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2019-10-29
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Last week I went to the adjacent dim sum restaurant and this week, I revisited Pacific Place but going to Hon 10, the Japanese restaurant. With an interesting entrance featuring a bar, at first glace you might be mistaken it to be a western style eatery, with the only hint being the noren, the traditional Japanese fabric dividers hanging in front of the entrance. Walking in one would see a contemporary decor and setting, with a sushi bar followed by a dining area at the back. There are some nic
Last week I went to the adjacent dim sum restaurant and this week, I revisited Pacific Place but going to Hon 10, the Japanese restaurant. With an interesting entrance featuring a bar, at first glace you might be mistaken it to be a western style eatery, with the only hint being the noren, the traditional Japanese fabric dividers hanging in front of the entrance.
Walking in one would see a contemporary decor and setting, with a sushi bar followed by a dining area at the back. There are some nice details on the ceiling with the wooden strips and lighting creating a cozy and warm ambiance. With reservation we were seated at the end, having nice privacy and generally the atmosphere is fairly decent and pleasant.
We decided to order the Omakase Menu ($1280). First comes the appetizer. On the left there are two large pieces of Chestnut. Not sure how they are prepared, the in-season chestnut is sweet and tasty. On the right are Monkfish Liver, which are steamed and marinated. Not bad, but also not impressive. I also think the liver is not creamy enough.
Then it was the sashimi. On the left is Largehead Hairtail, or Beltfish. The texture is very chewy, much more than what I had experienced before in other restaurants. Not sure it was due to the skin but frankly it was just too hard to chew. The middle is Tuna, or Toro. They are also not the best, with some 'residue' after chewing, and the flavors are not intense enough. On the right is Yellowtail Belly, delicate in taste and having a more crunchy texture. Overall a bit disappointing in terms of quality.
Next was Grilled Splendid Alfonsino, or Kinmedai. This dish helps to rescue some marks in my review, with the fish marinated well and grilled nicely, tasty and with the slight charred skin providing additional flavors from the burnt fish oil. One of my favorite dishes in the evening.
The deep-fried dish is tempura, featuring four types of vegetable including Gingko, Green Chili, Fig and Shimeji Mushrooms. The vegetables are generally quite good, and the batter fairly light and fluffy. However, the technique in deep-frying might be a bit mediocre, as evidenced by the oiliness you can see on the sheet underneath. Still overall this one on the taste itself was quite nice.
Then came the Grilled Kyushu A4 Wagyu Sirloin. Probably meant to be the highlight in the menu, I have to declare that beef was not my favorite, in particular the fatty wagyu. This one is quite well executed, though a bit over-seasoned, with the beef juicy and intense on flavors. The garlic slices are crispy and further adding to the enjoyment. Reinforcing the seasonality there is also a chestnut on the side. Not bad.
The assorted sushi has five pieces, including Sea Urchin, Fish Roes, Botan Shrimp, Yellowtail and Tuna. I found the repeat of what we have eaten in the sashimi a bit surprising, as I have generally not recalled the restaurants I visited ever did that. Overall all of the sushi are decent, with only the fish roes a bit salty. Probably I was spoiled with all the nice Japanese restaurants I visited, this still would not be qualified as bad, though rather lackluster. 
The Fish Soup is maybe the biggest pleasant surprise in the evening. Steaming hot, the soup has a nice rich flavors, very concentrated yet not overbearingly fishy. Personally I would prefer the bean curd to be cut a bit bigger, so they are visually and texture-wise more appealing. But otherwise the soup is very sweet and flavorful, demonstrating how critical it is to do everything right, even the one most customers paying the least attention.
The dessert is Wagashi, or traditional Japanese sweets. Made to resemble a tiny persimmon, it is not overly sweet, with a chewy outer dough wrapping the bean paste inside. My only comment is that it looks just a bit too minuscule, and probably it would look more appealing if there are a couple of such desserts to finish the meal. The service is decent, but apart from the first couple of dishes where the staff came to explain to us, for the rest of them they did not bother.
The bill was $2,816 and frankly considering the ingredients, quality, portion and other factors there are many other restaurants that perform better. Maybe it is better to order other things on menu? I don't know, but I guess I won't find it out...
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