If you’re going to bill yourself as an oyster and steak restaurant, then your steak had better be good. No excuses. It would be like Pizza Hut having “pizza” in their name and then not serving great pizza. Sorry, bad example, but you get the gist.
Wonderland Too recently opened in a sleek new complex on Hart Avenue. The space itself is industrial chic with an incredible outdoor terrace overlooking the multiple drinking establishments below. The restaurant is described as “Western fine dining”. After a few recent encounters with this catch-all description I’m not even sure what it means anymore, unless it means Western fine dining done haphazardly
We took our starters on the lovely deck and they were quite enjoyable. The beef carpaccio ($128) had a deep reddish hue, the flavour of the meat enhanced by just a touch of truffle oil and flecks of sea salt. Topped with shaved parmesan and arugula, it was a sound rendition. Same goes for the classic Caesar salad ($98), although classic usually includes some hint of anchovy. It was nicely dressed and the greens vibrant, a portion that easily fed two.
Then it started raining. The friendly staff were kind enough to move us inside but the rest of the meal drowned in mediocrity. Ravioli with spinach, mushroom, and ricotta cheese ($118) was serviceable but a bit overcooked, any nuance of flavours being muddled by too much garlic. But the big ticket item, the grilled US prime rib eye ($288), was the disaster of the night. It wasn’t much thicker than a minute steak, making it an impossibility to cook it to the requested medium rare. Arriving greyish, it looked like an $80 steak you’d grab at the supermarket to throw in a grill pan at home. It had some flavour but at $288 was rather insulting. The grilled king prawn ($188) fared a bit better only because of the generous serving, three ample crustaceans. Unfortunately they were overcooked and a bit dry.
It’s odd that there were only two types of steak on the menu. Best to stop by and enjoy the wraparound deck and order one of the tantalizing seafood platters we saw whizzing by. They seem to have at least gotten the oyster portion of the menu right. Rex Gregg
5/F, The Hart, 4 Hart Ave, Tsim Sha Tsui, 2312 2315. Mon-Sat noon-3pm & 6pm-midnight, Sun 6pm-midnight. Meal for two: around $900.