I had trouble understanding what Mr. Wolf, Castelo Concepts’ new restaurant, was all about. Could it be a clue to ‘Dinner Time’ as suggested at the end of the childhood game “What time is it, Mr. Wolf?” or could it simply be, as the restaurant staff suggested, ‘just a catchy name our guests could remember’? This could remain a mystery, but what is clear to us it that the Continental restaurant unceremoniously shares its floor with a gym, perhaps getting children ready to run away like they should in the game? 

There is a secret garden of sorts, and the heavy wooden tones of the restaurant, matched with greenery populating the narrow terrace set along the long stretch of the dining space, exudes a level of comfort you would expect from a holiday beach cottage. The cushioned banquettes are popular among guests, especially with tables that are spaciously set out throughout. The lighting was mild and soft, and even though the venue was at full capacity we felt there was ample elbow room around us.

We began our meal with drinks, one of many selected from the abundant menu which runs from classics to bubbly cocktails, shots to hot spiked coffees. Mr. Wolf’s Happy Hour promotion runs from mid-afternoon to 8 pm, a good bargain for guests who prefer to have an early dinner with cocktails. Our Old Fashioned was freshly prepared, but was too sweet and served with too much ice, watering down the cocktail to begin with. Luckily enough we found assurance in the food that followed.

If there is one thing you must remember about Mr. Wolf, it must be its generous portions, which makes pre-ordering a three-course dinner less of a good idea unless you are very hungry. Our solution: pace yourself and order one course at a time. The octopus carpaccio with pickled onions and mustard is impressive; the octopus is thickly-sliced and spread out on the plate, accented with sweet and tart pickled onions that cut through the richness of the dish. The Morton Bay bug salad with avocado came with mayonnaise which was lightly laced with Sriracha, or Southeast Asian chilli sauce. The salads could easily serve two adults, with each having seconds, but the refreshing course was light and particularly satisfying with the sharp heat of the chilli-spiked mayo.

Mr. Wolf’s meat dishes are its strength, as shown in the crackling pork belly with mash, peas, and girolles. The crackling, though thinner than most executed in a similar fashion, was thin but the level of crunch was on point. The fat melted into rich juices that also basted the meat during cooking.

Among all of the menu items, however, the Mr. Wolf’s cottage pie is a winner. It’s served in a shallow dish filled with roasted beef trimmings and chopped bone marrow, whose richness was counterbalanced by the sweet and mildly tangy red cabbage sauerkraut.

We didn’t think twice before ordering the passionfruit soufflé with vanilla ice cream and tarte tatin as desserts. The soufflé is sufficiently tart, and best against the smooth vanilla ice cream. Our tarte tatin didn’t fare so well, the apples were grey and mushy but the pastry undercooked in the middle, despite a golden brown crust.

Service is on point but we feel that the staff need to have a better understanding of the food menu. They fare better when it comes to wine pairing or cocktail recommendations, which were keenly offered.

Mr. Wolf offers a sound escape from Central’s concrete jungle, with solid food offerings that are, like our dining experience, best shared.

Mr. Wolf, 5/F Crawford House, 70 Queen's Road, Central, Hong Kong; +852  2526 0838; http://mrwolf.hk/

Rating: 3/5 

How we rate
Each of our reviewers score restaurants based on four main criteria: setting, food, service, and drinks, taking into account more than 35 different points of reference including manners of staff, usefulness of the wine list, and whether or not the restaurant makes an effort to be environmentally aware. 5/5 indicates an exceptional experience; 4-4.5/5 is excellent; 3-3.5/5 is good to very good; and 2.5/5 or lower is average to below average. Before visiting a restaurant, the reviewers will book using a pseudonym and do not make themselves known to restaurant staff, in order to experience the venue as a regular guest—if this is not possible, or if we are recognised, we will indicate this in the review.