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2022-11-20
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I have wanted to come to this famous sushi restaurant for a long while but could not find a way. Thanks to my friend Kevin, we are finally able to come tonight, albeit having to book eight months in advance. There are two seating for dinner, and we have chosen the later serving, starting at 8pm.The restaurant is located in Wanchai Yat Sin Street, a rather remote location, far from the busy part of Causeway Bay or Wanchai. The staff are very polite and welcoming, and soon we are seated at the spa
I have wanted to come to this famous sushi restaurant for a long while but could not find a way. Thanks to my friend Kevin, we are finally able to come tonight, albeit having to book eight months in advance. There are two seating for dinner, and we have chosen the later serving, starting at 8pm.
The restaurant is located in Wanchai Yat Sin Street, a rather remote location, far from the busy part of Causeway Bay or Wanchai. The staff are very polite and welcoming, and soon we are seated at the spacious, beautiful hinoki counter that accommodates eight customers. Chef Chiba is already busy at work with his assistant getting ready to serve.
Looking at the sake menu, I pick a bottle of sake, the rare 善知鳥 大吟醸 ($2,200). Coming from the top brewery 西田酒造店 in Aomori, this sake is made from the free-flow dripping process, without adding any pressure, so the production is very tiny. With a nice peach and melon aroma, well-balanced and smooth pure taste, it is a great sake to pair with the different food on the night.
We have the Omakase Takumi Menu ($3,280), with the first course being Hirame 平目. The Olive Flounder comes from Aomori, with an elastic yet firm texture, a mild and delicate flavour. Paired with the ponzu sauce, the acidity from the sauce helps to highlight the umami of the sashimi. Wonderful.
The second course is Sawara 鰆. The chef has smoked the skin of the Spanish Mackerel, coming from Mie, over hay fire, infusing the fish with a fantastic smoky aroma, and also vitalizing the fish oil to make it even more delicious. Pair with wasabi and soy sauce, it is frankly the best Sawara I have tried. The staff explained that nowadays the fish has been graded and only those reaching a certain amount of fat level can be classified as ‘toro grade’. Chef Chiba further shared that only two fish markets in Japan offer this grade and he proudly is sourcing from one of them.
The third course is Chawanmushi 茶碗蒸. The Steamed Egg Custard is just off the stove, steaming hot, with a nice umami taste from the dashi mixing with the egg. The seaweed has further added some green colour to make it more appealing on both sight and taste. The magic comes from the plum puree on top. Upon mixing with the egg the dash of plum brings a memorable fragrance which is harmonious.
The fourth course is Hokkigai 北寄貝. The chef has brushed it with a bit of dashi before grilling it. The sweetness from the Surf Clam, coming from Hokkaido, is intense, and the slightly crunchy texture on the bite is also very pleasant.
The fifth course is Tairagai 平貝. The chef has sliced the large Hokkaido Pen Shell, then grill it with nikiri sauce, before wrapping it on a piece of nori. A firmer texture than the normal scallops, I found it has more concentrated flavours, and the umami from the nori sheet enhances the enjoyment further.
The sixth course is Akami Zuke 本鮪の漬. The Lean Tuna comes from a 132kg Bluefin Tuna caught in Oma, Aomori. The chef explains that the size is quite small, but the quality is very good, with a nice fat level. Having marinated in soy sauce briefly, the lean tuna is very soft, silky smooth in texture, and the marinade just right to impart good umami but not excessively salty.
The seventh course is Botan-Ebi 牡丹蝦. This Chiba Spot Prawn, as explained by Chef Chiba, is the true Botan-Ebi, while many which looks similar in the market are in fact coming from Toyama Bay, and not of the same. The prawn has been lightly grilled to bring in more sweetness. Another fantastic piece.
The eighth course is Buri 鰤. The Japanese Yellowtail is caught in northern part of Hokkaido, with the fish returning in the autumn/winter season. It has nice intense flavours while not too fatty. Another great sushi on the night.
The ninth course is O-Toro 大とろ. Coming from the same Tuna, the fatty belly has been carefully cut to avoid the tendon and then grilled slightly to melt the fish oil, making it even more aromatic and tasty. A luxurious and tasty piece.
The tenth course is Ankimo 鮟肝. The Monkfish Liver is creamy and wonderful in taste, but the true highlight for me is the finely chopped Nara Zuke 奈良漬 on top. The pickles have been aged by the chef for five years, with still a crunchy texture and a great taste that reminds me a bit of the best Shaoxing wine. A must-try in my opinion.
The eleventh course is Kuromutsu 黒鯥. The Bluefish is a relative of another prized fish Akamutsu, but being less fatty, with the flesh tastier with a stronger flavour. I like the Bluefish more because of this specific reason. Also, most other restaurants normally torch the Akamutsu making it a bit too greasy and not elegant.
The twelfth course is Magaki 真牡蠣. The Oyster, coming from Miyagi, has been marinated with kombu, and seeing how the chef kneaded the sushi with the soft and fragile oyster is a testimony of his superb skills. The oyster has a rich briny taste but not in any way fishy. Another wonderful piece I would like to encore.
The thirteenth course is Kobako-Gani 香箱蟹. The female Snow Crab, coming from Hyogo, is in season now, and the chef has meticulously removed the meat from the body and legs, before mixing with the abundance of crab roes and yolk to stuff it back on the shell, with each customer having a generous portion. With some yuzu shavings, every spoon is a pure joy with its poppy texture, with the taste impeccable.
The fourteenth course is the rare and prized Kinki 喜之次. The line-caught Channel Rockfish comes from Hokkaido, with very high fat content, and sweet in taste. The chef has lightly seared over charcoal to energize the fish oil, with the bite coating the mouth in great fragrance of the fish oil. The very soft texture of the flesh is also superb.
The fifteenth course is Bafun-Uni 馬糞雲丹. The Hokkaido Sea Urchin has a very sweet taste, and the chef has made a gunkan-maki to better hold the soft and creamy sea urchin on the shari. There is no any hint of weird note, and another of the great ingredient used on the night.
Apart from the ginger, the chef also prepares some other pickles for us, including Pickled Daikon 大根 and Yama-Imo 山芋. The winter radish has a crunchy texture, pickled nicely with a slight sweetness to highlight its flavours, and the chef has added some yuzu shavings to freshen up the palate. The mountain yam has a contrasting soft mushy texture, infused with a bit of the spiciness from the wasabi. The Tamago 玉子 is soft and flavourful too.
Coming to the sixteenth course, the chef serves us Anago 穴子. The Conger Eel comes from Nagasaki, with the chef grilling them without sauce (shirayaki) and then cutting in halves, serving in two ways. One is added with a bit of sea salt to season. This one is able to highlight better the original flavours of the eel, with the melting in the mouth texture extremely pleasant.
The other serving is the more traditional way of brushing with a bit of the special anago sauce. The sweet and savoury taste of the sauce is highly complementary with the taste of the conger eel. It is really difficult to say which one is better, but I probably will give my vote to this style of Anago which has the long history.
Wrapping up the sushi the chef prepares the Tuna Maki. The mashed tuna, together with a bit of cucumber, is then rolled to a small maki, cutting into small pieces to allow eating in one bite. The great seasoning of the velvety soft tuna, and the crunchy cucumber shreds, create a wonderful finale to the omakase dinner.
But when the staff checks with us whether we want to have additional pieces, we immediately confirm. The first one is Hamaguri 蛤 ($180). The large Hard Clam is poached perfectly, with the clam meat fully cooked but not over-done to be rubbery. With a bit of special sauce to add the sweetness and umami taste, it is very delicious.
The second additional piece is Tsubugai 粒貝 ($180). The large Whelk meat has been sliced, with the right thickness to ensure a good crunchy bite, with intense umami flavours. Eating the best ingredients at the right season, this is another example of how the chef live up with this motto.
The third additional piece is Shiro-Ebi 白海老 ($150). The small White Shrimps from Toyama are carefully kneaded to make the sushi, with a soft mouthfeel and sweet taste that is memorable and filling the last tiny space in our stomach on this feast of flavours.
The Miso Soup is prepared using fish bones, full of flavours. There is a bit of special bean paste added, with an interesting spicy note and when mixed the enhanced savoury taste is delicious, with the temperature of the soup also helps to warm the stomach to make us all feel comfortable and contented.
The dessert is Home-made Warabi Mochi. The q texture of the mochi is very nice, dusting with some soy bean powder. The black sugar is not too sweet and has a rich and authentic flavour which I prefer over the white refined sugar.
Service is very good, and even though Chef Chiba can only converse with us with some limited English, the staff helps to explain and translate, so we are not feeling left out, especially with the other customers able to speak Japanese. The bill on the night is $10,670 and frankly it is quite expensive, but it is worth coming to experience the quality of the ingredients and the skills of Chef Chiba.
張貼
