Wanya Japanese Restaurant New Review
Mid-levels
Japanese. M/F, New World Tower, 18 Queen's Rd. Central, 2521-8807. Mon-Fri 11:30am-2:30pm 6-10pm; Sat noon-3pm, 6-10pm. $$$
Hometown Dumpling
Wanya is a popular all-you-can-eat Japanese restaurant with typical Japanese décor, even bordering on the slightly underwhelming side. But don’t judge this book by its cover: the food is good, although the deals are all limited to twohour sessions. Also, although there are those who will always be skeptical about the quality of food served at an all-you-can-eat, Wanya does not skimp on quality and freshness. Their menu is broad and features a large range of sashimi, tempura, roast skewer dishes, hotpot and Japanese noodles. Even high-end sashimi such as sea urchin, swordfish and herring are on offer. We ordered their deep-fried oysters, and although they were small, they were sweet and tender. The batter was light and not overly filling or heavy. Our only misgiving would be that they were slightly oily. We advise that you order these cooked dishes early as service takes some time. We also tried their assorted vegetable hotpot. The broth was a tomato base; it was sweet with a rich tomato taste that was not overly sharp. We recommend booking at least one week in advance. The buffet costs around $400 per person including a 10 percent service charge.
Full disclosure: we were loyal Hometown Dumpling customers even before its move from a modest ground floor space to a more posh first floor location down the street. And even with its new tacky floral chairs (versus the humble wooden stools that gave the former place an old world sort of vibe) and high-tech flatscreens blasting Korean dramas in the background, we still adore it. Hometown Dumpling has a dizzying selection of choices on its menu, but all you really need to experience are the dumplings (duh). On this particular visit, we ordered a dish of pan-fried pork and leek dumplings (which cost $10 more than their steamed counterparts) and a plate of stir-fried Shanghai-style noodles. The skins of the dumplings were nice and tough, giving them that priceless chewy quality that made us fall in love with them the first time. The turn on the pan ensured a golden brown crispiness that contrasted with the tender meat inside. But they could’ve stuffed the dumplings with potatoes, for all we cared.
Shandong. 1/F, SoHo Workstation, 110-118 Caine Rd., Mid-levels, 2517-0969. Daily 11am-10pm. $
Yachiyo Japanese. 3/F, SoHo Square, 21 Lyndhurst Terrace, Central, 2815-5766. Daily noon3pm; 6-10pm. $ This no-frills, modern Japanese restaurant is simple and efficient, serving up several varieties of some mean ramen. Besides the usual bowls of soy, miso, and pork-bone-based broths (which are all very savory and satisfying), they have a wide selection of cold dishes. The rose-flavored chilled noodles (with rose tea, rose wine and rose petals) should be a hit with the dainty office lady in your lunch group. Yachiyo also serves tsukemen (Japanese lo-mein), which comes cold with a cup of hot broth on the side.
Zuma Japanese. 5-6/F, The Landmark, 15 Queen’s Rd. Central, 3657-6388. Sun 11:30am-3pm; Mon-Sat noon-3pm, 6-11pm. $$$$ We love the modern Japanese fare at Zuma. This fancy restaurant at the Landmark is popular with the Central crowd, and not only for its trendy bar but also for its selection of sashimi in all shapes and sizes (we recommend the standout yuzu seabass). The place boasts its own fine sake with sweet, wonderful flavors. Zuma also has one of the most-raved-about Sunday brunches in town. Zuma
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Restaurant Guide 2012
Panevino
New Revi
ew
Italian. 30-32 Robinson Rd., Mid-levels, 2521-7366. Daily noon-2:30pm; Thu-Sun 6-10:30pm; Fri-Sat 6-11pm. $$$ This intimate diner a couple slopes removed from busy SoHo is showered in warm lighting and has cozy arched brick alcoves framing the wines on the wall. The restaurant, which has relocated from its original Mosque Junction abode, is very atmospheric. We were given an attractive plate of breads, breadsticks and bruschetta and a plate of parmesan on the side to start. The parmesan was shaved from a mound the size of a small wash basin and the generous pieces were delectably crumbly. We moved on to a starter of fritto misto: a scattering of battered fried seafood served with tartar sauce and a slice of lemon. The batter was crispy and not too thick, and the scallops and fish were fresh and juicy, although the prawns were not as succulent as we would’ve liked. We were modestly sated at this point, but soldiered on to the pasta with an order of linguine alle vongole (fresh clams and white wine sauce) and egg tagliolini with fresh crabmeat and cherry tomato. The lightly peppered white wine sauce was a smooth, buttery concoction that seeped deep into the chewy clams, outshining even the delicate texture of the al dente linguine. We were equally satisfied with