We’ve been to this small gem in Wanchai, Hong Kong back in June, but C did not come so we didn’t review it. We loved it so we had to be back, but we had to wait four months! Since they could only accommodate one table of 10 every night, they were fully booked for the coming month. Moreover, former model turned chef, Esther Sham (Chef Tata as she likes to call herself), was to take up further training in France for three months. So we settled for a table for November in time to celebrate R’s birthday.

There’s a minimum spend of HK$4,400/US$564 from Monday to Thursday and HK$5,500/US$705 for Fridays, Saturdays & Public Holidays (for food only and before service charge). The minimum spend and the service charge had to be pre-paid in order to confirm the booking, something common amongst private kitchens in Hong Kong. And for any additional charges, only cash is accepted.

Tucked on the 1st floor of an old residential apartment building on Star Street, you feel like you’re visiting a good friend’s home. Once inside, you’ll notice the dining room surrounded by racks and racks of wines. In fact, Esther’s brother Andrew (also a scratch golfer) owns A Cellar, a wine shop, and this was his hangout for friends to enjoy a nice bottle of wine. Since good food and wine go so well together, and having a sister who is so passionate about cooking, it was natural for them to get together to start Ta Pantry. But don’t say we didn’t warn you that the dining room temperature is suited for the wine at a cool 17°C.

In the back is the open kitchen as well as a sofa area perfect for some pre-dinner Champagne. It also provides a good chance to chat with Esther as she prepares the night’s dinner. Also keeping us company was Xiao Feng, Esther’s adorable dog, who seemed to be more attached to her bed though. Ordering wine is simple. Either choose from their extensive wine list, which is very reasonably priced. Or bring any bottle that is not on the list and the corkage fee is waived. For dinner, we chose “Le Japonais” menu (HK$550/US$70 per person), which had to be shared with the whole table. We substituted the Yuzu Miso Cod with their famous Melting Onion Duck and added an order of A5 Kobe Beef (adding HK$230/US$30 to the bill).

Our amuse-bouche was gazpacho paired with a mashed potato and cheese cone. A nice refreshing start to the six course meal. The first dish, Tuna, Tuna, Tuna had the fish done sliced, diced and minced. The tuna was OK, but the diced one’s cracker was a bit stale. The minced one was the most fragrant as it was mixed with black truffle but the sushi rice was not quite up to our sushi standards. Next was the Fois Gras Tamago Custard with Asian mushrooms. Nothing spectacular, but still smooth and tasty and Japonais. Their signature Melting Onion Duck was superb though and didn’t disappoint. The slow cooked duck was very tender and paired perfectly with the bed of caramelized onions. Definitely recommend adding this dish if it is not already on the menu. The A5 Kobe Beef was accompanied by spicy mushrooms and melted in our mouths. The Uni Spaghetti that followed was a bit disappointing. The spaghetti was al dente but the seared uni was a bit cold and hard. Not the creamy ooze that we prefer.

For dessert, the Crêpe in Tata’s Favorite Way was filled with Nutella and served with matcha ice-cream & corn flakes. Not bad, the crêpe was very fresh and crispy, but we still prefer Crêpe Suzette anytime. But that’s just us.

Overall, we had a wonderful experience and you can feel Esther’s passion for cooking. We admire her dedication to keep learning to broaden her knowledge and techniques. She has a lot of potential and we wish her dream will come true very soon.

– 16/20

Ta Pantry
Flat C, 1/F, Moonstar Court
2D Star Street
Wanchai, Hong Kong
T: +852 9403 6430
E: tapantry@gmail.com
W: tapantry.wordpress.com
Closed on Sundays
CASH ONLY

111109 Ta Pantry - Pre dinner rest area

111109 Ta Pantry - Plenty of wine to choose from

111109 Ta Pantry - Xiao Feng, the mascot?