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Level3
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24-01-2017
2017-01-24 3065 views
The reason that I know this restaurant is because of Wine & Dine in Oct 2016. I think it is Mark Levy that gave the speech about sake and food pairing and that tasting session did expand my food pairing dictionary. Recalling the tasting session in Wine & Dine, the two most striking sensation to my palate is the "Crispy fried chicken" and the "honey miso foie gras", which both paired very well with sake. I want to reproduce that palate harmony and introduce this taste to my partner and that's why
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The reason that I know this restaurant is because of Wine & Dine in Oct 2016. I think it is Mark Levy that gave the speech about sake and food pairing and that tasting session did expand my food pairing dictionary. Recalling the tasting session in Wine & Dine, the two most striking sensation to my palate is the "Crispy fried chicken" and the "honey miso foie gras", which both paired very well with sake. I want to reproduce that palate harmony and introduce this taste to my partner and that's why we came.
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 I would not say it is super spacious. Seats without back rest might be a problem if you are looking for super comfy chair. 
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 Menu in English, Chinese and Japanese. Cute little handkerchief wrapping a hexagon shaped chopsticks gave a bit of style to the restaurant. Table size were also limited if you want to order 3 or more dishes at the same time. 

Let's talk breifly about the sake before we move on to the food. We ordered two sake recommended by the staff - "Kawanakajima" and" kaze no mori Kinuhikari". The "Kawanakajima" was the "sweeter" one that the staff recommended. I think in terms of residual sugar, kawanakajima, by definition, wasn't define as "sweet sake", but it did gave a rich green apple aromas that kind of smelled sweet. The interesting part of this sake is that it gave fine bubbles that looks and tastes like a sparkling wine. With the nature of sake and the additional green apple aromas, I am excited to pair this with the food. "Kaze no mori Kinuhikari" had interesting exotic fruity aromas which is distinct from "kawanakajima". Refreshing tone with a hint of lingering sweetness. This crisp daiginjo definately will pair well with many japanese food.
"Hentai Pigeon Tatsuta"
Hentai pigeon tatsuta
$118
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 Hentai in japanese has two meaning  -"change form" or "pervert". I only know pigeon in japanese is called "Hato" and maybe the "H" and "T" hinted towards the "Hentai" as japanese like to play on phonics and words (or may be pigeons are actually pervert?.. haha). Anyway, this crispy fried pigeon maintained a lot of  "karaage" taste, a japanese style of deep fried technique. The marinated ginger plays an important role in this dish and the sweet based sauce is also nicely done.The pigeon's meat won't be clustered after the crispy fried process and the meats were juicy and tender. Interesting fusion using pigeon and it is a 5 stars from me.

"Beef love Handle"
Roasted beef love Handle
$208
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 Using "Love Handle" is a nice way to imply the beef flank is "fatty". This grass fed black angus has intense beef taste with beefy texture. I wouldn't say the beef was heavily marinated paired very nicely with the spring onions, which has deep smoky aromas. Pickled veg wasn't my first choice but these wasn't too bad. For this dish, you can mix and match to become "normal beef", "pickled beef" or "smoky beef", all of which paired nicely with the sake and we both agreed that the "smoky beef" was the best.  

"Smoked yuzu baby back ribs"
Smoked yuzu baby back ribs
$188
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 The piece of meat wasn't "baby" at all because each bite was mouthful chunk of meat which was very satisfying. Spread of yuzu sauce gave good citrus aromas and balanced well with the pork fat. However, the meat wasn't that tender as you might expect from a "baby ribs". Pickled celery was borderline, not my cup of tea. 

"Unakyu foie gras"
Unakyu Foie Gras
$268
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 This is the dish of the day!! The Unagi (eel) has nice balance of saltiness and sweetness and was super soft!!! The honey and miso marinated foie gras is exactly what i tasted!! Melting texture of  foir gras with lingering sweetness is not something you taste often. If I were to choose one word to describe this dish, it must be "umami"!  

"Smoked bonito Zuke"
Smoked Bonito Zuke
$218
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 This is a cured skipjack tuna, fresh colour, firm texture and smoky aromas. The wasabi like paste is actually yuzu kosho, a mix of chilli pepper, salt and yuzu skin, which gave additional "smoky" taste. Garlic wasn't that garlicy but this dish gave a good strong flavour as an ending dish for the night.  All the dishes paired well with the sake we ordered. 
If you are looking for traditional japanese food, it's a No.

If you are looking for a romantic dinner, it's also a No.If you are looking for fine-dining, it is also a No.

However, the "tapas" like fusion has a lot of "japanese taste" within the cooking style,  so, if you looking for something new apart from traditional japanese food, it's a Yes. (at least for those I gave 5 stars). And more importantly, it is a good place for you to try sake food pairing as well. I really appreciated the food but taking account to the portion, I would still consider it is a bit pricy even they "do not include service charge". 
(The above review is the personal opinion of a user which does not represent OpenRice's point of view.)
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    DETAILED RATING
    Taste
    Decor
    Service
    Hygiene
    Value
    Dining Method
    Dine In
    Spending Per Head
    $700
    Recommended Dishes
    Hentai pigeon tatsuta
    $ 118
    Roasted beef love Handle
    $ 208
    Smoked yuzu baby back ribs
    $ 188
    Unakyu Foie Gras
    $ 268