I am a big seafood lover and a fan of the simplicity of grilled fresh fish, for me there is almost nothing better. In addition to the flavour, I enjoy grilled fish because for it to be a pleasantly memorable meal the fish has to be of good quality and uber fresh. I was therefore happy to learn about the opening of Ocean Grill – the speciality of this seafood restaurant is its charcoal-grilled options.

I was not disappointed. The food was simple and fresh and full of satisfying flavour. This restaurant is the opposite to many in town who flex their culinary mojo by serving complicated and overly embellished dishes, and as such is a welcome addition.

A Deft Hand
The twelve appetiser options were all appealing and included three vegetarian choices. We decided on the Blue Crab Bisque, six Oysters Served on Half Shell with Red Wine Vinegar and Shallots, and Charcoal Grilled Calamari with Lemon and Chilli.

The delicious bisque had an excellent flavour with the right amount of savoury and sweet notes, which were harmoniously balanced by a squeeze of lemon juice. In addition, there was lots of big, juicy crab chunks, which is not always the case with  bisque. 

The Tasmanian Rock oysters were suitable fresh and salty. While the vinegar did work with the oysters, as a purist I preferred mine natural. 



While some may say that cooking on a charcoal grill does not require a lot of skill I would disagree, especially with seafood, which can quickly become overcooked or in the case of calamari take on the texture and taste of old rubber boots. Thankfully, Ocean Grill's executive chef knows exactly what he is doing and the two calamari bodies, kept whole, were perfectly done and tender. It was served with a slightly spicy combination of red pepper and chilli and a half grilled lemon, a signature of the restaurant. The grilling of the lemon changes the taste, giving it a more refined and less acidic taste.

Less is More
There are nine fish options and one king prawn choice on the grilled main choices (plus a few meat dishes for the non-seafood fan), with a description of the taste and texture of each fish included. There is also a chef's recommendation board, which appears to indicate the latest fish to arrive. On the night we went Yellowfin Tuna was the chef's recommendation, having only arrived that day.



I don't eat tuna so I went with the Whole Barramundi and my companion selected the Whole Opakapaka (Hawaiian pink snapper) . When we ordered we were told that there were only fillets available and while a little disappointed we stuck with these choices.

Both fish were well executed, with good texture, moist, and the simple taste of a great piece of fish; we preferred the Barramundi because the flavour was more pronounced.
Even when the fish had cooled (I am a slow eater) it still held its own. My dining companion said the Barramundi was the second best piece of fish he has ever eaten. The menu describes the Opakapaka has having a shrimp-like flavour, but we could not taste it.



We also tried the King Prawns, split and grilled, served in the shell. They were perfectly cooked, tender, juicy and full of flavour.

Sides and Sauces
The fish is served with grilled lemon only, but there are 12 interesting side dishes to chose from, and six sauce options that are served on the side.

We went with Basil Mashed Potato, Spinach with Chilli and Pine Nuts, and Citrus Caramelized Fennel sides. The sides are served on small plates, but are piled high and are therefore quite substantial.

The mash was comforting, big on basil flavour, creamy yet still with bite. The spinach we found to be inedible, as it had a strong prawn flavour and not the clean, green jolt we had been expecting. We think that perhaps there may have been an accident in the kitchen that the chef was not told about as we thought it was highly unlikely that the spinach was cooked in crustacean shell stock, but that is what it tasted like. The stand-out was the delicious fennel, which provided a good counter to the fish; the anise flavour sweetened through the caramelization.

We tried a number of sauces, but thought they were largely unnecessary given the quality of the fish. They are more for people who don't really like fish, but they all tasted good on their own and would make excellent dips. The only one we enjoyed with the fish was the Roasted Lemon Jam, but only a smidgen. Other choices include Parsley and Almond Pesto, Black Olive Tapenade and Ginger Lime Butter.

Light End
Baked Mango Cheesecake with Kaffir Lime Sorbet and Vanilla Bean Panna Cotta with fresh Passion Fruit Pulp were our chosen desserts.

We found the cheesecake to be lacking in any discernible mango flavour and the sorbet did not have the citrus zing we had hoped it would. The panna cotta, on the other hand, was sensational. A wonderful light dessert packed with vanilla bean, the flavour was outstanding, with the passion fruit pulp providing a tartness that made this a balanced dessert.

Passion and Simplicity
The executive chef at Ocean Grill is a passionate man and it shows, he is extremely passionate about sourcing the freshest and highest quality fish for Hong Kong diners. His aim is to serve the best fish in Hong Kong. I got to see how fresh the fish is and how it is treated with respect, with each fillet individually wrapped and vacuumed sealed, with not a freezer in sight. He believes that he is a rarity in Hong Kong when it comes to the integrity he brings to his seafood.
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When asked which fish he recommends, he said “I stand by all the dishes”.

He also wants Ocean Grill to be a neighbourhood restaurant that when people are in Soho and are wanting to eat fish they immediately think Ocean Grill. Given how busy it was on a Wednesday evening he is well on his way to achieving this goal. I also think given the quality of the fish it is well on its way to being a destination restaurant. We would certainly go back and we live in the New Territories.

Ambiance, Service, Wine



The small restaurant has a rustic, modern feel, with dark wood and a wooden wall feature that is appealing in its imperfection. Although it is a small restaurant the table spacing still provides a sense of intimacy.

The staff are friendly and helpful and had been given enough knowledge to let diners know where each fish was from if asked.

The wine list is comprehensive for a small restaurant with plenty of by-the-glass options. We enjoyed several glasses of the recommended Dusky Sound (New Zealand) Sauvignon Blanc 2007, a lively wine with zesty citrus notes.  

by Vicki Williams
October 2008

Ocean Grill
49 Elgin Street
Soho
2147 0100