On a Tuesday evening, a friend and I headed to Ocean Park for dinner. Normally I wouldn’t venture out so far for dinner, but to see a newly renovated aquarium restaurant? Now, that’s something I hadn’t yet tried in Hong Kong!
Getting to Neptune’s Restaurant can be a little confusing, so don’t try to enter from inside Ocean Park. Instead, look for a small table, before the turnstiles, with a large sign for the restaurant. A host will check you in and then walk you over to the aquarium building.
The restaurant has been recently renovated under the theme of coral conservation, and it looks great. The curved lines and oceanic colours are very soothing.
But of course the main attraction is the aquarium itself. On the night we went, there were several large groups with children dining beside us. We all enjoyed watching the various types of fish swim, glide and dive by. I wanted to be a good conversationalist and all, but it was hard not to be entertained by all that was going on inside the tank!
Complementing the decor and the aquarium is a new six-course tasting menu ($788) showcasing sustainable seafood, designed by Michelin-starred chef Chef Chan Kwok-keung.
Here’s what we dug into:
Gourmet platter
We started with some air-dried beef with honey, shredded guava with preserved plum and abalone with wasabi. While the beef and guava were just okay, I really enjoyed the juicy abalone with its sharp wasabi dressing.
Soup
This chicken consommé with Yunnan ham had a lovely flavour. The broth was rich and had a delicate sweetness thanks to the young coconut (I highly recommend scooping out all the meat from the coconut shell) and black wolfberries. Unfortunately, the piece of ham was inedibly tough, and the soup was served lukewarm, which was especially unfortunate given that the restaurant is icy cold!
Stir-fried lobster
We oohed and aahed when this dish came out. Who knew egg white could be turned into this cool crispy nest? The egg nest tasted a little plain on its own, but it was very nice with the Australian lobster tail and black truffle sauce.
Braised pork belly in aged vinegar
The braised pork belly was a classic dish done well.
Neptune’s signature fried rice
We ended the savoury section of our menu with Neptune’s beautiful signature fried rice. We only wished there were more chunks of abalone, lobster and king crab in there…
Dessert
While I’m not a dessert person, this kiwi fruit sweet soup might have been my favourite dish of the night. The goldfish-shaped milk pudding was comforting, and the overall flavour of the soup reminded me of milk tea (though I know it says kiwi is in there!).
Verdict
Neptune’s Restaurant is a lovely space, and it’s certainly a treat to dine beside such an amazing aquarium. Food-wise, I think it could use some tweaking given the fine-dining price point. Most of our food arrived lukewarm, and I left still feeling hungry. The service could use some refining, and the tablecloths need a good pressing. The large groups around us generally ordered à la carte and seemed happy tucking into classics like e-fu noodles and sweet-and-sour pork. So perhaps à la carte with a big group is the way to go at Neptune’s Restaurant.
Grand Aquarium, Aqua City, The Waterfront, Ocean Park Hong Kong, 180 Wong Chuk Hang Road, Aberdeen, 3923 2161
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.
For more reviews like this, like Foodie on Facebook
