This Japanese sushi restaurant is located in Causeway Bay L. Square, with only 6 seats on the sushi counter and a private room. Opened just recently, I came to know of this restaurant after seeing my friend posted the photos on facebook.
Coming during lunch hours as no dinner service is available because of government restriction, we were seated in front of Chef Motoyama Taichiro. He ran the whole show throughout and is very friendly and can also speak a bit of Cantonese.
We ordered the Omakase Menu ($2,000 each) and asked for the sake recommendation. The first sake I tasted came from Fukuoka Itoshima Shiraito Brewery 福岡県糸島市 白糸酒造 田中六五, as I understood that Chef Motoyama also come from Fukuoka. The restaurant offers ichigo (180 ml) portion so you can sample different sake during the meal.
The first course is Kobako-gani 香箱蟹. The seasonal delicacy, this is the female snow crab that can only be caught during November and December. The delicate crab meat is mixed with a lot of the flavorful crab roes, and the chef added an abundance of jelly which added a bit of acidity to further liven up the taste buds.
The second course is Tai 鯛, with some seasonal vegetable underneath and then the chef shaved the homemade karasumi 唐墨 (or 烏魚子). The mild taste of the fish is complemented with the intense flavors of the salted mullet roes. This one was my wife's favorite in the whole meal.
The third course is Raw Oyster ガキ, with the chef mixing with some ponzu dressing, chives and radish. I like the small size of the oyster, and the chef had also cut in halves to facilitate eating. Silky on texture, it is very fresh and tasty.
The fourth course is Wild Hirame 平目 and Otoro 大とろ. The flatfish has a delicate mild taste and got a great texture, with nice bite while the fatty tuna is full of fish oil and intense on the palate, but offering a contrasting softer texture. Both are wonderful pieces of sashimi.
Seeing the chef put a nice coffee cup in front of us, we wonder what is the fifth course. Then he brought out a pan from the kitchen and pour in a great Fish Soup, with its fragrance so nice that I can smell from afar. Adding plenty of chives, the soup has bursting flavors, so concentrated that it must take a lot of fish to prepare. A warming and great intermittent in the meal.
The sixth course is Hamachi ハマチ, or Japanese amberjack, with the winter season the fish getting more fatty. The chef used the torch gun to lightly sear the outside before cutting into slices, liven up the fish oil and intensify the flavors. With some chives to accompany, the texture is soft and a very nice piece.
Finishing my first sake, I ordered the next one. The chef picked one from Fukuchiyo Brewery, 富久千代酒造, 鍋島純米吟醸 山田錦. This sake is much sweeter than the first one, and more intense on the rice notes, which I think is better to pair with the sushi coming.
The seventh course is Edamame 枝豆. The specialty of this one is that the chef had cooked the beans in a broth to infuse them with additional flavors, and then provided some nice sea salt to accompany. But even without adding the salt I found the beans so great that I cannot stop and want to have more.
The eighth course is Threadfin. The chef used deep-fry technique to cook the fish, creating a nice presentation with the scales standing up, also making the skin crispy and the scales edible, while keeping the flesh still moist and tender. A true example of the chef's cooking skills.
The ninth course is an assortment of three things: Octopus 章魚, Monkfish Liver 鮟肝 and Salted Mullet Roes 唐墨. The octopus has been braised beautifully, soft and completely chewable, with the sauce integrated into the octopus. But among the three I like the monkfish liver most. It is melting in the mouth, with a creamy texture and heavenly taste. The homemade salted mullet roes is good too, after being toasted on fire the aromas and flavors are enhanced.
Moving to the sushi now, the first piece is Aji 鯵. Nice taste of the fish with a bit of ginger added to repel the slight fishy note of this silvery fish delicacy. Good one.
The second piece is Kinmedai 金目鯛. The beautiful red skin and the soft flesh of the fish is always prized as one of the favorites in sushi restaurants. I found the flesh very tender and guess the chef must have aged the fish before use. Another good one.
And by then I finished my second sake. Going for the third, the chef recommended 黒龍酒造 吟醸 「いっちょらい」. This sake is lighter, more elegant and refreshing than the last one. Chef Motoyama seems a bit surprised by how much sake I can drink though...
The third piece of sushi is Ika 烏賊. The squid has been carefully cut by the chef to break the fiber, and then the chef sprinkled some yuzu shavings on top. It did wonders as the yuzu added a nice fragrance to the light flavors of the squid. But I always think enjoying this one is on the texture and how amazing the chef can make one rubbery piece of squid so tender.
The fourth piece is Akami, the leaner part of the tuna. The chef used a special sauce to marinate the fish for a while to infuse with flavors and also reduce the irony taste of the flesh. My wife enjoyed this as she cannot handle the more fatty belly of the tuna.
The fifth piece is one of my favorites among the sushi. Sayori 針魚 is a small fish of slender shape, and transparent on the flesh, allowing us to see through to the sushi rice underneath. Very fresh and tasty, the delicate flavors of the fish is a great seasonal sushi one must try.
The sixth piece is Kurumaebi 車海老, another of my favorites in this meal. The chef brought out a grilled prawn and then removed the shell while it is still very hot. Then cutting it in the middle and then added the sushi rice. The sweetness of the prawn is amazing and the size of the prawn means I need to eat in three bites. Another must-try.
The seventh piece is Otoro, and the fatty tuna belly has some beautiful marble texture on the flesh. Biting it the softness feels like dissolving in the mouth, and the fish oil is also rich and creates a satisfying enjoyment which is probably the reason why this sushi is so sought after.
The eighth piece is Kohada 小鰭, a small fish with many dark spots on the skin. The chef put three fillets on the sushi, and the silvery fish has a rich taste but can be regarded as bit fishy on the note. My wife does not like it but I think it is one of the most delicious. Well, this fish can be polarized in the preference.
The tenth piece is Uni, and the chef used a piece of seaweed to wrap up the sushi, with abundance of sea urchin on top, to pass it over. The sea urchin is sweet and without any strange taste, really of high quality, and the creamy texture is rewarding and fulfilling.
The eleventh piece is Anago 穴子. The sea eel is grilled and then brushed with a homemade sauce. With the eel still warm from the grill, the melting texture of the flesh, and the sweet and savory flavors from the sauce it is a great harmony of taste. Another must-try. The chef also provided a piece of Tamago-yaki, or egg, which has been cooked together with a nice broth as I can taste a fantastic note from the silky smooth egg.
The last piece is Ikura 筋子, with the chef making a sushi roll from the salted salmon roes, which are marinated perfectly, with a nice savory note but not overly salty. A great finale to the sushi and also unlike some omakase set, this one we felt full in our stomach and each piece is equally impressive.
We are then served the Miso Soup with Clams, with the soup rich in umami from the miso and clams, and drinking it down warms our stomach and giving us a great sense of satisfaction and happiness.
Last we have the dessert. It is a slide of Melon with Strawberry. The melon is a prized fruit for the season, and seeing the chef taking the whole melon and then cut it open feel even more premium. Both the melon and strawberry are very sweet. A great finale to the whole meal.
The service is great, with only the 6 people sitting around the counter both the chef and the staff is very busy looking after us but they are still able to offer nice smile and friendly chats throughout. The bill is $4,807 and with the omakase and the three servings of sake it is reasonable in my opinion. A definite choice to return in the future.
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