Forget about what used to be going on at this new-ish restaurant in Sai Ying Pun, your eyes (and mouth) ought to be zeroed in on the menu. A new one to be exact.
The sister-ish-restaurant to neighbour Pondi, ran and crafted by co-owner-chef Natalie Ng, cultures come clashing together at both spots: Pondi with its French-Indian approach and now Shop B with a clash of Cantonese and Americana diets.
Open for more than a year, Shop B previously won hearts in Hong Kong for its modern dai pai dong menu, charging guests a set fee for a multi-plate order. It worked, but Natalie wanted to change things about.
The menu reflects flavours the Hong Kong born-and-raised, U.S-studied chef cherishes the most. This is fusion done well.
My solo meal begins with the Sichuan pepper beef tartare (HKD118). The tartare dish sets the tone for the entire meal: Cantonese cooking techniques with American sensibilities, or American recipes with Cantonese ingredients. This dish is simple, possibly a bit too simple, but the peppery, lightly spicy beef tartare with a crunchy rice cake tempts the palate for more.
The “dao c lang yu” caesar salad (HKD98) shows where Natalie and her team shine the brightest. Where a traditional caesar salad contains anchovies for protein and a salty touch, Shop B uses dace dish, typically seen in a dai pai dong stir fried vegetables dish, to drive home a fishy flavour and strong beany taste. Every forkfull is salty and funky.
Another pick from the snack section came with the Peking duck rillette (HKD88), a dish which embodies the fusion creativity here. The duck is sandwiched within a gyoza wrap alongside hoisin sauce to dip at your pleasure.
One of my favourite dishes of the night, including in their main plates section, or ‘main character energy’, is the buffalo fried chicken (HKD118). Fried like one may expect chicken would be in any Cantonese restaurant, a chiu chow hot sauce with ranch sauce topping it off is provided to bring salt, sour, and spice to the palate.
The final dish – seared barramundi with Chinese pickled mustard greens sauce (HKD198) – again flexes Shop B’s muscles on cross-global recipe creation. Inspired by the traditional suan cai fish dishes, featuring freshly caught fillets dunked in a pickled cabbage soup-like broth, this fish is marinated with heavy dollops of butter to carry those pickly and mustard-strong flavours for longer on your tongue. Magical!
Our verdict of Shop B
Shop B aced their reinvention to serve food that is most comfortable to the palate and skills of Natalie and her team, thus, performing even better than previous menus. Every dish is funky, both in flavour profile (sour and beany flavours are on show) and recipe curation. Go here if you want your palate to be challenged one night.
Shop B, G/F, Shop B, 10-14 Fuk Sau Lane, Sai Ying Pun, 9591 0199, book here
| Order this: “dao c lang yu” caesar salad, buffalo fried chicken, Cantonese miso black cod Menu: à-la-carte menu Price for two: HKD450 – HKD600 | Atmosphere: neighbourhoodly with great American tunes blasting out the speakers Perfect for: date nights or big friendly group hangs |
This review is intended to offer an individual perspective on the dining experience and should not be considered as a definitive judgement of the restaurant’s overall quality or reputation. The views expressed in this review are solely the author’s and do not reflect the opinions of Foodie.
