Restaurant review: Chino - refreshing blend of Mexican and Japanese fare
Former Nobu executive chef delivers a short, but tempting menu
Chino ticks all the boxes for a happening spot. They don't take reservations, chef Erik Idos worked at an established place before he decided to open his own restaurant (he was executive chef of Nobu at the InterContinental), and it's a bit out of the way, near the Kennedy Town waterfront.
We had a hard time deciding what to order, because everything on the short menu seemed tempting. But both the tomatillo salsa (HK$30) and guacamole (HK$50) were bland; the latter tasted almost purely of avocado, and needed some garlic and spice, while the salsa could have used more serrano chilli.
White fish ceviche with yuzu lime and cashews (HK$138) wasn't cured for long, so the fish was still raw (rather than having a cooked texture from the acidity), but it was bright and refreshing.
We enjoyed the chipotle dashi tortilla soup (HK$58), which was tangy and had a hint of spice.
The marinated pork taco with grilled pineapple and tomatillo (HK$48 each) was good, but even better was the crispy sea bass taco with chipotle kewpie, salsa fresca and shredded cabbage (HK$58 each), which had cohesive flavours, lots of texture and a subtle spiciness.
Our favourite dish was the scallop and uni tostada with shredded nori (HK$78 each). The thinly sliced scallops were raw and tender, and topped with a sufficient amount of creamy uni.
But the tostada with chicken and egg (HK$58) was misguided. It was a bit bland, and was impossible to eat neatly — it was too large for chopsticks (the only utensils provided, other than a spoon with the soup), so we had it as finger food, and ended up getting egg yolk on our hands.
Marinated crispy quail (HK$198) was succulent, but the sea salt used to finish the dish made certain bites far too salty. The staff was friendly and knowledgable, although when my guest asked for tap water, she was served bottled (HK$68).
