This sushi restaurant is on Pottinger Street in Central, offering traditional sushiya dining experience. Coming on this Saturday evening, we were served by Chef Masaki Nakamoto himself.
The décor had the familiar hinoki sushi counter, able to accommodate eleven guests. I like the backdrop behind which reminded me of shoji but having a contemporary pattern.
Ordering the Omakase Menu ($2,680) and a bottle of 日高見 芳醇辛口純米吟醸 弥助 ($1,300), this sake was dry and delicate, suitable to pair with a range of seafood.
The first course was Junsai Somen 莼菜素麺. The cold thin noodle was soft and delicate, paired with the crunchy Watershield. The chef had added a slice of lime, some chopped shrimps, okra and shiso flowers to add texture and flavours. Highly appetizing and help to freshen the palate.
Next was Fuefuki-dai 笛吹鯛. It was my first experience eating this Emperor Bream, and the meat had a nice bite, with good umami flavours and sweetness. The chef also prepared a special soy sauce to dip.
The chef then brought out a large Tairagai 平貝 and then sliced a piece of it out. After lightly torching the Pen Shell, he sprinkled with some shichimi to give a bit of spicy, before wrapping it in a nori sheet to hand over to us. Having a tougher texture than scallop, it had a nice umami taste.
The fourth course was Botan-Ebi 牡丹蝦. After removing the shell from the large Spot Prawn, the chef extracted the brown meat from the head and mix with a special uni sauce, then added the prawn back in to season. The sweetness of the prawn integrated perfectly with the highly flavourful sauce.
Taking out two large bowls from the kitchen, the chef first brought out the steamed Awabi 鮑, cutting some thick slices to serve on the plate, paired with a creamy liver paste. He then cut the tentacle of Tako 章魚 and drizzled with the homemade thick sauce. Both the Abalone and Octopus was very tender and can bite through easily, rich in flavours. The abalone liver paste was very delicious, with a bit of shari we were able to enjoy and savour every drop in the end.
Continuing with the sixth course the Kegani Chawanmushi 毛蟹茶碗蒸. The silky soft steamed egg had plenty of hairy crab meat inside, with the chef added the brown meat on the surface, creating a slightly brown layer which were full of flavours. With a claw meat on top, it was luxurious in appearance with great taste.
Next the chef took out some skewered Unagi 鰻 and ask the staff to prepare it in the kitchen. Perfectly grilled, the Eel was aromatically charred but not dried up, with the unagi sauce bringing nice sweetness and umami flavours. There was also a bit of sansho peppers to complement on the taste. Even the cucumber on the side had been nicely prepared, with a bit of multi-coloured sesame to complement.
Coming to the last course before the sushi, the chef cut out the Ankimo 鮟肝, which was just brought from the kitchen and hot. Unlike most other restaurants serving it cold, this Monkfish Liver had a softer texture, melting in the mouth while did not have a heavy mouthfeel. The broth used to simmer imparted great flavours to the liver too.
The first sushi was Kawahagi 本皮剥, with a delicate and subtle taste. The chef added a bit of the Thread-Sail Filefish’s liver on top, with the creamy touch a good complement. I also liked the way the shari was kneaded in the sushi, not too loose and having a good airiness.
The second piece was Nodoguro 喉黒. The chef had lightly torched the Blackthroat Seaperch to revitalize the fish oil, and the intense flavours, with the great aromas, were fulfilling. However, I was a bit puzzled as generally this would be served towards the end of the meal.
The chef perhaps mistook my puzzlement and showed me the origin of the next sushi. The Akami Zuke 本鮪の漬, or Lean Tuna, was from Oma in Aomori, and had been marinated in soy sauce for a brief while to infuse it with umami but not overly salty. There was a bit of tendon in the tuna but overall, still a nice piece.
Following was Chutoro 中とろ, and the Medium Fatty Tuna was usually my favourite cut, having a good balance of fat and lean proportion, intense in flavours. This one did not disappoint.
Wrapping up on the maguro was Otoro 大とろ, with the chef thinly slicing a few pieces of the Fatty Tuna, then piling up to knead to make the sushi. Very rich and concentrated in taste, it was so soft and there was no residue upon chewing.
Coming to the sixth sushi, the chef got the cooked Kuruma-Ebi 車海老 and quickly removed the shell while still steaming hot. The sweetness of the Tiger Prawn with the firm texture of the meat was fantastic, being one of the pieces I would like to encore at the end.
Next was Ika 烏賊 and from the original piece of the Squid we could imagine how large it was. The chef cut out the portion and then carefully slicing on the surface, without cutting it through, to break the fibres to make it soft to bite, then dusted with some yuzu shavings to season.
Taking out the box of Sea Urchin, we could already tell the Sea Urchin was premium with its size and firm shape. Making a Uni 海栗 sushi was always a great test of the skill of a sushi chef, and Chef Nakamoto showed how to make a perfect one for us. A must-try.
Now in the ninth piece, the chef did not cure the Saba 鯖 as many restaurants opted for, confident on its freshness to showcase its original raw taste. And true to that, it was highly flavourful, without any fishy note at all.
Then it was Aji 鯵, with the beautiful presentation of the silver-skinned Horse Mackerel not just delivering full marks on the appearance but also in flavours. The rich and sweet taste, with the unique intense taste, was unstoppable. Another piece I would encore for sure.
The eleventh piece was Akagai 赤貝. The Ark Shell was artfully trimmed to the butterfly shape, crunchy on the texture, with nice umami and sweetness. Again, another piece you would find in many restaurants but after tasting you could differentiate what’s good. This was one of the better for sure.
The chef then asked whether we wanted something more. And we decided to have those we did not try today. Obviously the first one was the seasonal Shinko 新子 ($250). The Baby Gizzard Shad was certainly the tastiest treat in summer, with the chef having to use six fillets to make the sushi. I could not imagine the labour involved to fillet the small fish. Lightly marinated, it was another must-try.
The second additional was Iwashi 鰯 ($80). The Sardines was another of my all-time favourite, and this one met my expectation in full. Very fresh, it was bursting with flavours and not fishy by any means. The finely chopped onion added a good bite and was the perfect complement. Wonderful.
The last piece was Hamaguri 蛤 ($180). The Hard Clam was quickly boiled and marinated in the broth before making the sushi. The homemade thick nitsume sauce added a bit of sweetness to the clam and the tender and umami taste was memorable.
Returning to the final piece of the omakase, the chef served us the Tamago 玉子. Not only was the Egg very delicious with the intense taste from the shrimp used in the broth to mix with the egg, the chef had caramelized the surface to give a crisp texture. One of the best tamagoyaki in town in my opinion.
The final piece was Anago 穴子, and this was my overall favourite in the evening. The soft Conger Eel was grilled perfectly, with the surface lightly charred, the nitsume sauce impeccably seasoned to showcase the umami and savoury. Really a fantastic finale.
The Miso Soup provided the stomach with a warming conclusion while the dessert was the seasonal Melon and Grapes, with the latter the chef had peeled off the skin. Both fruit were very sweet and juicy, a fulfilling and amazing dinner.
Service was very good, with the staff explaining the dishes to us, but going into the sushi I found they were less interactive, perhaps seeing that I was familiar with the ingredients? Nevertheless, they were courteous and friendly. The bill was $8,448 and while it was not cheap, the quality of the ingredients was very good and if you are particular about the food in omakase, this is a good place to try out.
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