Wai Sik
NAPA Kowloon Shangri-La 64 Mody Road, Tsim Sha Tsui, phone 721-2111 LIGHT and airy, with comfy rattan armchairs and an art deco motif, Napa is a casually elegant alternative to the more formal and expensive venues at the upper end of the market. The restaurant offers good views of Victoria Harbour and, inside, copies of paintings by cubists Juan Gris and George Braque decorate the walls, and food is served on colourful, hand-painted plates.
Named after the California valley renowned for its fine wine and cuisine, Napa's relaxed ambience, appetisers and soups are its main selling points. The fiery roasted tomato soup, with poblano peppers and shreds of crisp tortilla, was delectably rich, with just the right hint of spiciness. The eggplant, wild mushroom and leek soup had a lovely flavour, although the eggplant chunks seemed undercooked and fibrous.
For starters, the grilled shrimp on mesclun salad boasted two large scrumptious shrimps and a nice balsamic vinegar dressing, though one would have liked more greens added to the bed. The wood-grilled calamari on couscous was wonderfully light and lemony.There is also a selection of new age pizzas and pastas - good for those with small appetites.
The small, thin-crusted pizzas are topped with goat cheese, duck sausage, sun-dried tomatoes, good but rather on the oily side. Pastas include tortelli of butternut squash, papparadella with smoked salmon, and chicken ravioli. An added treat are the breads and crackers served with each meal.
It's the main courses that are a bit disappointing. Though well prepared, they tend to be on the bland side, as if all the inventive energy had been used up on the soups and starters. The wood-grilled sea bass on sweet tomato tart was noted more for its vegetable tart, made up mostly of a smoke-flavoured whipped potato, rather than its tasteless fish. There is also a selection of mesquite-grilled meats. The dessert buffet is excellent value. For $48 you can pile on, to your heart's content, a selection ranging from a rich chocolate mousse, to freshly-made layered cakes and fresh fruits, such as strawberries and blueberries.
Naturally, Napa specialises in Californian wines, which are now giving mid-range French wines a good run for their money. Each evening the restaurant features three whites and three reds by the glass, but beware! They start at $95 a glass, excessive even by inflated Hong Kong standards. So if you plan to have at least three glasses, order a bottle. Unfortunately, there are no inexpensive bottles - a Robert Mondavi Woodbridge chardonnay at $290 is about standard, but of course restaurant mark-up on alcohol is notorious. Napa should consider offering a more reasonable house wine by the glass or carafe.
A three-course dinner for two, with service charge, costs from $600 to $800, excluding wine. At lunch, there is a limited menu with a special offer of two courses for $128 or, with dessert, $148.
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