Located in Ocean Centre TST, this sushi restaurant is the first overseas outlet of the same name from Ginza Tokyo. Since coming to HK in 2014, it has earned Michelin 1-star status for four years in a row.
There is a sushi counter with ten seats around, and we have the fortune of sitting right in front of the chef, seeing all the actions close up. Chef Lam is nice and friendly, and offers good recommendations on the choice of sake to match with our food.
We had the Omakase Set ($2200 each), and to start I had a serving of Harukasumi 春霞 純米大吟醸 of Kuribayashi 栗林酒造店 from Akita ($230). The first course is Tuna Neck Handroll. The tuna neck, or Kama-Toro, is one of the rarest cut of the fish, with very limited amount for each tuna. The chef had minced the meat and then prepared a handroll. The fatty meat is very tasty, truly melting in the mouth, with an intense taste. One of the best tuna cut I had experienced in my opinion! I am not sure whether this is a normal first course but certainly it successfully impressed and reminded us that this restaurant is renown for its tuna, as the owner also has a specialty shop dedicated for tuna in Tsukiji market.
The second course is Young Sweetfish (Ayu) Marinated with Spicy Sauce. Ever since visited Gifu a few years back and tried out a specialty course featuring this river fish, we became attached to them. This dish certainly delivers our expectation, with the fish of a nice size and allowing us to eat it whole without any worry for the bones. And the marinade has a perfect harmony of sour, together with the pickled radish and carrot, plus the sansho leaves to provide spiciness, giving a complex and delicious experience.
The third course is Bonito Sashimi. As the fish can degrade quickly, it must be very fresh to be used for sashimi. And in prior experiences most will be served after torching the skin, but Chef Lam cut out a slice without skin, then added some leek to complement. The fragrance of the leek actually matches perfectly with the bonito, and it was an amazingly tasty sashimi in my opinion, removing my prejudice that bonito is not a premium fish to be featured in high-end sashimi.
The fourth course is Octopus, Smoked Sakura Trout and Firefly Squid Sashimi. The octopus is very tender in texture, so soft that you might not believe it is a tentacle. The chef had massaged the octopus for a long time in order to do that. The sakura trout is a specialty for the spring season, and this has been smoked to give a nice fragrance but not overpowering, with a delicate softness that is fantastic. The best surprise is the firefly squid, with them grilled and given a bit of shichimi to provide more flavors. Intense in taste, one of the best firefly squids I have tasted.
The fifth course is Snow Crab, with the chef meticulously removing the meat from the claws and body of the crab, then mixed with a bit of the vinaigrette and shiso flowers, which highlights but not mask the delicate taste of the crab meat. A nice one.
The sixth course is Japanese Spanish Mackerel with Saikyo Miso. After marinated with the miso the chef then grilled it to liven up the fish oil which is fragrant and tasty. On the sides there are the lime, radish with some soy sauce added, as well as some pickles. I found eating the fish together with them is really a special feast, with the additional complexity making the whole experience even more enjoyable. Really tasty.
Then we start the sushi part, with a total of 12 pieces. The first one is Flounder, or Hirame. Coming from Aomori, the fish has a great bite with a delicate and light flavor, which is ideal to start for the sushi course. Very good.
The second piece is Cuttlefish, or Ika. This one comes from Yamaguchi, with the chef cutting on the body to break up the tissue to make it easy to bite, without any hint of rubbery texture. I also like he added a bit of charcoal salt on top, instead of soy sauce, which gives a bit of salt to enhance the taste but not masking the original flavors of the cuttlefish. Another smart and thoughtful example of the chef's finesse.
The third piece is Young Seabream, or Kasugo, which is essentially young seabream of around one year old and six inches in length, a specialty for spring season. This fish comes from Ibaraki, and compared with the bigger sea bream the meat is leaner but nothing inferior on the taste, and I would say even more flavorful than the larger ones. Something to look out for in spring.
The fourth piece is Lean Tuna, or Akami Zuke. The Japanese word zuke means marinated in soy sauce, and seeing the chef put the fish in the bowl for a while, then taking it out and wiping dry on kitchen paper, while looks simple, is a true test of skills too. If too long, it will be too salty. If too short, not enough flavors. This is a perfect example of the impeccable timing, and the tuna is very tender and without any fiber. Truly great sushi.
Continuing on the tuna trio, the fifth piece is Medium Fatty Tuna, or Chu-Toro. When the chef brought out the piece to cut the slices, all the customers were amazed at how great the fillet looks. And on the bite it certainly resonates as well, with the amount of fish oil at the right level to give the sought-after delights, while not having the melting palate which can be disliked by some (including my wife). Normally she will replace the Chu-Toro with something else, but I was able to persuade her to try this and she like it also.
Coming the pinnacle, the sixth piece is Fatty Tuna, or O-Toro. Crazed by many, it is not always my favorite as I also found it sometimes too melty on texture, like a piece of fat. But living up to the reputation of this restaurant, the tuna is fat and intense in flavors, soft and without any fiber, but at the same time not to the extreme. Very delicious and one of the better O-Toro in HK in my opinion.
Then the chef took out a number of Tiger Prawn, or Kuruma Ebi. Coming from Kumamoto and always one of my favorites in sushi, the prawn is of a good size, with a phenomenal bouncy bite which shows it is super fresh, with a great sweet taste. If I want to have a piece to encore after finishing the whole range of sushi, I probably will pick this one on the night.
Next is Splendid Alfonso, or Kinmedai. Living in deep waters, the fish has large eyes and a bright red skin. This one comes from Chiba, with a nice flavorful taste coming from the rich fish oil while also having a good bite. Very good indeed.
The ninth piece is Surf Clam, or Hokkigai. Coming from Hokkaido, the clam is very fresh and when the chef hit it the muscle retracts. On the bite there is a rich taste of the sea, sweet with umami, and the bouncy texture is certainly appealing to everyone.
I have a feeling that if we do a poll asking which sushi HK people like the most, I bet the answer might be Sea Urchin. If so then this one certainly is top-notch. The orange hue of the sea urchin, each piece of the same size, and seeing the chef put in on double-layer, already win us over. The Hokkaido Bafun sea urchin is very sweet in taste, creamy and without any strange taste. Really fantastic. Another of my choice to encore.
Nearing the end, next we have Rosy Seabass, or Akamutsu. From Nagasaki, this fish is prized as one of the most premium one for sushi, usually line-caught. Very rich in flavors with a good level of fish oil, it is a bit similar to the Kinmedai but at an even more intense level. So among the two I would prefer this more.
The last piece is Sea Eel, or Anago. Again coming from Nagasaki, the eel has a great taste, soft and melting on the texture, and can be eaten even for someone without teeth. The special sauce used to brush on top is also amazing, fully complementary and integrating the flavors together to push the experience to a whole new level.
The Miso Soup accompanying is a pleasant surprise. It is a clear broth prepared using the bones and other parts of the tuna, with intense flavors that can easily identify with the tuna even without telling. The small pieces of leek further added fragrance and helps to reduce the fish note a bit to make the overall taste harmonious and wonderful.
The dessert is a big, ripe Strawberry. Bright red and sweet, it is a perfect conclusion to a fantastic meal.
Service is good, and the chef is not over talkative but not silent, having some small talks which make us feel welcome and comfortable. And the price is in my opinion reasonable, with 3 servings of sake together the bill was $5,654. I don't know why they have dropped the star, but with or without, it is one of the sushi restaurants I would recommend for sure.
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