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2011-08-07
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I have been a fan of Chef Andy, a Hong Kong sushi head chef, since his days at 千里の月. Moving from 千里の月, Andy is now working at Sushi Dokoro Hikari 鮨処光. When you find a great chef, you follow where he / she goes! ;)As always there was a nice array of seafood, Japanese vegetables, and matsutake for selecion.Wouldn't it be nice if there is a case like this in everyone's home? (in my dream...)There were 3 sauces to pair with the seafood: a ponzu sauce with grated radish, a homemade garlic soy sauce
As always there was a nice array of seafood, Japanese vegetables, and matsutake for selecion.
Wouldn't it be nice if there is a case like this in everyone's home? (in my dream...)
There were 3 sauces to pair with the seafood: a ponzu sauce with grated radish, a homemade garlic soy sauce, and Japanese soy sauceAppetizer Trio: Tofu with japanese tomato and vinegary sauce, pork with daikon and gobo (burdock), egg with preserved veggies
先付三式: 豆腐酸汁日本蕃茄，豚肉大根牛蒡，雪菜蛋餅
Simple, light, and pleasant. They helped to awaken my appetite.
Ishigarei Sashsmi (Stone Plaice) 石鰈刺身Mild and soft with just slight degree of firmness. The "water" eggplant (水なす/ 水茄子) and "salt" tomato (塩トマト) from Japan were both very juicy and delicious!
Hokkaido Hokkigai Sashimi (Hokkaido Surf Clam) 北海道北寄貝刺身
Fresh, crunchy and sweet. One serving always felt not enough
Mana-gatsuo Sashimi (Silver Pomfret) 真魚鰹刺身 Mild and moist with a slightly firm texture
Medai Sashimi 目鯛刺身
Surprisingly soft in texture despite the thick cut. Also quite mild in taste.
Roasted Matsutake 松茸 The baby matsutake was served as interim break from the fish. Not a lot of "roasted" aroma, but quite juicy and moist.
Kinmedai with Baby Scallions (Golden Eye Snapper) 香葱金目鯛刺身
The kinmedai was not very fatty, so the little touch of baby scallions helped to bring out the fish flavor without overpowering it.
Tennen Kodai Sashmi (Natural Small Snapper) 天然小鯛 刺身
The fish was blanched in water for a few seconds to "crunch" up the skin. The flesh was moist and got a nice mouthfeel with the skin.
Omi Ebi Sashimi 鬼蝦剌身Great freshsweet flavor. Always love the roe in the head
Fried shrimp heads 炸蝦頭
Can fried food get any better? Next time please give me a bucket of these XD
Mehikari Tempura 目光魚天ぷら
Back side were the fish before they were fried up. The hot crispy coating with the soft and silky flesh made this dish an excellent treat. A terrific surprise!
Hokkaido Hotategai Sushi 北海道帆立貝寿しThis was flavored with lime juice and sea salt. The seasoning was done adequately, very refreshing and pleasant.
Tsubugai (with liver) Sushi 笠貝と肝寿し
A great touch to include the liver of the whelk which gives a mild livery flavor to complement the sweetness of the crunchy meat.
Torigai Sushi 鳥貝寿しAlso fresh and crunchy though I liked tsubugai better.
Kinmedai Shirako Sushi (Golden Snapper Sperm Sacs) 金目鯛白子寿し
As many know I am a big lover of shirako. Although this wasn't as creamy and pronounced in flavor as the cod shirako, it's still a good treat and worth trying (as it was hard to find).
Matsutake Sushi 松茸寿しThe matsutake was torched (aburi 炙) first to bring out the fragrant aroma. The texture was meaty and juicy, and the small scallions were mild and helped to accentuate the earthy flavor of matsutake
Sanma Sushi (Pacific Saury) さんま寿し(秋刀魚)
It's still too early in the year and not the optimal time for sanma, but this was actually of pretty good quality. You don't get a lot of fattiness but the "fish" flavor of the flesh actually became more pronounced (an analogy would be US beef with less fat than Japanese Wagyu, so you enjoy the beefy flavor rather than the "fatty" flavor).
Kasago no Nitsuke (Simmered Marbled Rockfish) 笠子の煮付け (汁煮笠子)The marbled rockfish was simmered in dashi, soy sauce, mirin, sake, sugar, etc. Naturally, this was supposed to be very sweet. The flesh was a little too flaky to my liking. We all agree with kinki is superior and we will just have to wait when it is in season!
Ishigarei Miso Shiru 石鰈味噌汁
Miso soup made with the heads and bones of ishigarei we had earlier.
Hokkaido Rishiri-to Uni Gunkan Sushi 利尻島うに軍艦寿しMine was so loaded with uni it iterally flopped (which was how it's supposed to be - Andy's 返艇 style! XD)
Another flopping sushi LOL. We did a comparison by tasting head to head with another kind of uni - Rebun-to uni (礼文島うに). It was obvious that the Rishiri-to uni was sweeter and had a longer aftertaste
Hokkaido Rishiri-to Uni 利尻本島うWe "destroyed" the whole platter
White corn sashimi 白粟剌身
This was quite sweet! I like this as a dessert actually!
There are many people who insist on having Japanese chefs for their higher end Japanese meals in Hong Kong. For me, it's all about the overall experience. I have had acclaimed Japanese chefs serving me omakase in Hong Kong, and while the food was pristine, the experience was sadly despressing (see my Sushi Sase's review). I will frankly admit that you can't beat the Japanese chefs in terms of sushi-making techniques, as they have been trained for 30-40 years in the highest skilled kitchen in Japan. However, when served by Andy I still manage to enjoy very fresh ingredients with artful presentations. Most importantly, he makes you feel like a welcomed and honored guest, and ensures you have an enjoyable experience in the end. If I want to search for master-level sushi making skills and an ultimate gastronomic experience, I will go to Japan. If I am looking for a good Japanese meal with a fun, enjoyable atmosphere in Hong Kong, I go to Andy at Sushi Dokoro Hikari.
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