dbHK eats: Fish School

dbHK trawls through the extensive seafood menu at Fish School and receives an education on Hong Kong’s myriad marine life in a buzzing local hangout.

The concept: Eating at Fish School is a bit like going on a school trip where you catch various insect life in buckets and examine them under a magnifying glass because on the back of each menu is an illustrated red carpet guide to Hong Kong’s native fish species with Hollywood-style pictures of a gleaming Bombay Duck let’s say, or coquettish-looking Whiskered Velvet Shrimp.

Hong Kong’s position at the mouth of the Pearl River Delta and near the ‘intersection’ of the Pacific Ocean and South China Sea, gives it a veritable melting pot of fish and all sorts of crustacea – most of which lands on Fish School’s counters when in season and available.

Who knew for example, that the Four Lined Tongue Sole is “local fish royalty” and that they like inhabiting estuarial sandy bottoms? Or that the elusive Yellow Croaker can cost thousands of dollars? You get an education in fish even before you’ve ordered anything off the menu – hence the name, Fish School.

Under the unstoppable JIA Group umbrella and helmed by culinary director, David Lai of Neighbourhood repute, Fish School positions itself as a local fish hotspot for locals and expats in Sai Ying Pun’s very happening Third Street.

The interior:

Once you find the entrance (it’s tucked away in an an attractive flower-filled alley next door to rowdy Potato Head) there’s an open kitchen with encircling bar stools and a private dining area, along with tanks housing all sorts of marine life. It’s hypnotic to say the least because you feel guilty that you’ll be responsible to some inmates’ fate but then also quite excited about which one you’ll actually get to eat.

Rather disconcertingly, a scuffle broke out in one of the tanks between a crab and a moray eel which was a bit like watching one of those thrashing underwater scene from Jaws. 

The food:

The menu is extremely straightforward with sections of Chargrilled, Cold, Hot, Specialties (gah – American spelling) and Sides. If you order enough from the cold and hot starters then there’s no need for a Specialty which on that day included Dover Sole meuniere (cooked in brown butter, parsley and lemon) for two to share and lobster/monkfish soup rice ‘arroz caldoso’.

We plumped for seabass crudo, raw crab with sea urchin rice, crispy Sicilian prawns, lobster popcorn and foie gras of the sea, monkfish liver.

The emphasis here is on freshness because the whole menu and indeed the whole premise of Fish School relies on this. And come with your tastebuds on full power, because the seabasss crudo and raw crab with sea urchin rice were so delicate, though wonderfully presented.

The crispy Sicilian prawns were lightly fried in the unbeatable combination of chilli and garlic and the lobster popcorn juicy, sweet and hearty.  The monkfish foie gras was the star though with a melt in the mouth texture and a citrus hit from the aged tangerine peel.

The drinks:

We didn’t see the extensive wine list but were happy enough with the minimalist list on the food menu which had some some well-chosen references. Initially I was confused by the listing thouugh which wasn’t by price or country but by grape – but as there was only one grape variety to choose from anyway, it seemed a bit redundant.

Wine is also available by carafe which is a popular choice in Hong Kong for those who can’t happily polish off whole bottles with white options including Grillo Sicilia, a Yarra Valley Chard and a Galician Godello all around HK$50-HK$90 per glass.

Reds were a Margaret River Cabernet/Merlot, northern Rhone Syrah and Martinborough Pinot Noir from the excellent Palliser Estate.

The bar is looked after by JIA Group’s beverage director, James Barker who whisks up plenty of cocktails using local ingredients and who is well loved on Hong Kong’s bar scene.

In light of Fish School’s neighbourhood position, Happy Hour also runs every day from 5-7pm with a two for one offer – plus half shell oysters at the bargain price of HK$15 for those who can make it home before 7pm.

Verdict:

It’s obvious the amount of effort and training David Lai and the JIA Group put into Fish School as the service was faultless and the staff extremely clued-up – and no doubt delighted to debate the various merits of a Goat Fish and Flower Crab for hours – all presided over by general manager, Mike Watt (who’s shifting over to JIA’s Italian hangout, 208, sadly).

Whether Hong Kong is ready for market prices on fish nudging the HK$1,000 mark in a casual neighbourhood-style eatery is another matter but for those who are really interested in knowing where their fish comes from, it’s a shore thing. 

Fish School, 100 Third Street, Sai Ying Pun, 2361 2966