This sushi restaurant is located in Tai Hung, where I used to live and spent most of my high school and university years. But since moving to Sham Tseng I did not come as frequent and there is a certain sense of unfamiliarity. Arriving early we knocked on the door, and thankfully the staff allowed us in and seated us while waiting for the restaurant to open. The restaurant is relatively small in size, with a counter and a few tables After the short wait we were soon comfortably seated at the sushi counter.
We ordered the Omakase Menu and a half bottle of sake to start. The chef immediately provided us with a snack, of some small silvery fish with some black sesame. A nice appetizer, we were quickly getting ready for the feast of wonderful dishes.
The first course was Ishidai (石鯛), which has been marinated with kelp to infuse with the umami flavors and softened the texture. A seasonal fish with great finesse and flavors, and I have seen this in prior trips to Aomori but it is the first time eating them. A nice sashimi.
Next was Shima-Aji (縞鯵), with the chef cutting a belly portion for me. Instead of the fatty and soft you would expect from other fish, this one had a wonderful crunchy texture, full of flavors and a fantastic sashimi to taste and sample.
The third course was Kinmedai (金目鯛). The fish has been aged for a day to make the taste more intense and softened the texture, showing the skills and the knowledge of the chef in how to properly handle the premium ingredients. Very good indeed.
The fourth course was one of my favorites in the evening, the Mantis Shrimp or Shako (蝦蛄). The mantis shrimp is cooked and then marinated from the sauce prepared by cooking the shell of the mantis shrimp for long hours. The meat has also been thoughtfully extracted from the shell, making it very easy to eat. The taste is so fresh and sweet I was tempted to ask the chef for a repeat of this dish.
The fifth course was Monkfish Liver or Ankimo (鮟肝). Very creamy and rich, the flavors are intense and personally I would prefer this to foie gras, with the monkfish liver much less oily. The chef had put a slice of Nara pickles (). The crunchy radish from Nara is marinated using sake repeatedly until turning brown in colour. This pickle provides a very nice complementary texture to the liver and also helps to balance the richness with a touch of refreshing. A brilliant combination.
The sixth course was Snow Crab or Taraba Kani. The chef had meticulously removed the shell of the cooked crab, making sure that there are not even a small piece of shell left behind. The crab meat has some vinegar added to further enhance the delicate flavors, with some crab yolk on top too. Very good as well.
The seventh course was Sardines, or Iwashi, Roll. After cutting out a strips of roasted seaweed, the chef put a number of sardines, with the skin removed, then rolled together with some mashed ginger and chives. The sardines are very fresh and not having any fishy note, but rather an intense signature taste which is perfectly in tune with the ginger. One of my favorites in the evening.
The eighth course was Geoduck. A chef in the kitchen came out to take the clam and then cut it open, before cleaning and cutting the meaty part out. And the chef serving us then further trimmed and cut to the right shape and size, before squeezing in some lime juice to freshen up the overall palate. The clam was very crunchy, full of the saline note which kind of brought us to the sea from a sensory perspective.
The ninth course was Japanese Amberjack, or Hamachi. The sashimi is of generous portion from the belly, with a good mix of flesh with some fat, tender and rich in flavors. It is the first time I had the belly portion of the fish and it was truly different and taste better than the more normally served lean portion.
Moving to the sushi, the first one was Unicorn Leatherjacket. This filefish has a delicate taste and the chef had also added some of the liver on top, providing a creamy and rich contrast to the flavors. I found this one a pleasant surprise, as this sushi is not often seen in my experience. Here the sushi also was served from the chef direct to our hands so it is difficult to take photo without making a mess.
Before serving the second sushi, a deep-fried Japanese Golden Threadfin Bream, or Itoyoridai (糸撚鯛). The small fish was beautifully fried and every single piece from head to tail could be eaten, crispy while the flesh was tender and not dried up. That was a true and amazing skill how the chef could control the heat of the frying process. A great dish.
Returning to sushi, the second one was a Fatty Tuna, or Otoro. While we are not a big fan of this most-prized part of the tuna, this one was not too fat but still rich in the wonderful tuna taste, and the chef had applied the right amount of soy sauce to bring out the flavors at the same time. A nice one.
Next was a signature dish for Sushi Shin, and I also had good anticipation to compare with the phenomenal experience of the same I had in Sushi Shikon. The Iwabi or Abalone was very tender and bursting with umami biting in, with the chef also using the insides to prepare a sauce. It was very good indeed and while I still rate the one from Shikon higher this one was very close in quality.
Next was the Yellowtail or Buri. The fish was called Kan Buri (寒鰤), as the fish was caught in winter. It has amazing fat contents and was truly a sensory wonder, with the rich flavors permeating from the flesh. I prefer this more to the Otoro in fact.
Then came the Sea Urchin, or Uni. The chef had used two different types of sea urchin, one sweeter in taste while the other more creamy in texture. The portion is also generous with a large amount of sea urchin on it. The sea urchin are also very fresh and tasty, without any strange taste. Another nice one.
Next is something I have been looking forward when I saw the chef prepared them. The Salmon Roe or Ikura has been marinated in soy sauce, and when biting in the bursting of the salmon roe in mouth was a really fantastic sensation and culinary delights. Not sure whether it was because of the effort to clean and prepare, I did not see too often this is offered on the menu in sushi restaurants in town.
Coming close to the end of the course, the chef got something for us to try. The Pickled Squid was something I had seen in Japan, and in fact was a common side dish to accompany the morning meal. It was nice to sample it but honestly it was too salty to have it on its own.
Last of the sushi was something I forgot to ask. But from the memory it was probably a Grilled Flounder Edge, or Engawa. Using the torch-gun to roast the flounder edge for a while, the heat dissolved some of the fat of the flesh, making it softer, bursting with the great smell and taste of the flounder. Wrapping in seaweed it was another great sushi that I would have room having another one despite having such a full course on the night.
The second last piece of sushi was Big Clam, and true to the name it was very large in size, with the flesh still unbelievably big even after cooking. The clam meat was tender and juicy, and again this one was not frequently available in most of the sushi restaurants in town.
The last piece is the Egg or Gyoku. The egg is fluffy and full of flavors, with the eggs probably mixed with some seafood broth before putting to bake. The overall sensation is rather close to a piece of cake.
The restaurant also provided us a choice of udon or soba. I had the Udon with Beef which was delicious and offered a great finale to the meal, with the comfort of something warm to the stomach. I found this arrangement a good way to finish such an omakase sushi dinner to both ensure the diner is fully fed and having something warm in the end.
For the dessert it was Matcha Pudding with Strawberries. The pudding was creamy and smooth, with the matcha intense, with the slight bitterness balanced well with the sweetness of the pudding. The strawberries are bright red and sweet, in the right season too.
We also had the Pineapple Ice-cream to wrap up our meal too. And overall I was very satisfied with the dinner. Not only there was a wide range of dishes in the omakase set, many of them were special and not often commonly available. The chef was friendly and had some interactions with the diners, offering explanation on the food. The bill on the night was $4631 including a bottle of sake, very reasonably priced and a place I highly recommend for sushi lovers.
