Sushi Mamoru

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Mamoru是躺在我收藏夹里面很久的一家店了，因为要电邮预约，嫌麻烦一直没来。这次多谢闺蜜的安排第一次来试一下。整体用餐体验是很不错的，从装修到服务到出品都体现出来高级鮨店该有的水平，但是价位方面略嫌性价比不足。首先三道刺身分别是三重县的池鲷，北海道的北极贝以及爱媛县深海池鱼。池鲷应该做过熟成处理，鱼生软绵好吃，北极贝很鲜甜，深海池鱼则是比较普通但也是新鲜的。值得表扬的是师傅虽然不说中文，但特别安排了翻译给每一组客人，介绍的很详细。接下来是茶碗蒸，平贝和来自宫城的鲍鱼。茶碗蒸普普通通，平贝最近比较少吃到，相比帆立贝它会硬一些，更有口感，这道也很好吃。鲍鱼配肝酱出品也很不错，虽然稍显不如志魂或saito，但也是一流的水准。接下去进入寿司环节有佐贺的新子，山口的池鱼和岩手县石桓贝。这贯新子偏大，感觉已经有点过大了，味道是ok是，池鱼新鲜好吃，鱼味重，石桓贝当季，也是新鲜好吃的。接下去有熊本天草的车海老，北海道的三文鱼籽和来自爱尔兰的大腹。车海老煮的刚刚好，肉质弹牙，三文鱼籽很新鲜，入口又爆汁的感觉，大腹也很好吃（不过最近真是吃到了来自世界各地的吞拿哈哈）然后穿插的是北海道毛蟹，蟹肉配蟹膏很好吃。接下去是北海道的马粪海胆，静刚的金目鲷和京都牙葱收尾。海胆是鲜甜的，我自己还是最喜欢马粪。金目鲷正常，牙葱寿司第一次吃，略嫌cheap哈哈。最后则是例牌的手卷，玉子烧以及甜品。正正常常吧。总体来说好吃，但是性价比一般，连加一差不多3000+吧，相比之下，可能会选择其他店多一些。 continue reading

The sake whisper was unprofessional with bad personal hygiene and attitude. He ruined my dinner! My recent visit to Sushi Mamoru was highly anticipated, as I had heard great things about the food and service. However, my excitement quickly turned into disappointment as soon as the sake whisper came.The restaurant was beautifully decorated and had a serene ambiance, which was perfect for enjoying a peaceful meal. As soon as we were seated, the sake whisper approached us and began describing the various types of sake that were available. I appreciated the information, but the server's voice was so loud and assertive that it was difficult to concentrate. I had to ask him to speak more quietly several times.As the meal progressed, the sake whisper's voice became more and more grating. It was incredibly distracting and unpleasant for me. I wanted to focus on the food and enjoy them but I found myself constantly being pulled out of the experience by the server's loud voice. Heseemed to be hovering around our table for the entire meal. I felt like I couldn't have a private conversation with my dining companion. He made me feeling uncomfortable.To make matters worse, his poor personal hygiene added to my discomfort, I couldn't help but notice that he had a strong body odor, which was very unpleasant. It was clear that he had not taken any steps to address the issue, which made me question the overall cleanliness of the restaurant.Overall, this restaurant is overrated. continue reading

Mamoru是我們很喜愛的一家壽司店，壽司好吃不在話下，師傅十分專業，細心又親切，而且全店只有八個位，私隱度高又坐得舒服。是晚到訪Mamoru為朋友慶生，幾枝sake配以chiba san的壽司，滿足哂我們一行8人的願望 chiba san的壽司非常着重魚生的鮮味，他亦非常努力去找一些特別矜貴的食材，我們有幸吃到其中一款魚生應該是全香港只有這裏才可以吃到，因為東京魚市場只有唯一一條然後也給chiba san買了! 說實在，要成為米芝蓮級數的omakase，壽司好吃是基本，但我們一直重返Mamoru就是欣賞chiba san的手勢和專業，以及他努力不懈發掘食材的心！ continue reading

Thanks to a friend’s invitation, I can finally try Chiba San’s Edomae style sushi. Greet by friendly staffs and be seated in this long wooden, cool counter. Only 8 seats at the counter and a private room to accommodate 4 guests. Brilliant friend already prepared some wine for the lunch. Let’s start! Some sashimi to start. My favourite one is the bottom right, baby tuna! They explained it’s very rare to have it in restaurant as they are protected. But there’s chances the baby tuna accidentally went into the net so that’s why we had chance to taste it. We all prefer the akami one. It’s crazy it got otoro texture. Sadly the otoro one didn’t melt in the mouth. Steamed egg is silky. Love the plum on top giving a light sourness to the egg. We add on an oyster. Very creamy and fat! Always love oysters! KohadaPretty nice one. But not the best i had tho. Kinmedai Always happy to have kinmedai in my omakase. Flavour is quite light. Good to have it in the beginning. Shiro Ebi Big fans of shiro ebi. Really fresh and sweet! Ishigaki Gai Chef gave it a slap and it immediately pumping. Crispy and sweet. Buri My favourite of the day. I love all buri, hamachi. They have marinated it so the flavour is tense. Highlight of the day. AkamiThis is a marinated one. Taste just right! Chutoro Hmmm look at the cut! So fat and it melts in my mouth! Such a happy feeling! Uni Uni is great! Always want to have some more! Anago, Tsukemono, Egg, and some rolls (and extra Karasumi) Anago serving in 2 ways. One with sea salt and the latter one with sauce. Love both. I have never had so much Karasumi in a day. The salty flavour go really well with wine actually. At the end my belly is yelling good and so do my mouth! Thanks for Mamoru team for a lovely lunch and a warm hospitality. continue reading

I have wanted to come to this famous sushi restaurant for a long while but could not find a way. Thanks to my friend Kevin, we are finally able to come tonight, albeit having to book eight months in advance. There are two seating for dinner, and we have chosen the later serving, starting at 8pm.The restaurant is located in Wanchai Yat Sin Street, a rather remote location, far from the busy part of Causeway Bay or Wanchai. The staff are very polite and welcoming, and soon we are seated at the spacious, beautiful hinoki counter that accommodates eight customers. Chef Chiba is already busy at work with his assistant getting ready to serve.Looking at the sake menu, I pick a bottle of sake, the rare 善知鳥 大吟醸 ($2,200). Coming from the top brewery 西田酒造店 in Aomori, this sake is made from the free-flow dripping process, without adding any pressure, so the production is very tiny. With a nice peach and melon aroma, well-balanced and smooth pure taste, it is a great sake to pair with the different food on the night.We have the Omakase Takumi Menu ($3,280), with the first course being Hirame 平目. The Olive Flounder comes from Aomori, with an elastic yet firm texture, a mild and delicate flavour. Paired with the ponzu sauce, the acidity from the sauce helps to highlight the umami of the sashimi. Wonderful.The second course is Sawara 鰆. The chef has smoked the skin of the Spanish Mackerel, coming from Mie, over hay fire, infusing the fish with a fantastic smoky aroma, and also vitalizing the fish oil to make it even more delicious. Pair with wasabi and soy sauce, it is frankly the best Sawara I have tried. The staff explained that nowadays the fish has been graded and only those reaching a certain amount of fat level can be classified as ‘toro grade’. Chef Chiba further shared that only two fish markets in Japan offer this grade and he proudly is sourcing from one of them.The third course is Chawanmushi 茶碗蒸. The Steamed Egg Custard is just off the stove, steaming hot, with a nice umami taste from the dashi mixing with the egg. The seaweed has further added some green colour to make it more appealing on both sight and taste. The magic comes from the plum puree on top. Upon mixing with the egg the dash of plum brings a memorable fragrance which is harmonious.The fourth course is Hokkigai 北寄貝. The chef has brushed it with a bit of dashi before grilling it. The sweetness from the Surf Clam, coming from Hokkaido, is intense, and the slightly crunchy texture on the bite is also very pleasant.The fifth course is Tairagai 平貝. The chef has sliced the large Hokkaido Pen Shell, then grill it with nikiri sauce, before wrapping it on a piece of nori. A firmer texture than the normal scallops, I found it has more concentrated flavours, and the umami from the nori sheet enhances the enjoyment further.The sixth course is Akami Zuke 本鮪の漬. The Lean Tuna comes from a 132kg Bluefin Tuna caught in Oma, Aomori. The chef explains that the size is quite small, but the quality is very good, with a nice fat level. Having marinated in soy sauce briefly, the lean tuna is very soft, silky smooth in texture, and the marinade just right to impart good umami but not excessively salty.The seventh course is Botan-Ebi 牡丹蝦. This Chiba Spot Prawn, as explained by Chef Chiba, is the true Botan-Ebi, while many which looks similar in the market are in fact coming from Toyama Bay, and not of the same. The prawn has been lightly grilled to bring in more sweetness. Another fantastic piece.The eighth course is Buri 鰤. The Japanese Yellowtail is caught in northern part of Hokkaido, with the fish returning in the autumn/winter season. It has nice intense flavours while not too fatty. Another great sushi on the night.The ninth course is O-Toro 大とろ. Coming from the same Tuna, the fatty belly has been carefully cut to avoid the tendon and then grilled slightly to melt the fish oil, making it even more aromatic and tasty. A luxurious and tasty piece.The tenth course is Ankimo 鮟肝. The Monkfish Liver is creamy and wonderful in taste, but the true highlight for me is the finely chopped Nara Zuke 奈良漬 on top. The pickles have been aged by the chef for five years, with still a crunchy texture and a great taste that reminds me a bit of the best Shaoxing wine. A must-try in my opinion.The eleventh course is Kuromutsu 黒鯥. The Bluefish is a relative of another prized fish Akamutsu, but being less fatty, with the flesh tastier with a stronger flavour. I like the Bluefish more because of this specific reason. Also, most other restaurants normally torch the Akamutsu making it a bit too greasy and not elegant.The twelfth course is Magaki 真牡蠣. The Oyster, coming from Miyagi, has been marinated with kombu, and seeing how the chef kneaded the sushi with the soft and fragile oyster is a testimony of his superb skills. The oyster has a rich briny taste but not in any way fishy. Another wonderful piece I would like to encore.The thirteenth course is Kobako-Gani 香箱蟹. The female Snow Crab, coming from Hyogo, is in season now, and the chef has meticulously removed the meat from the body and legs, before mixing with the abundance of crab roes and yolk to stuff it back on the shell, with each customer having a generous portion. With some yuzu shavings, every spoon is a pure joy with its poppy texture, with the taste impeccable.The fourteenth course is the rare and prized Kinki 喜之次. The line-caught Channel Rockfish comes from Hokkaido, with very high fat content, and sweet in taste. The chef has lightly seared over charcoal to energize the fish oil, with the bite coating the mouth in great fragrance of the fish oil. The very soft texture of the flesh is also superb. The fifteenth course is Bafun-Uni 馬糞雲丹. The Hokkaido Sea Urchin has a very sweet taste, and the chef has made a gunkan-maki to better hold the soft and creamy sea urchin on the shari. There is no any hint of weird note, and another of the great ingredient used on the night.Apart from the ginger, the chef also prepares some other pickles for us, including Pickled Daikon 大根 and Yama-Imo 山芋. The winter radish has a crunchy texture, pickled nicely with a slight sweetness to highlight its flavours, and the chef has added some yuzu shavings to freshen up the palate. The mountain yam has a contrasting soft mushy texture, infused with a bit of the spiciness from the wasabi. The Tamago 玉子 is soft and flavourful too.Coming to the sixteenth course, the chef serves us Anago 穴子. The Conger Eel comes from Nagasaki, with the chef grilling them without sauce (shirayaki) and then cutting in halves, serving in two ways. One is added with a bit of sea salt to season. This one is able to highlight better the original flavours of the eel, with the melting in the mouth texture extremely pleasant.The other serving is the more traditional way of brushing with a bit of the special anago sauce. The sweet and savoury taste of the sauce is highly complementary with the taste of the conger eel. It is really difficult to say which one is better, but I probably will give my vote to this style of Anago which has the long history.Wrapping up the sushi the chef prepares the Tuna Maki. The mashed tuna, together with a bit of cucumber, is then rolled to a small maki, cutting into small pieces to allow eating in one bite. The great seasoning of the velvety soft tuna, and the crunchy cucumber shreds, create a wonderful finale to the omakase dinner.But when the staff checks with us whether we want to have additional pieces, we immediately confirm. The first one is Hamaguri 蛤 ($180). The large Hard Clam is poached perfectly, with the clam meat fully cooked but not over-done to be rubbery. With a bit of special sauce to add the sweetness and umami taste, it is very delicious.The second additional piece is Tsubugai 粒貝 ($180). The large Whelk meat has been sliced, with the right thickness to ensure a good crunchy bite, with intense umami flavours. Eating the best ingredients at the right season, this is another example of how the chef live up with this motto.The third additional piece is Shiro-Ebi 白海老 ($150). The small White Shrimps from Toyama are carefully kneaded to make the sushi, with a soft mouthfeel and sweet taste that is memorable and filling the last tiny space in our stomach on this feast of flavours.The Miso Soup is prepared using fish bones, full of flavours. There is a bit of special bean paste added, with an interesting spicy note and when mixed the enhanced savoury taste is delicious, with the temperature of the soup also helps to warm the stomach to make us all feel comfortable and contented.The dessert is Home-made Warabi Mochi. The q texture of the mochi is very nice, dusting with some soy bean powder. The black sugar is not too sweet and has a rich and authentic flavour which I prefer over the white refined sugar.Service is very good, and even though Chef Chiba can only converse with us with some limited English, the staff helps to explain and translate, so we are not feeling left out, especially with the other customers able to speak Japanese. The bill on the night is $10,670 and frankly it is quite expensive, but it is worth coming to experience the quality of the ingredients and the skills of Chef Chiba. continue reading