WAKARAN — Restaurant in Hong Kong

I’ve been wanting to try this place for its unique menu of Asian fusion tapas. We picked counter seating to watch the chef work. The seats are more comfortable than expected though table space might be an issue if food arrives quicker than consumption.

Overall some food items are delightful and enchanting while some are lackluster. Here are my thoughts on each thing we’ve ordered:

Mussels was the first dish to arrive on our table. The marinere cream sauce is very tasty and creamy and we find ourselves keep on consuming sauce/soup even after finishing the sourdough and the mussels. The mussels themselves are very fresh! And the sourdough is toasted and go well with the creamy sauce.

Next up is wagyu uni maki and scallop maki. Both have fresh ingredients served on a crunchy seaweed shell. The crunch and the mixture of the maki is very enjoyful. I think they did not put any sauce or seasoning for the wagyu uni maki, and I think an optional of a few drops of teriyaki sauce would make it taste better. Same thing with the scallop maki. Both has a unique crunch but was a bit light on taste, especially being served after the mussels.

Truffle sesame ball is probably the item that is a miss. I love chewy mochi balls and truffle-anything in general. This one is just a miss. The truffle offered no sensory enjoyment at all (no taste and barely any truffle smell). The chewy dough was too thick and the inside filling did not offer any improvement to the dish. I think this item is a bit disappointing.

I had high expectation on the Shelter style lobster. And it lived up to it! Tasty and creative and worked well. Good crunchy bites sprinkled on top of the grilled lobster which had plenty of 蝦膏. We saw the chef made our lobster 🦞 from the counter seating as an extra entertaining act of the meal.

We were still wanting more food and added the beef char siu and lap yuk beef pasta.

Beef char siu is kinda like a cantonese honey grilled steak and plated like a steak with garlic bulb and some sides. Taste nice and the texture/flavors worked too. The side of garlic and veggies are lovely and distinct. I feel the garlic can do with more cooking time to soften even further.

Lap yuk beef pasta is a miss. We did notice the aromatic of lap yuk but together with beef and tomato sauce, I don’t think it works.

We didnt manage to order desserts as we missed the last call for orders. But would like to try if given another visit there.

Overall we enjoyed the creativity and innovative fusion cooking at Wakaran. Hope to try the restaurant again when the...

Wakaran offers dining experience inspired by Nagasaki’s multicultural heritage. The resto’s playful name, which colloquially means “I don’t understand”, reflects its experimental approach in fusion cuisine. Blending multicultural influences in a contemporary setting, it challenges traditional culinary boundaries.

𑁍 𝘼𝙢𝙖𝙚𝙗𝙞 𝘾𝙧𝙪𝙙𝙤, $138 (7/10) It showcases Kyushu sweet shrimps’ natural sweetness complemented by refreshing cucumber and cherry tomatos. A light and sophisticated starter.

𑁍 𝙎𝙥𝙞𝙘𝙮 𝘿𝙞𝙘𝙚𝙙 𝙎𝙖𝙡𝙢𝙤𝙣 𝙏𝙖𝙘𝙤 𝙍𝙤𝙡𝙡, $68 (7.5/10) The rolls delivered an exciting textural contrast, with the crispy rice paper adding satisfying crunch. The salmon is mixed with spicy Sriracha Mayo, providing a nice kick that balances well with the avocado and crunchy elements in the roll.

𑁍 𝙆𝙁𝘾 𝟮.𝟬, $118 (6.5/10) It features fried tender chicken pieces, resulting in crispy exterior and juicy interior. The tangy-sweet yuzu sauce is well-balanced and refreshing, adding modern twist to the comfort food.

𑁍 𝙏𝙝𝙞𝙜𝙝 & 𝙇𝙚𝙚𝙠, $78 (7/10) A delightful combination of succulent chicken thigh and tender leeks. Simple yet satisfying.

𑁍 𝙂𝙧𝙞𝙡𝙡𝙚𝙙 𝙎𝙦𝙪𝙞𝙙, $128 (7.5/10) It is expertly cooked, featuring smoky char. Its bold flavors were further elevated by a punchy chili sauce. The squid is tender and not overcooked, making it a great option for seafood enthusiasts.

𑁍 𝙒𝙝𝙤𝙡𝙚 𝙎𝙢𝙤𝙠𝙚𝙙 𝙋𝙞𝙜𝙚𝙤𝙣, $218 (7.5/10) It is a signature dish that is both visually appealing and rich in flavor. The pigeon is smoked to perfection, imparting a deep, savory flavor. The meat is tender and succulent, making it a great choice for those looking to indulge.

𑁍 𝙂𝙞𝙣𝙜𝙚𝙧 𝙍𝙞𝙘𝙚 𝘽𝙤𝙢𝙗 𝘿𝙪𝙢𝙥𝙡𝙞𝙣𝙜𝙨, $58 (8/10) The dessert provide a showstopping finale - a creative reimagining of traditional sweet potato soup. The delicate translucent film bursts to reveal warm sweet soup and a hidden mochi treasure, delivering both visual drama and...

Average food and service EXCEPT by the manager of the place that made our night.

Let me just get it out of the way - for the money I paid (for 2 people), the food quality and taste did not meet expectations. The food was average at best, with two particular outstanding dishes: Inked Fried Rice and Roasted Pigeon.

The squid ink fried rice was the worst fried rice I have ever tasted, it did not know whether to be a fried rice, a paella, and in doing so failed to be good at either one. Nothing in the dish went well with the other ingredients and all clashed together. The lap cheong was the best part of the dish but there was too little and it was in so tiny of pieces that I could not even taste it much. There's so much wrong about this one. The chef needs to rethink their thoughts on making this dish.

Roasted Pigeon was the juiciest piece of bird meat I have eaten though, would never have expected this to be the highlight of our meal. Normal HK roasters can't get the tenderness of the meat to this level. Good job here.

We ordered also beef tartare, uni and wagyu + scallop tacos, spider rolls. Everything is average at best.

It seem busy so the staff were not as attentive to us at all, we had to signal many times to get our order, get refills of water, etc.

However shoutout to Sherly who I presume is the manager of the night. She saved our evening and made this meal at least a somewhat memorable one. When she saw the staff handling us was having trouble, she took over and catered to us specifically, and at the end she even asked for our feedback and listened to us. This is rare in today's day and age despite it being the gold standard of customer service. Because of this, I gave my review 3 stars instead of 1. Thank you Sherly, for making our night...