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2009-09-06
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An amalgamation of 2 lunch visits. The last time I reviewed a Dinner experience here, I could not help but give it a big crying face. Friend X who came with me was so distressed to share an exorbitant bill for mediocre quality and quantity of food, he's been whingeing for a few months - he still wasn't convinced after a 2nd dinner later. You would be too if you witnessed what we went through the 1st time before parting with nearly $900. Pity I have no photos to remind you of that meal but her
I was first introduced to this Kyushu-Style Izakaya by a separate, Friend Y ,a couple of years ago already, he who's been eating and working in the area for so many years he could write a guide on Japanese food in TST. He is the same person who'd referred me to try 五味鳥 but told me to not to have expectations, or that 吉田舍料理 has really bad service, also introduced me to somewhat fun places like 筍菜富, 桜, 鮨徳, KENJO, HIRO, IROHA, etc. and together we have visited many Jap shops in the area and beyond. So 1 day when Y insists I come try Genki Ippai's set lunches again and he thinks the shop serves one of the best Tonkatsu pork chops, as well as Higawari bentos, I think I ought to believe him despite what happened last meal.
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7.5/10 Nori Taru-Taru Bento $70 -
One unique Genki Ippai signature dish is a deep-fried 宮崎 'Chicken 南蛮' that's moistened with a sauce afterwards, with Kyushu being the home of many famous Chicken Dishes that rivals its equally unique Pork-based ones. In a Nori Taru-Taru Lunch Box, I would receive some seafood instead of only chicken. The cooking method is 80% similar to the Chicken 南蛮, itself a variation of 竜田揚げ. Its then topped with tangy and eggy Japanese Tartare Sauce. Underneath, Japanese pearl rice is partitioned by Seaweed slices and sweetish pickles, hence the Nori title. Its very oily for a lunch but the 紅生姜, Shredded Eggs and Pickles help counter that slightly. Kyushu food really is very strong and oily in general, as not only are they eaten with Shochu (焼酎), they're usually cooked by chefs drinking 焼酎 whilst cooking. Everyone gets drunk regularly in Kyushu, girls or guys - the only alcoholic problem there is if someone doesn't drink!
Tonkatsu Set $95 -
Y's recommended Fried Pork dish, made from 伊達赤豚, an expensive red pork breed and great value for money here @ $95 for a decent sized set. If you buy this as raw meat yourself, its already around the same price without factoring in rice and sides in the set! The Panko Batter was definitely over-the-top 'Oily' on 4 successive occasions I re-ordered this, the loin muscles carry chunks of fat both within and along the back side rather than interlaced strands - its not as evenly marbled like 黒豚. Nevertheless both boast that they have 'healthy fats' if you believe in marketers! This Tonkatsu was very oily both inside and outside but also the most juicy Tonkatsu I've ever experienced - its full of pork and pork oil flavour. I highly recommend this provided you're able to enjoy having your mouth coated with oil and fat. As a comparison, I believe 大戸屋 has the best longish diagonal 'pointy' batters but on dry pork cutlets, 石山 has a slightly more balanced 黒豚 Tonkatsu yet that's sometimes too thin, whereas とん吉 is somewhere in between all of these but without much pork flavour. None seems to be perfect somehow so this would 'relatively rate' as HK's Equal 1st?
Higawari Set Bento $60 -
Higawari is 日替 constantly rotated, sometimes with more than 1 option in other restaurants. Its a very AUTHENTIC way of eating Business Lunches in Japan and the rice is usually refillable until you're full, same applies here with all meals!!! My 日替 that day: fried Aubergine with thickened stock, some coleslaw with spaghetti, a piece of grilled Saba, plus very lean Salmon Sashimi. The Salmon Sashimi is very localised and too lean nor fresh enough to be impressive, the aubergine was very oily yet bland. The Salt-grilled Saba was cooked in large batches - it was very dry and firm. The salad wasn't even edible. You might think I wasn't entirely happy with any part of this Higawari Bento but that's not the point?? - Quick business lunches under 750-1050 Yen are nearly always of this low to mediocre quality even in Japan, because they're cheap and they're mass produced in most Izakayas to suit the billions of business workers who are all replicatedly dressed like Neo in The Matrix. Its only to keep their day's stamina going and if you want better, you need to go to better places and pay substantially more. If you think this is bad, there are always worst ! Think of self-selected from shelves then microwave-reheated dishes, even in a restaurant or stone cold Bentos (which are actually 'nicer' somehow though!)
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THESE MEALS TO ME WERE QUITE SATISFACTORY LUNCHES:
YET AS MY 日替わり EXAMPLE SHOWED, ITS ALL RELATIVE TO THE PRICE POINT AND MONEY SPENT. YOU WON'T PRE-FORM AN UNFULFILLABLE EXPECTATION WHEN EATING a $50-$100 LUNCH IN MID-CLASS 居酒屋 OR IN HONG KONG 茶餐聽's.
IN THIS SENSE, LUNCH QUALITY HERE DEFINITELY DESERVES A '3' or '4'.
BUT WHAT HAPPENS AND HOW DO YOU RATE FAIRLY, WHEN YOU RECEIVE SIMILAR QUALITY FOOD AT NIGHT TIME BUT COSTING A FEW TIMES MORE? MY VARIOUS FRIENDS' RESPONSES CERTAINLY DON'T MAKE IT ANY EASIER. I AM STILL CONTEMPLATING OVER THE DILEMMA FOR MY NEXT DINNER REVIEW.
張貼
