This sushi restaurant is located in 18 On Lan Street Central, and with no dinner allowed yet the restaurant had arranged three seating, which I had booked the one starting at 1:30pm. Stepping out of the elevator I could already see people queueing, and after a bit of waiting for customers of the last round to leave and clean up, I was seated at the far end of the sushi counter, served by Chef Kami himself.
With windows overlooking the Central skyline as background, there are three chefs busy preparing the dishes behind the counter, which can accommodate ten customers. There are a few private rooms on the back as well. It is quite amazing to see full-house in this serving time, apparently testimony to its popularity and the return of diners after the peak of this wave of pandemic.
Pre-ordering the Hyoko Omakase Menu ($2280), the first course was Porcini Soup. The taste is mild and delicate, with some menegi and tomatoes added to bring up the flavours. A good start to warm the stomach for the meal.
The second course was Tako and Wakasagi with Takenoko. The octopus was very soft in texture, without any hint of rubbery, with the marinade fully absorbed and flavourful. The Japanese smelt had been deep-fried and then marinated with vinegar, having a bit of sour to increase appetite, with the pickles on top showing Chef Kami’s attention to details. The bamboo shoot was seasonal and tender as well.
The third course comprised sashimi of Hirame and Kue. The flounder was delicate in taste with a nice bite, with the torched engawa delicious, fragrant from the revitalized fish oil. But the true highlight would be the kelp grouper. A premium fish, the texture was soft and got a very sweet taste. One of the best sashimi in my opinion.
The fourth course was Shima Aji sushi. The shiny sheen from the flesh, plus the silvery skin, already indicated that it was very fresh. The texture on the bite was amazing, with a bit of crunchiness and the finishing sweetness made this a wonderful piece of sushi.
The fifth course was Ankimo, with the monkfish liver showing the great texture, essentially melting in the mouth. The richness of taste, with the marinade fully infused, and the clever addition of some finely chopped chives on top, made me exclaimed ‘Oishi’ in front of Chef Kami.
The sixth course was Awabi with Fukahire. The abalone was cooked perfectly, with an easy-to-chew texture and on each bite the umami flavours seeped through. However, the two small pieces of liver was bitter and not my favourite. The shark’s fin was a pleasant surprise, soaking up the taste of the broth beautifully. The chef also added two slices of brussels sprouts too.
The seventh course was Tenshi-ebi sushi. First time I had tried the angel prawn, and biting in there was a wonderful sweetness that really surpassed most of the prawns I had experienced. Compared with botan-ebi the texture was also crunchier. A special premium ingredient I recommend to try it out.
The eighth course was an assortment of sashimi, including Shima-ebi, Ibo-dai and Chutoro. The grey prawns are a prized ingredient, with very sweet taste. The Japanese butterfish was smoked to give a delicate woody aroma which complemented well with its own flavours. The medium fatty tuna had my preference balance, not too fatty and with wonderful umami.
The ninth course was Akagai sushi. The chef had cut the ark shell in a butterfly shape, then meticulously sever the fibre so making it crunchy on the bite yet not in any way rubbery. The delicious sweet taste was memorable.
The tenth course was Kegani and Shiro-ebi. The chef had taken out the meat from horsehair crab and the stick from the leg so making it easy to savour without worrying about the shell, and its sweet taste was amazing. The interesting pairing together with the small white shrimps provided a contrast in texture, with equally sweet flavours. The sea urchin sauce supplemented both with colour and additional umami.
The eleventh course was Akami Zuke sushi, with the chef cutting the lean tuna and then marinated briefly in soy sauce. This technique could bring forward the wonderful taste of the tuna and matching so well with the umami notes of the soy sauce. A very good piece.
The twelfth course was Otoro sushi. Continuing the tuna feast after having the lean and medium fatty piece, this time it was the prime fatty belly, with the rich and intense fish oil and flavours permeating throughout and the silky soft texture irresistible.
The thirteenth course was Grilled Managatsuo. The prized silver pomfret fillet was grilled with miso to infuse a savoury note to its original naturally sweet flavours. The chef also had some grilled yam and lotus root on the side, with their contrasting texture a good complement to the fish. Very nice indeed.
The fourteenth course was Kohada sushi. My all-time favourite sushi, Chef Kami had taken two fillets of gizzard shad, then intertwined to make the sushi. Using traditional Edomae method to marinate in vinegar, it had the unique flavours while not excessively sour, a very nice piece which I would like to re-order.
The fifteenth course was Hotaru-ika and Akamutsu. The firefly squid was right in season, each plump and bursting of flavours on the bite. I was always amazed by the skills in removing the spine of such small squid. The rosy seabass was another prized catch from the sea, with the chef lightly torched the skin and together with the lovely, sweet taste of the flesh was another great piece in the meal.
The sixteenth course was Uni sushi. Seeing Chef Kami took out the boxes of sea urchin immediately caught the attention of the other diners. He used a piece of seaweed to wrap the sea urchin to make it easy to eat, and upon biting it was like heaven. The sweetness of the sea urchin was exceptional, and the creamy texture amazing. Definitely another piece I would encore.
The seventeenth course was Magaki from Nagasaki. Not just any oyster, this one was the winner of the first Japan oyster competition in 2021, called ‘Karen’. The plump body and sweet taste were certainly appealing, and the chef also prepared a special sake sauce. But I would say even just on its own the oyster was already fantastic.
The eighteenth course was Toro Temaki. Chef Kami asked how full I was and frankly with the great meal so far, I could not stop, and I asked for more shari. He smiled at my big appetite and duly prepared the handroll accordingly. After adding a bit of seasoning to the minced tuna, he rolled it tightly with the rice. Even without dipping the sauce provided it was flavourful, and a great and fulfilling ending to the wonderful meal.
The nineteenth course was Tamago, with Chef Kami cutting two pieces from the long egg roll he prepared earlier. The egg was soft and had a fluffy texture, and with the brown surface it really looked like a cake. There was apparently a nice seafood stock used to mix with the egg, with the umami flavours clearly noticeable.
Believing it was the end, Chef Kami came to apologize as he had forgotten the Uni sushi earlier and quickly made one for me. The sea urchin in this case had been marinated with kombu, to infuse with more umami flavours. Comparing with the earlier piece it had a stronger taste, but I would prefer the previous one.
The Miso Soup was then served to warm the stomach, and then fresh fruit of Strawberry and Pear as dessert. Both the fruit were sweet and juicy, fresh and in season. While savouring the dessert, I could see Chef Kami already started preparing for the next seating and looking at the entrance there were a queue of people waiting.
The bill was $2,508 which was good value in my opinion, considering the variety of ingredients and the food quality. Service was good, and despite seeing how busy Chef Kami was, he was friendly and eager to explain to me the ingredients, even taking a whiteboard to write to show me the kanji. When customers are leaving, he also personally come out to thank everyone. A really nice experience worth to return again.
