First impressions of Cull ’N Pistol, Sai Wan Ho – seafood at wallet-friendly prices

Although property developers have been trying to promote Lei King Wan as “SoHo East”, it remains a laid-back neighbourhood, and the promenade by the water is the perfect place for a stroll or jog. One of the latest additions to the area’s food scene is the curiously named Cull ’N Pistol, which focuses on seafood at wallet-friendly prices.

The tableware is thoughtful, with navy blue drawings of a lobster or octopus, while the place mat shows where different oysters come from on a world map.

We weren’t impressed with the hamachi tataki (HK$158) starter. The sliced yellowtail was topped with a colourful array of green and red peppers, red onion, coriander, and passion fruit. The finely diced jalapeno was supposed to add a gentle kick, but instead it was quite intense, while the rest of the garnish didn’t go well with the fish.

The warm lobster roll (HK$186) was much better. The brioche bun contained large fresh chunks of lobster seasoned lightly with lemon mayonnaise and spring onions. The lobster roll came with chunky Old Bay fries.

Our main event was the clam bake (HK$399 for small, HK$699 large). We ordered the larger portion and it was plenty for two to share, consisting of half a lobster, one crayfish, one shrimp and lots of clams, mussels and chorizo slices, as well as corn and fingerling potatoes. The ingredients were served in a flat iron pan filled with a rich shellfish broth that we couldn’t resist mopping up with the bread.

Although some of the mussels had bits of sand in them, this dish hit the spot. The lobster was cooked just right, and wasn’t too difficult to extract. We appreciated the staff coming by to give us clean plates during the meal, but extra wet towels would have been a thoughtful touch.