The decoration is decent but not particularly memorable, and we decided to try the signature kaiseki set from the chef. The first is the three apetitzers, with crab meat and tofu, boiled vegetable and the grilled dried blowfish filet. The plating and the utensils used are very nice and similar to what we would experience in many good ryokan in Japan, and the food are delicious and setting us off with a great start.
The next came a special pot-soup, which is clear soup boiled with fresh seafood, and served using a teapot and consumed by a teacup. The soup is very delicate, yet full of flavors and extremely delicious. And the way it is served certainly is an innovative, putting a twist to the traditions but preserving the elegance of the Japanese cuisine and true to the kaiseki spirit.
The third was the sashimi which got very fresh fish including seabream, salmon, tuna, scallops, prawns and sea urchins. All the seafood are imported daily and giving a sweet and fresh taste, with a touch of wasabi added and dipping lightly in the soy sauce further brought out the umami flavors. A really great quality sashimi in any standard but only the choice of seafood is a bit common for me.
Then came the steamed egg with black truffle sprinkles, added with some vegetables chopped finely. Served in a non-traditional western-style plate and decorated also in a western manner, this dish on the palate is nevertheless of pure Japanese style, with creamy and soft egg enhanced in flavors by the truffle, with a bit of bite coming from the vegetables. Another example of how the chef successfully integrated the fusion aspects into the kaiseki.
The fifth dish is the Lobster Tempura, with a whole lobster used so the portion is very generous. The lobster is deep-fried perfectly, without getting dried up and the batter thinly applied. There is no oily feeling at all and the lobster meat was tender as well. There is the vinegar sauce which can be added with turnip mash, plus the green tea powder which is something unique but did pair quite well. Another great dish in the evening.
Next is the hotpot which got fresh vegetables and the fresh Kinki filet. The fish is a premium species that is difficult to catch, and once outside the water it would die, thus is a rare and high-end ingredient only available in the most premium restaurants. Really great to be served using a hotpot, with the nice stock bringing the original fish taste to the forefront, and the vegetable further enhanced the sweetness of the fish. It is also filling, making us extremely full after finishing the whole pot.
To finish there is the cold udon which is dipped into a sauce, and you can add the quail egg, sesame, spring onion, wasabi and ginger per your liking. The texture of the udon is good, chewy and have a good bite, but by now we were already so full that it had affected our overall enjoyment of the dish, which is a bit wasted unfortunately.
The dessert is melon, plus mochi, red bean soup and persimmon. The different dessert are all traditional, nicely made and a good wrap up on the wonderful dinner we had this evening.Service is good, with the manager frequently coming over to check with us and having good conversations on how he went to Japan to explore different delicacies to bring back to HK, and because of his recommendation we also decided to come back in Valentine's Day to try their menu and the special plum vinegar.
The dinner cost $5826 for two, plus a small bottle of sake. Not cheap but overall I would not rate this as extravagant. Considering the portion of the meal, the quality of the food and premium ingredients used, it is in fact quite reasonably priced for the value.
My overall rating is 85/100.
沒有留言:
張貼留言