KINSHIP: Refined Family-Style Dining On Shelley Street

Open now on Shelley Street, KINSHIP sees the coming together of two veteran chefs to create family-style new world dishes.

District: Central, Hong Kong
Cuisine: Elegant, yet relaxed “new world” cuisine
How much: Starters range between $110 and $168; main dishes between $188 and $298; desserts between $78 and $88; “Let us feed you” set, $488 per person.
Must order: Giant Duck Ravioli, Burnt Onion Risotto, Lemon & Lime Crème Brûlée
The best for: A lively group dinner or a casual date night

Located just off the escalators in SoHo, newly opened KINSHIP certainly has location on its side. Although the building that it is found in is still under renovation, the hard to beat Shelley Street location is sure to bring in plenty of foot traffic on a nightly basis. But it’s not just a convenient location that has KINSHIP ticking boxes. We tried the new opening for ourselves and loved the cool and contemporary décor, and hearty sharing style plates. Describing itself as serving “new world” cuisine, we weren’t quite sure what to expect from the new opening, but with Hong Kong restaurant veterans Chris Grare (formerly the Executive Chef of Lily & Bloom) and Arron Rhodes (formerly the Executive Chef of Gough’s on Gough), it makes sense. Influenced by Grare’s American roots and Rhodes’s British upbringing, the cuisine doesn’t let it be defined by just one country, with aspects of the time both chefs have spent in Asia also apparent on the menu.

The menu itself is pleasingly concise, split into “first flavours”, “main event” and “sweet treats”. The kitchen intends all dishes to be shared family-style, so we kicked off our dinner with a selection of the starters, including Chicken Liver Mousse ($110), and the Almost Moules Frites ($128). Salty, creamy and full of fishy flavour, we loved the mussels, which were poached and served in an addictive shellfish broth alongside a generous portion of crunchy shoestring potato fries. The chicken liver mousse also went down well, with the accompanying homemade oat crackers getting a winning verdict from our table, and the fresh relish helping to cut through the rich flavours of the mousse.

Although much of the menu is made up of meat-dominated dishes, meat-eaters and vegetarians alike will delight in the Burnt Onion Risotto ($138 or $238). Undeniably moreish the rich comfort food dish was creamy and sweet with the taste of onions, with a vinegar tang coming from a good dose of Worcestershire sauce, and an added indulgence from the soft egg yolk beignet that topped off the dish. An enjoyable veggie side or starter can also be found in Grandpa’s Roasted Carrots ($128). Sourced from a farm in Discovery Bay, the carrots were roasted until sweet and tender, and are served with almond butter, dried currants and homemade fresh curd. Though we loved these veggie dishes, we were a little disappointed in the Roast Cauliflower main ($188), served “Peking Duck Style”, that we found to be a little bitter and not quite soft enough for our liking.

Meat dishes came up trumps when it comes to the main event at KINSHIP. When the Sticky BBQ Pork Belly ($228) came to the table we were hit with a delicious aroma, and upon tasting the dish, we weren’t disappointed. Slow cooked to perfection, the pork fell apart to the touch, only complemented further by its sweet and sticky glaze, dashi broth, shitake mushrooms, edamame and sugar snaps. We also loved the Giant Duck Ravioli ($210), consisting of slow cooked duck leg encased in super fine pasta and served with a sweet lo soi (Chinese soy) sauce and a strong ginger and scallion cream.

The dessert menu at KINSHIP is also sure to satisfy. I couldn’t wait to try the Chocolate & Coconut Tart ($88), served with pandan mousse, toasted coconut and kaya jam. And although it was devilishly rich, the stand out for us was the Lemon & Lime Crème Brûlée ($78). Served with a ginger biscuit base and mascarpone crème, we were blown away by the subtle sweet tang of the creamy dessert, finished with a perfect burnt sugar top. The Mr. Whippy Ice Cream ($78) is also sure to be nostalgic for many, with the mound of soft serve vanilla ice cream topped off with salted caramel sauce, chocolate brownie pieces and peanut brittle. Promising exactly what it says on the tin, it doesn’t disappoint.

Our verdict: For its hearty portions, and convenient location, KINSHIP is sure to be a winner. Perfect for a lively group dinner or a casual date night, we predict that this new opening will be busy on any given night. Make sure to also keep an eye out for its newly launched weekend brunch, which alternates weekly between American favourites and a classic British roast.

KINSHIP,  3/F LL Tower, 2 Shelley street, Central, Hong Kong, www.kinshiphk.com