This sushi restaurant is located in Yuen Long, with the chef admiring very much the famous sushi chef in Japan, Saito san, and naming his restaurant after him. Arriving on this Saturday evening, we were seated at the counter, overlooking how the chef prepared the different ingredients.
The restaurant is pretty small, with a counter seating 9-10 people while there are also a few tables too. The decor is no-frill and simple, having a family neighborhood atmosphere, and the chef shared with us that he also grew up in Yuen Long.
We ordered the Omakase Menu ($1,280 each), along with a bottle of sake 齊藤酒造 英勲 古都千年 純米大吟醸 ($360 half bottle). This sake came from Kyoto and for me was not sufficiently fresh for my liking unfortunately.
The starter was a pickled dish, with Tiger Prawn and yellowish Herring Roes, with some Okinawa seaweed Umibudo (or sea grapes). The prawns have a great firm texture, showing how fresh they are, with the herring roes adding a bit of savory to the dish. The sea grapes got a crunchy texture which with the vinaigrette sauce is really appetizing.
There are a total of five sashimi, with the first being the Hokkaido Scallops. The huge scallop got a great soft texture, and even after cutting in half it was still a big piece. The chef had added some yuzu juice and peel shavings to enhance the fragrance and bring out further freshness. A great one.
Next was Buri, with the chef using two parts of the belly of the fish to prepare this dish. He used the torch-gun to slightly burn the middle portion (the lighter color one) to liven up the fish oil and enhance the taste of the fish. And for the other portion (the darker one) coming from near the tail of the belly part it was richer in the taste of the fish. Another good dish.
The third was Oyster, and this one was the award-winning Konagai Kaki from Nagasaki Prefecture. The oyster was fresh, opened before us, and after cleaning it thoroughly the chef put it back in the shell and added some chives and radish. The oyster was very creamy in texture, with a rich flavor that last long in the mouth. I also like the oyster having an appropriate size.
The fourth was the Crab of the season. This type of crab, according to the chef, is similar to the flowery crab. After cooking it and taken out the meat, the chef also mixed them with the crab yolk and an abundance of the crab roes. So when we tasted it there was a slight crunchy texture from the popping of the roes.
The last of the sashimi was something common yet special. I bet most people had tried the grilled cod and in many instances quite appalled by the oiliness from the piece of grilled fish. This Cod however, while retaining that rich taste, did not have such strong sense of oily feeling. With the chives and some sesame to add to the taste profile it was a nice one worth trying out.
Going to the sushi now, there were a total of ten pieces, with a trio of three sea urchin included. The first sushi was Kanpachi, or Greater Amberjack, with a nice crunchy texture. I also found the sushi rice very good, with the right temperature, softness and stickiness, bringing my expectation for the remaining sushi even higher.
The second sushi was Kinmedai, or Splendid Alfonso, the famous fish coming from Shizuoka area. The chef had torched the skin slightly to give a bit of char to liven up the fish oil and bring out extra intensity in aroma and flavors, while keeping the flesh raw to ensure the tender texture was retained. A good one.
The third sushi was Chu-Toro, or the fatty tuna belly. Instead of a single piece of the fish, the chef had deliberately cut them into three slices, so that the tendon of the fish would not be too chewy to swallow. The three thin slices of the toro was cleverly put together, and this was the first time I saw how a chef did this and I thought it was a smart way. For those who were traditionalilst this might be showing the ingredient was not of the best cut, but to me it served the purpose.
The fourth sushi was Hokkigai or surf clam, with the chef using the technique of hitting it to loosen the muscle before forming the sushi to serve. The clam was crunchy on texture, really fresh and on the bite it was just like immersing oneself in the sea to enjoy the delicacy. Another very good piece.
The fifth sushi was the first in a row of three of sea urchin. The Bafun Uni from Hokkaido was good, bright orange in color, though having a slightly bitter taste on the mouth. The chef had used the gunkan roll to prepare this sushi, and while it is not bad, comparing with the other two uni sushi coming up this one was much inferior for my liking.
The sixth sushi was the second sea urchin type, Purple Sea Urchin. This one the chef did not use the seaweed to wrap the sushi, and choosing to just put on the sushi rice and served to our hands. This one did have a richer taste of the sea urchin than the previous one, and also a more creamy texture. My favorite among the three.
The seventh sushi and the last of the sea urchin was White Sea Urchin. This one was the sweetest among the three, and I could understand why the chef had sequenced them in such order. Probably the softest also among the three, it was not easy to make the sushi stand and I could imagine how it would fall apart if trying to eat with chopsticks. In my opinion the taste was not as rich as the Purple Sea Urchin despite its sweeter taste so I still prefer the last one.
The eighth sushi was another piece of the tuna belly, but this one was Otoro, the most prized portion of the belly with a higher fatty content, and giving a rich, intense flavors. The flesh was so soft and tender that it was essentially melting in the mouth, and I like that it was not overly fatty to make it unbearable. A very good one.
The ninth sushi was Shima-Aji, or Yellowtail. The chef had first put the fish meat in a special sauce to marinate for a short period, then taken out those to prepare this sushi. The flesh got a great texture, with a firm bite and also rich in taste, further exemplified by the soy sauce used to marinate. A good example of how the common ingredient could turn into something memorable.
The last piece of sushi served was a bit theatrical. Before the Buri was served, the chef had used a special device to cover the dish and then burning an applewood incense to create the smoke and infuse the container, so that the buri flesh got smoked and imparted a nice cedar note. The chef also put another piece of the fish on top, with this one torched to provide the fish oil to double concentrate the taste and experience. I like the creativity and new idea the chef had brought into the menu.
Finishing the meal there was a bowl of Miso Soup, and this one was of special recipe, created from onion, with the chef first cooking the onion before blending them to form a nice creamy texture. On the taste it was also gorgeous, apparently with a lot of seafood added to the broth to create a sweet and umami soup that was warming and fulfilling, a good wrap up for our dinner.
For dessert we had a slice of Melon, with the chef asking us to first tasted a piece before he sprayed the melon with something and asked us to try again. It turned out the melon tasted even sweeter than before after the spray, and when we asked what was that, the chef told us it was a Japanese whisky, which was a surprising great match with the sweetness of the melon.
Although the atmosphere was not exactly one I would recommend, the food in general were good. The service was nice with the staff very attentive and friendly, but the chef was perhaps a bit shy and did not strike up a lot of conversations despite we were just sitting in front. But he did explain to us each of the ingredients worked.
The bill was $3,212 and considering the overall expeirence, the price tag was very reasonable. I had heard about Yuen Long had become a hub for good Japanese food and I thought I found one matching that slogan.
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