grease,  the basil gave it a greener component,  whilst the mushrooms were slightly sweetish and spiced.  The gras themselves also melted in your mouth without being too oily.   Nice!! 

 

Pumpkin Sprouts in High Broth - 上湯南瓜苗
This is a vegetable which isn’t usually found in Hong Kong anymore,  but they are in fact very unique in it’s flavour and it does carry some pumpkin sweetness behind the green stalk’s flavour.
I really liked this vegetable actually,  and China has a lot lot more varieties than we do and hence I always get my veggie fix whenever I am up here.  

 

Papaya Puffs & Durian Puffs -
These were simply sublime!   The puff pastry were crispy without being greasy,  and what’s more,  the internal diced fruits remained juicy yet did not make the pastry bottom to go wet.  Very high level of execution and I haven’t ever had this quality in Hong Kong in a Chinese restaurant ~  not even the so called Michelin 2 to 3 Star restos.   I will go check out Man Ho in HK just to see if they could repeat this respectable feat.

 

Cold Red Date Cake - 紅棗糕
As a finishing dessert.

 

 

Fruit Platter -
This fruit platter was really neat and presentable.  Unfortunately my photo’s angle didn’t capture the most relevant parts.   E.g..  The Watermelon’s outside skin has been sliced to keep an ergonomically designed handling ‘tab’, so you could hold it and eat the whole piece all in 1 go.  Or the Dragon fruit is peeled to review only a small strip of the red skin on one of the sides,  mostly for aesthetic purpose but appreciated. 

 

Price: Chinese RMB Approximately 250 - 300 Per Person
Ease of Access:  2/5  (Take a Taxi for around 5-10 minutes from Lok Ma Chau Train Station)
Food:  ♕♕♕♕ 1/2 – ♕♕♕♕♕ (Note: Meal was by Invitation for 2 People upon Hotel Stay) 

Opening Hours -
Mon to Sun -  12:00pm - 14:30pm,  18:00pm – 22:00pm

Address: 福田車公廟深南大道6005號金茂深圳JW萬豪酒店二樓
JW Marriott Hotel Shenzhen, 6005 Shennan Boulevard, China
Ph:  (0755) 2269 8888

板前割烹 はやし Itamae Kappo Hayashi - (Hong Kong)

  This shop is not too popular amongst the locals,  but I have my own suspicion as to why.  For one,  it doesn’t have a Chinese Kanji or English name.   In fact, not many Japanese restaurants in Hong Kong would be so daring to only carry a Japanese name outside of Japan,  & some would consider it arrogant.   But rest assure that the Japanese Chef Owner here is super nice and approachable, and even speaks a bit of Chinese too!    The food served here is mostly Japanese Kappo Ryori (割烹),   a slightly less formal version of the 2 types of Kaiseki  -  namely 懐石料理 (Kaiseki) & 会席料理 (also Kaiseki in Japanese romaji).   The latter two have exactly the same Japanese pronunciation, although most Japanese locals will be able to distinguish between their subtle variations and philosophies behind the tea & food approach.   Kappo Ryori meanwhile,  is more semi-formal,  but it doesn’t mean the food isn’t sophisticated.  It is still considered fine dining just much more relaxed about the whole thing.   Dinner here is way better than lunch quality,  so do bear this in mind when you visit.

 

 

Tea -

 

Yebisu Beer -
I think it is more proper to drink Sake or Shochu,
but it’s been hot lately..







生湯葉 & お新香 -
Raw Beancurd Skin and Kyoto style Pickles.
Very traditional stuff and tasty here.

鱧ちりおとし -  Conger Pike Eel with Plum Sauce
A summer favourite. 
This type of eel is treated as a delicacy in Japan, although in HK this is used for making fish balls.  Quite boney,  so a lot of skill is required to debone it properly.   Very pretty cold dish.

 

 

 

鬼おこぜ 煮付け – Japanese Devil Fish
The attention to details here is what makes me really like Hayashi.  The sauce is well tuned,  and this comes with a selection of ginger,  gobou burdock, shimeji mushrooms, asparagus and kinome leafs.  The Japanese Devil Fish is different from other species,  it actually looks like a Japanese ghost and hence the name.   Lovely fish nitsuke dish.

 

小柱の掻き揚げ -  Clams Abductors Prisma Tempura
With Shishitou peppers.  This was done really well,  with a lot of clams meat and despite this usually being a cheap eat,  here it was transformed into something more elegant.  Hence the Prisma description given too!

豆腐田楽 -  Tofu Dengaku with Miso
Many foodies already know about eggplant Nasu Dengaku,  but in fact,  even in places like Australia you might notice that many Japanese customers specifically request for Grilled Tofu Dengaku instead.  It is quite popular in Japan especially in Kyoto,  where Tofu cuisine really thrives. 

 

 

賀茂茄子と白海老のみどれ餡かけ -  Eggplant & White Shrimps in Ankake Sauce
This is a very common ankake dish in Japan,  but there is no doubt that this has Chinese influence.  Many non-Japanese customers will think this is Japanese-Chinese food,  but I happen to like this style a lot.   It goes well with white rice too.

 

 

牛タンの西京焼き -  Saikyo Miso Grilled Beef Tongue
Comes with Hajikami young pickled ginger,  as do most Saikyo miso grilled dishes. 
This was done pretty well and cooked to medium.  Quite tender,  but turns cold quite quickly.
May be they should heat up the plate first?

 

 

ざる蕎麦、山掛け – Mountain Yam is Put on top cold Zaru Soba
This is a nice Summery combo.   Not available on the menu, 
but I specifically ordered it coz I miss this dish!

塩焼き鮎魚 & 蓼酢  -  Salt Grilled Ayu Fish,  with Tate Zu Vinegar
This spring and summery river fish is quite a delicacy,  and known to have a grassy and watermelon note,  especially the wild ones.   The fruity vinegar it’s served with is also very addictive.   This fish is usually grilled with a standing posture.   Here it was done quite well indeed.

 

鶏団子と水菜の鍋 -  Chicken Balls with Mizuna Vegetables in Pot
This has a lot of tofu cubes and mushrooms also added in.  Quite a subtle dish with it’s clear broth.  I like it for it’s simplicity and clarity in flavours. 

 

味噌汁,  お新香 -  Miso Soup with Pickles
The Miso soup here is very aromatic.  It differs on occasions,  as sometimes it has more konbu taste,  sometimes with a stronger fish taste.  But this is easily one of the best miso soups in Hong Kong,  as it is a sophisticated version and smells almost like aged Miso paste.

Mango Jelly with Ice Cream -
One of the desserts served here.

 

 

Quite a few Daily Seafoods flown in from Japan -
Most of these regions are less affected by radiation scares.
What I enjoy the most here,  is that food executions are quite spot on and taste like you would find in Japan.   The sushi and sashimi varies however,  it depends on your day of visit.   The menu is also difficult to navigate,  so the Daily Specials or Omakase as suggested by the Chef is going to be the focus of attention when I order here.

 

 

Price: Dinner HKD $500 ~ $800.   Lunch around $100 ~ $150
Ease of Access:  4/5  (3 Minutes from nearby SOGO & Causeway Bay MTR Station.)
Lunch:  ♕♕♕
Dinner:  ♕♕♕♕♕ – ♕♕♕♕♕ 1/2

Opening Hours -
Mon to Sun: 12:00pm - 14:30pm, 18:00pm - 23:00pm
Address:  銅鑼灣軒尼詩道525號澳門逸園中心18樓
18/F, Macau Yat Yuen Centre, 525 Hennessy Road, Causeway Bay
Ph: 2187 3800

The Fat Duck – ( Bray, UK )

  Heston Blumenthal.  Ding ding ding ding ding ding ..ding ding.. blu er blu er wa aaa … Ever watched his shows on TV?   Several years ago I was kind of contemplating on whether to pay him a tribute,  afterall he was once voted as the top restaurant in the world.  Which is ironic enough,  as the offshoot Dinner by Heston has shot right up into the Top 10 restaurants whilst the original and much more sophisticated Fat Duck dropped slightly outside of the podium, so to speak.   For me,  the attraction to finally book a table here was more influenced by reading some recent reviews of here and the food seems to have evolved and culminated into a more settled form..  Has it lacked it’s lustrous glory ?  Has it already fallen out of trend?   At least not going by the 3 months advanced booking I have had to plan well ahead and when all the tables for 3 months later, all became gone within 2 minutes on the online booking platform.   It is quite stressful to dine out sometimes,   if u think about it.

 

Nordaq method,  Purified Water -
This isn’t bottled water.   But a way of purifying the local water of Bray for customers to enjoy..
Interesting indeed.   One could also find a similar purified water in Marque’s in Sydney, Australia.








The Lowish Ceiling to be honest -
It kind of made us feel claustrophobic in this tightly packed space and with so many staff constantly moving around the tables.   You could call it cozy,  but we thought it was a little stuffy..

 

Beetroot Sponge with Horseradish Cream -
1st amuse bouche..  With a crispy shell.
Quite tasty actually.  A well tested combination of flavours..  ~  8/10







A few glasses of Wines as Usual,  Of Course -
Won’t elaborate on the wines this time around,
as wine pairing isn’t really the focus when eating at The Fat Duck.
It’s a little too random for that to be predictable, and it might or might not work.

 

 

Liquid Nitrogen Poached Aperitifs -
Vodka and Green Tea with Gin Tonic and Lime Scent,
Campari Soda with Freeze Dried Raspberry Powder..
What became interesting was how these turned out to be more like frozen meringues than a smooth ice cream texture,  but they were definitely refreshing.  OK,  nitrogen stuff are cliched and done to death these days at least for the past 10 years…  but flavour combination wise,  these were good.  I just didn’t think the presentation was that appetizing itself,  or am I spoiled by pretty quenelling nowadays?     ~  7/10








Red Cabbage Gazpacho, with Pommery Grain Mustard Ice Cream -
Although different,  colours wise this kind of clashed with the 1st amuse bouche of purplish Beetroot sponge.   Is that being harsh?   I liked this combination of flavours though,  but it wasn’t exactly 3 Dimensional in flavours either.  Let’s just keep it simple?  ~  8/10










Jelly of Quail,  Crayfish Cream.  Chicken Liver parfait,
Oak Moss and Truffle Toast with Pea Puree -  (Homage to Alain Chapel)
The forest smoke and the oak moss strips from the Listerine like plastic containers were definitely the centre to this dish..  The truffle toast was meant to evoke memories of the forest.   I did in my mind questioned why crayfish cream was present in this foresty dish..  The 2nd problem I had with this whole dish structure,  was that I couldn’t actually taste much of the described flavours individually bar the oak moss and chicken liver parfait.   ~  7/10

 

 

 

Snail Porridge -
The famous signature porridge is made from Snails,  Oat Meal,  with Shaved Fennels,  Parsley sauce and Iberico Bellota ham.  Add in a bit of Mushroom and Almond.   A nice enough combination if not a little bit too heavy on the sliced fennel in the end.  This was quite enjoyable!   ~   9/10








Bread with a Local Lincolnshire Unpasteurized Butter -
The timing of the bread’s arrival isn’t traditional.
I think they wanted it to arrive at precisely the point you might want them to be present, rather than sticking to the orthodox approach?   The same can be found at  Quay, Australia.   Where the bread arrives more in the middle of the dinner than during the beginning.   I actually quite like this approach as it doesn’t fill you up too quickly..  Butter was thick and quite cheesy.

 

 

 

Roast Duck Foie Gras,
with Barberry, Braised Konbu and a Crispy Crab Biscuit -
The roasted foie gras seemed a little sterile in external crust or internal melting flavours.  It was a bit dense overall,  and I have had way better.   The Crab biscuit was interesting as one won’t find it paired with foie gras by default.  Knowing Heston,  he must have thought about this point too,  but somehow I still found it a little lacking in terms of integration.  Perhaps I am wrong and they could prove otherwise?   ~  6/10

 

More Wine -
Another decent enough selection recommended by the Sommelier. 

 

Mad Hatter’s Tea Party -
Mock Turtle Soup with a Gold Medallion Pocket Watch,  which then melted to become part of the soup.  With toasted cutlet sandwich with eggs and cucumber, truffle, anchovy, and a crumbed bread filling.  I really liked this dish.  It was a little theatrical,  but may be I have always been a fan of the Mad Hatter and his mercury induced insanity.  This was rather fun as a dish and that Medallion and that eggy panna cotta in the mock turtle soup was pretty to look at.   One of the most memorable dishes here…  ~   12/10

 

 

‘Sound of the Sea’ -
Ice Plant, Mackerel, Halibut, Sliced Abalone, Tapioca, Baby Sardine, Codium,
Sea Jelly Bean,  with Konbu Seaweed foam.   Eaten simultaneously with the earphones
& attached to an iPod playing a music of the natural ocean waves.    
Don’t know what to say about this.  Did it really evoke memories of the seaside?  Or the washed on shore fishes more likely!  This was interesting and actually tasted great,  especially with the selection of a variety of raw seafood not commonly associated with British dining.    ~  8/10

 

Salmon Poached in Liquorice Gel, with Asparagus,
Vanilla Mayonnaise, Grapefruit & Golden Trout Roe -
A dish that polarize the customers but has been on the menu for as long as I remember reading about it.  I liked this but the liquorice coating was a little too thick and sticky & almost like a candied jelly layer.  It was slightly lacking in seasoning and became a little too sweet in hindsight.  ~  7/10

 

Powdered Duck -
With Duck Blood Pudding, Umbles & Apache Potato Puree.
The explanation wasn’t so clear cut as this came as 2 courses -  with a well cooked duck breast with blood pudding which was rather tasteless, and umbles fruit.  On another timber plank,  there was a duck cigar roll with potato puree,  which was more interesting but not integrated.  ~  7/10

 

 

Hot and Iced Tea,  with both Sides Being both Hot and Warm at same time -
Via the use of some gelling agent this honey and lemon like drink is warm on 1 side and cold on another sip!    This is interesting and probably gimmicky,   but I actually liked this a lot as I do try to find the yin-yang balance within myself!  Totally a personal issue ! ~  9/10

 

Jelly & Ice Cream Cornet -
Seems a bit Thomas Keller style only to be served at the end of the meal.
At least the cornet itself was crispy and not stale.  ~  7/10









Macerated 2 Types of Strawberries,  Olive Oil Biscuit beneath, Chamomile and Coriander -
With a chequered flag sugary blanket.  It was designed to evoke a picnic experience.
Pretty fun concept indeed,  and probably summarizes the intents of dining here !   ~  9/10

Black Forest Gateau – With Kirsch Ice Cream & Cherry
This was quite good overall,  but it was a little weak in terms of all the associated flavours you might expect from a traditional black forest.  Seems to be a bit toned down somehow.  ~  7/10









WhisK(e)y Wine Gums -
The gummies are made with different regional Whiskies from purely Scotland origins,
which are known to have differentiated styles within a macro window.   Indeed, very interesting dessert and memorable for the loyalty to the original whiskies taste.   ~  12/10

 

 

Queen of Hearts,  Part of the Sweet Shops Petits Fours -
With a white chocolate coating and looking so neat & pretty, it carried a jammy centre as shown below when cut open in half!  It was almost like a waffle with a middle jammy layer when you finally crack it open to see!  Only this was much sophisticated refined and compact.  ~  10/10

The Petits Fours were Sophisticated -
And again,  this summarises the overall experience indeed.
The Fat Duck is here to impress with it’s scientific and precision approach to recipes and cooking.
Some ended up working well enough in the final taste.  Some not so much. 

 

The Fat Duck by Heston Blumenthal -
It was a rather mixed experience,  as you could see..
It remained a unique experience enough for me and was definitely worth at least a try or two just to travel all the way to here.   The newer Dinner by Heston,   is another story altogether to be told and going to be less theatrical.  Which style do you prefer?    I often believe that every restaurant are there to serve it’s own purpose,  so it might not suit everyone’s style.  Places like Spain’s El Celler de Can Roca (3*, so called No.2 restaurant in the World) is on an equal level to here but more tastier yet less playful,   The UK’s  St John (1*) is more noted for Nose to Tail Eating,   The Ledbury (2*) is mostly about the homely food and nothing too pretentious.   Yauatcha (1*) has great dim sums,  The Harwood Arms (1*) is definitely interesting as an economical Gastro Pub experience.  Or Viajante (1*) which is both being sensible yet exploratory enough.    The Fat Duck,  meanwhile,  requires you to have a sense of humor when you finally visit.  If you expect only great food but not the total cabaret like package it does come attached with, aka British Humor and Heston styled,   then there are going to be plenty of other options available out there for you too…

Price: British Pounds £$180 plus wines
Ease of Access:  1/5  (Driving for 1 hour from Central London.  Or take a ferry to Bray and then take a Taxi and pray you will eventually arrive.)
Food:  ♕♕♕♕♕ – ♕♕♕♕♕ 1/2

Opening Hours -
Tues to Sat: 12pm and 1.30pm, 7pm to 8:30pm last order

Address:  High Street Bray, Berkshire SL6 2AQ
Ph:  01628 580333