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2023-01-02
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Coming last time by myself during the peak of the fifth wave, in which there was no dinner service, this time I return to visit Chef Chris again with my wife, and have ordered the Kaiun Omakase Menu ($1,380). Taking the recommendation from Restaurant Manager Cuson, I order a bottle of 多賀治 純米大吟醸 朝日 無濾過生原酒 ($880). From 十八盛酒造, this Okayama sake has rich savoury and umami characters, good to pair with the richer flavour food items. The first course is Konagai Kaki 小長井牡蠣. This Nagasaki oyster is crun
Coming last time by myself during the peak of the fifth wave, in which there was no dinner service, this time I return to visit Chef Chris again with my wife, and have ordered the Kaiun Omakase Menu ($1,380).
Taking the recommendation from Restaurant Manager Cuson, I order a bottle of 多賀治 純米大吟醸 朝日 無濾過生原酒 ($880). From 十八盛酒造, this Okayama sake has rich savoury and umami characters, good to pair with the richer flavour food items.
The first course is Konagai Kaki 小長井牡蠣. This Nagasaki oyster is crunchy in texture, delicate and sweet in taste. Paired with a bit of vinegar jelly, spring onion and momoji oroshi, it is very refreshing and appetizing.
The second course is Kawahagi 本皮剥. Chef Chris has prepared a sauce from the liver of the Oita filefish to pair with the sashimi, with the buttery taste and creamy texture enhances the wholesome flavours. Very delicious.
The third course is Sawara 鰆. The Spanish mackerel is from Mie, having first smoked to give a nice woody fume, and then dusted with some karasumi to give more umami flavours. To supplement there are some finely chopped chives and wasabi. Wonderful.
The fourth course is something I have not tried before. Uchiwa-Ebi 団扇海老, or fan lobster, has a rather strange shape like a flattened lobster. Chef Chris has lightly boiled it and then cutting in halves, removing the meaty flesh to serve. With a bit of seasoning made from stir-frying its roes with salt, it has a much sweeter taste than lobster and more flavourful. A must-try if you get the chance.
The fifth course is Ezo-Awabi 蝦夷鮑. Paired with the liver paste, the Iwate abalone has been cooked in sake and dashi, infusing with a more delicate palate. It has a nice soft texture, not chewy but of good bite. At the end Chef Chris provided us with some shari to finish all the liver paste.
The sixth course is Ankimo 鮟肝. The Aomori monkfish liver is very soft and has a melting-in-mouth texture, with a good taste which earn its name as foie gras of the sea. Adding a bit of wasabi to season, it has a more delicate touch than those in other sushi restaurants I have visited.
The seventh course is Taraba-Gani 鱈場蟹. Chef Chris has mixed the Hokkaido red king crab meat with its yolk, before putting on a piece of cod fish cracker with a bit of shiso flowers on top. The crab meat is very sweet and tasty, with the cracker having a highly complementary crunchy texture. Very rewarding on the bite.
The eighth course is Shirako 白子. Instead of coming from cod, this one is the milt from bora 鰡, or mullet. While it is more common to see karasumi, the salted and dried mullet roes, it is the first time I try the milt. Chef Chris first cut a few pieces and marinate in soy sauce briefly, before grilling it and wrapping it in a nori to serve. Creamy and very good in taste, the soy sauce seeps into the milt, and the texture is a bit like that of fugu 河豚.
The ninth course is the start of the sushi. Shima-Aji 縞鯵 Sushi, or striped jack mackerel, has a delicate sweet taste, with a leaner but very tender body.
The tenth course is Kan-Buri 寒鰤 Sushi. The fish has its own identity tag to show its authenticity. Having aged for seven days, it has a smooth texture, with fatty and rich fish oil permeating on the bite.
The eleventh course is Saba 鯖 Sushi. Chef Chris has cut four slices of mackerel, instead of one single slice, to knead the sushi. With its rich flavours this is one of my picks for the sushi on the night.
The twelfth course is Maguro 鮪 Sushi. The Aomori Oma tuna has been aged for ten days, with this chu-toro having very soft texture, seeping out very rich fish oil from the flesh on the bite.
The thirteenth course is Bafun-Uni 馬糞海胆 Sushi. The Hokkaido sea urchin has a beautiful orange colour with each piece of similar size. Chef Chris makes us a gunkan-maki and it is very sweet and flavourful.
The fourteenth course is Kobako-Gani香箱蟹 Sushi. Virtually the last order of the year, Chef Chris mixes the meat, yolk and roes of the female snow crab, and then knead the sushi with it. Very delicious with the poppy texture from the roes, the intense flavours are amazing.
The fifteenth course is Negitoro ネギトロ Maki. Officially the last of the sushi, the tuna is finely minced to form a soft paste, seasoned well with shoyu, before wrapping in a nori sheet. Very delicious.
The sixteenth and last course before dessert is Grilled Wagyu. The fatty Japanese beef is beautifully grilled, caramelized on the outside while still moist and juicy. Paired with a slice of deep-fried garlic and some mustard, it is a great finale to the meal.
But wait, Chef has kindly provided the special order on the night to us as a treat. Only offers this twice in a year, he marinated some raw Watari-Gani 渡蟹 with shoyu, chili, and garlic for two days. The meat and yolk of the Miyagi swimming crab is then extracted, mixed together with some shari to serve. It is so wonderful in taste, with fantastic sweetness and umami. Chef Chris has taken extra care in selecting the best ingredients and the preparation cleanliness for food safety so we are comfortable.
Then we are served the Fish Soup. Using a lot of sea bream head to boil, the milky-white soup is very delicious, with some chopped chives added for the fragrance. The hot soup warms up the stomach comfortably for a contented meal.
Knowing that I can still eat more, Chef Chris prepares an additional Akami Zuke 赤身 Sushi. The very tender lean tuna has been aged for three days, marinated briefly with shoyu, with a great balance of acidity and umami sweetness.
Another extra piece is Same-Karei 鮫鰈 Sushi. The large shark flounder is fatty and have great taste, with a piece of the crunchy grilled engawa put on top, and in the middle adding a bit of the liver paste. Wonderfully good.
Chef Chris prepares the Fish Soup again, but this time adding Inaniwa 稲庭 Udon. The thin udon is a good fit with the fish soup and despite being full, I finish the last drop of it in no time.
With the atmosphere so good, I cannot help to but open another bottle of sake ($880) to toast with Chef Chris and his team. To pair with the sake, Chef Chris has grilled a piece of Engawa 縁側 with rich fish oil seeping. A nice complement.
The dessert is Seasonal Fruit, including Strawberry, Shine Muscat Grape, and Melon. The fruit are very fresh and sweet in taste.
Service is great, with Cuson and the other female staff coming to chat with us happily throughout the meal. Chef Chris and his assistant also explain clearly the ingredients in each course, and we are deeply grateful for the generosity in the extra servings he provided. The bill on the night is $4,972 and, in my opinion, fantastic value for money. I know I will come again very soon.
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