This Japanese restaurant is located in Kowloon Shangri-La Hotel, with another outlet of the same name located in Island Shangri-La. Having visited the other one a few years back with some good memories, this time we came to the Kowloon one for lunch, as dinner service is not available due to government's restriction.
We were seated at a booth in the main dining room, with contemporary design which is comfortable with a nice elegant ambience. There is also a grilling station and sushi counter for those opting to sit in front of the chef preparing their food. The staff are also wearing traditional kimono too.
Ordering the Mini Kaiseki ($520 each), I also chose to pair with a 300ml bottle of Dassai 39 ($420). The Junmai Daiginjo is fruity, with elegant koji rice note and a good finish, and match very well with most of the food in the menu.
The first course is Homemade White Sesame Tofu, Mild Soy Sauce. The tofu is rich in the sesame flavors, with the soy sauce providing an umami note, and the small bit of wasabi allowed another layer of sensory dimension. A nice appetizer.
Next is the Sashimi, with Seasonal Buri Yellowtail and Sweet Shrimp. The shrimp is fairly good, sweet and fresh. And although the buri is equally fresh, personally I do not like the treatment of the fish as there is still blood on the meat which made it excessively fishy.
The third course is an assorted seasonal delicacies. The Boiled Vegetable Blossom is nice, with the shaved bonito adding a nice umami note to the vegetables cooked in a nice broth. The Spring Roll with Shrimp and Cheese is crispy and nice in taste. The Custard Egg Roll is decent but not impressive, which is also the case for the Roasted Duck Breast. The Black Bean is quite nice, while the Spicy Tuna Roll is just so-so. The Fuki-no-do Vegetable with Miso is a tempura but the vegetable has a strong bitter taste which may not be everyone's liking.
The fourth course is Slow Cooked Ox Tongue, Daikon Radish and Carrot. The ox tongue is very soft and tender, braised to perfection and nice in taste. The daikon radish, carrot and vegetable are also very delicious, absorbing all the good flavors.
The fifth course is Teriyaki Grilled Seasonal Buri Yellowtail Fillet. The fish is grilled with the teriyaki sauce so the meat is infused with the flavors, and keeping it moist and juicy, and I in particular love the shredded leek which added a fragrance which is highly complementary to the fish. Even the grilled piece of zucchini and red bell pepper are also good.
The sixth course is Steamed Rice with Chicken and Assorted Vegetable, along with Pickles and Soybean Soup. The rice is rather mild in flavors, while not negative from a taste perspective, may lack a bit on the fragrance as well. The miso soup is much more intense on the other hand.
The final course is Homemade Dessert, a milk pudding with some strawberry sauce on top and some red bean paste. Appropriate in sweetness level, the pudding is soft and smooth. A good finale to the meal.
Service overall is decent and professional, though lacking a bit of the warmth and enthusiasm. The bill on the day is $1,606 and while it is fairly inexpensive for kaiseki, I think the quality of the food might not exactly match with our expectation. If I have to compare with my prior experience for the same restaurant on HK side, there is a clear difference.
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