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2019-12-22
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Summary: Truly a hidden gem; HK's best kushikatsu and one of its best shochu collections. Friendly and comfortable service, they open until ungodly times, but mind that 2.5 hr time limit per seating. Something different in a crowded HK japanese restaurant scene, and definitely worth a try. Be careful how much you order though; the bill adds up quickly. Hidden was recommended by someone from a sake shop, so i had pretty big expectations walking in here. It has a cozy izakaya feel, and seats at th
Hidden was recommended by someone from a sake shop, so i had pretty big expectations walking in here. It has a cozy izakaya feel, and seats at the bar are comfortable and close to the action. The staff amazingly all can speak cantonese, japanese and english, so you're fine no matter what you prefer.
I love shochu, and you can see from the bottles on the top shelf in the picture that they have an impressive variety to try, with most made from barley (mugi) and sweet potato (imo), at about 60-80$ for a glass. There's a set of premium stuff that go for over 100/glass that i didn't try. As far as i know, there is no shochu collection like this at a HK restaurant apart from Nobushi, the shochu bar in TST. Ask for recommendations if you aren't familiar; i got recommended three different ones and they were all great. They also have the draft beer/highball/chu-hai classics if you're so inclined, though highballs and beer were a bit small for the price. Here's the menu:
As you can see, the prices are pretty reasonable - shirako for 60$ is particularly good. However, the servings are small: we had about 10-12 sticks each with some small appetizers.The kushikatsu in general is terrific - the batter-skin is incredibly thin yet very crispy, so it doesn't much oily weight to each skewer, but gives them all a delicious crunch and a bit more richness. I prefer this place's style and menu offerings far more than Jan Jan Kushikatsu.
Here's just a small sample of what we had:
Potato Salad, Fish Innards in chili sauce (korean style), Mozuku
All excellent, though the fish innards can be hard to chew through! Herring Roe with Kombu
One of their specialties, i'd never tried anything like it. The fish roe is packed densely so chunks break off rather than individual eggs... but the umami of it, especially with the very noticeable kombu, make this a must-order.Scallop with Ikura
Another of their specialties, the combination of the ikura, a chunky tartar sauce and a scallop is hedonistic and wonderful. Another must-try.Anago eel
The anago kind of dries up when cooked in this way, but it allows for it to have a real texture, rather than just melting in your mouth. Tasty.Shirako
If you like shirako, this might be my favorite way to eat it. The creaminess of the shirako is wonderfully balanced with the crisp exterior, and gives the entire thing a nice crunch. Again, shirako is not for everyone, but for newbies, this is a great way to try it for the first time.Pork rolled with Ume Shiso
Pork rolled with Ginger
Both of these are excellent, and i love how the pork is a bit firm and chewy.Chicken (Sasami) with Mentaiko
The chicken is insanely juicy and soft, but i wasn't a huge fan of the mayo-ness of the mentaiko topping. Maybe try a different version of the chicken breast.We had a bunch more i don't remember, and they were all great. The Kisu (Whiting) was terrific, but i have no picture sadly.
A few warnings: individually, everything seems pretty cheap, but because you will spend quite a long time here (the food comes in spurts), you'll buy quite a few drinks and try quite a few skewers; We spent 1650 for 2 people here, with 600 on alcohol alone! Expect to pay about 400-500 pp on just food for a full meal, with drinks on top of that. Also it's quite busy, so book ahead of time, and get a seat at the far more interesting bar. There is a 2.5 hour time limit for each seating.
Overall, between the incredible/reasonably-priced shochu collection and the delicious kushikatsu, this place has skyrocketed to the top of my casual japanese eateries list. If you like kushikatsu, the food alone is worth trying, and if you're like me and have been also dying for a shochu bar in HK, then you are wasting time reading this review; get over to Hidden as soon as you can.
張貼
