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2024-06-07
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This sushi restaurant is located on 6/F of Foco in Central, helmed by Chef Kenichi Fujimoto. The restaurant has two servings for dinner, and we have booked for the first slot, starting at 6pm. Arriving sharp, the staff greets us warmly and shows us to our seats, at the middle of the 10 seat hinoki counter.The décor is premium, with warm and comfortable lighting, everything neat and organized. Chef Fujimoto is a handsome guy and able to speak fluent English, so it is easy to interact with him, an
This sushi restaurant is located on 6/F of Foco in Central, helmed by Chef Kenichi Fujimoto. The restaurant has two servings for dinner, and we have booked for the first slot, starting at 6pm. Arriving sharp, the staff greets us warmly and shows us to our seats, at the middle of the 10 seat hinoki counter.
The décor is premium, with warm and comfortable lighting, everything neat and organized. Chef Fujimoto is a handsome guy and able to speak fluent English, so it is easy to interact with him, and he is eager to share throughout the night the specialty of ingredients and how he has prepared them, creating a relax ambience for all diners.
The Omakase menu is $2,980 each and I also order a bottle of Pierre Peters Blanc de Blancs Grande Reserve NV ($1,380) to pair. With everyone seated the dinner begins. From a large bowl Chef Fujimoto takes out a few large Awabi and start to prepare, while his sous chef pours the abalone soup for us as a starting warm-up. Very delicious and bursting with umami flavours.
The Shimane black abalone has been steamed for more than six hours, with the chef cutting a wedge and also a thin slice, recommending us to eat the slice in original taste while pairing with the liver sauce and wasabi for the wedge. The abalone is amazing, very tender, and flavourful. The chef told us that it is now the season, but the biggest would be available in August, reaching over 1kg.
I could smell the fragrance of crab when I arrive, and duly it comes, with the chef mixing the white and brown meat of the steamed Hokkaido Kegani, or horseshoe crab, together. We are suggested to experience its original flavours first, before adding the crab vinegar. It is another fantastic dish, the original taste is very sweet, with the vinegar not too sour and able to intensify the taste.
The third course features Tako from Kanagawa. The large octopus tentacles have been massaged extensively to loosen the muscle before putting to steam, having a great texture, with no difficulty in chewing. Seasoned with a bit of green yuzu shavings, with a touch of wasabi, the intense flavours come bursting out on each bite. Very good indeed.
We then witness how Chef Fujimoto prepares the Shari. Taking the steaming sushi rice from the kitchen, he pours them onto a large wood tray, spreading it out to lower down the temperature, and then mixing with the sushi vinegar. After tasting to his satisfaction, the rice is transferred to a smaller bucket for use, with the first batch serving to us to savour the remaining abalone liver sauce. The texture of the rice is truly exceptional, with great balance on stickiness, acidity, and temperature.
Taking out from the kitchen are some Amadai on skewers. After grilling the tilefish on charcoal, hot oil is poured on the scales, getting them crispy and edible. The fish is served together with a rich and flavourful fish broth, cleverly compensating the milder taste of the fish with a boost of umami and enjoyment. The broth is so delicious that I scoop out every single drop.
Next comes to the sushi part of the menu. The first one is Shima-Aji from Kagoshima. The striped jack mackerel is starting to be in the best season, with a nice delicate taste and good firm texture.
The second one is Kuromutsu. I am surprised to see the bluefish features so early in the course as generally most chef will serve it towards the end, because of its fatty level and stronger palate. Here, the chef has lightly seared the skin on charcoal to give a bit of smoky taste and helps to vitalize the delicious fish oil.
The third one is the beginning of the trio of Maguro. The tuna is from Nachikatsuura in Wakayama, weighing 140kg, medium in size. The Akami, or lean cut of tuna, has been soaked for a while in soy sauce, having a wonderful soft tenderness on the bite, as well as great balance on acidity.
The fourth piece is Chu-Toro, with the medium-fatty tuna having an even softer bite than the last piece, good in umami and taste.
The fifth piece is the prized O-Toro, of the Jabara part, with the signature white fatty lines. The surge of umami is mind-blowing and essentially melting in the mouth in texture.
Serving as an intermittent dish, the chef cuts out pieces of Karasumi. He jokingly said that it was past its season but because he made too much, we could still enjoy them. Marinate by himself, he also shares that these can be kept in fridge for one year, even longer in freezer. Wrapped in yaki-mochi and nori, the grilled Japanese rice cake helps to balance the saltiness of the mullet roes nicely.
Returning to the sixth sushi, it is my favourite type of squid, Aori-Ika. The chef cuts lightly on the surface so that the bigfin reef squid can be eaten easily, with a pinch of salt to season. The more I chew, the more sweetness it releases.
Not wasting the tentacles of the bigfin reef squid, the sous chef has grilled them, brushing with a bit of soy sauce to season. A great snack to pair with beer!
The seventh sushi features Aji, with the Japanese horse mackerel adding a bit of scallions to highlight the flavours. It is not yet the best in fattiness but already very good in taste.
The eighth sushi is Hamaguri. The size of the hard clam must be huge, as the clam meat covers the whole shari entirely. The chef uses a sweet thick teriyaki sauce to add to its flavours, and there is not any weird or fishy taste at all. Very fresh and good quality clams.
The ninth sushi is Kuruma-Ebi from Kagoshima. Compared with other restaurants, the tiger prawn here is not as well cooked, leaving a bit of rawness as reflected from the slight translucent appearance. The crunchy texture as a result has increased, but there is a downside of the flavours being less sweet. Apparently it is a trade-off, but a nice experience nonetheless.
Then the chef prepares a gunkan roll using Murasaki-Uni from Hokkaido. The purple sea urchin is large in size, with a creamy texture and clean taste.
Next is Unagi, with the eel beautifully grilled, having a crisp surface while still soft and moist on the inside. Wrapped in nori sheet, it fills the stomach with warmth and satisfaction.
The final one is the Kanpyo-maki. The dried gourd roll is a traditional sushi and happy to see it offer here. There are also Tamagoyaki of two colours, one original in orangish and the other brown, made together with black sugar. The egg custard has intense, nice seafood flavours.
The Miso Soup is delicious in taste, providing a comforting feeling.
Even though already full, when asked whether we want an additional Maguro-maki ($450 each) there is no hesitation on the reply. Mincing the different cuts of the tuna, adding plenty of leek and sesame, the roll is a treat and no wonder every customer asks for that.
Dessert is a slice of Fresh Melon, very juicy and sweet, completing our wonderful dinner on a high note.
The staff is attentive and observant, with Chef Fujimoto charming and able to interact with customers to create a relaxing and fun experience. The bill on the night is $9,152 and with the wonderful quality of its ingredients, the whole impeccable dining experience is worth paying for the extra.
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