This 8-seat sushi restaurant is located on the mezzanine floor of LKF Tower, right beside another restaurant of the same group, Crown Super Deluxe. Arriving early on the day, the chef is still in preparation and we were shown to sit and wait there briefly.
With a L-shape sushi counter accommodating customers, we are the only two customers for the majority of the meal so we can get the undivided attention of Chef Shiga Hirokuni, who can speak fluent English. The walls have some interesting paintings as background.
We have the Omakase Menu ($2,488) and I also order 天美 純米大吟醸 播州愛山 ($1,368) of 長州酒造 from Yamaguchi Prefecture. With a slight fizzy sensation on the palate, the sake has nice green apple with sweet umami characters.
The first course is Shijimi シジミ Soup, and the chef did not add any miso but just boiled the freshwater clams to get a milky soup. Known for its effect to ward off hangover, this is a nice start to warm the stomach, with amazing umami flavours.
The second course is Ika 烏賊, and the chef has stuffed the squid with sushi rice, together with ginger, kanpyo, and sesame. The squid has been braised very well, soft and in no way rubbery, and on the side is a whole small squid giving the same wonderful delights.
The third course is Kasugo 春子鯛 Sushi, with the young sea bream having a nice sweet taste, with a lean and firmer texture than the larger madai. Very good indeed.
The fourth course is Iwashi 鰯 Maki. It is a treat to see the chef prepares the sardines roll, removing the skin of the fillet and then adding some shredded cucumber and ginger onto some pressed sushi rice on a nori sheet, before rolling firmly. Cutting in sections the presentation is beautiful, and with a bit of sesame added, the taste is also fantastic.
The fifth course is Aji 鯵 Sushi. The Japanese horse mackerel has a pinkish, appealing flesh and with a bit of grated scallions the flavours are delicate and sweet.
The sixth course is Kobako-Gani 香箱蟹. Interestingly the chef serves on the surface of the female snow crab shell, the meticulously removed meat from the crab body and cover with the larger claw meat on top, complemented with a bit of dashi vinegar jelly and shiso flowers, and plenty of crunchy, savoury crab roes.
The seventh course is Kawahagi 本皮剥 Gunkan Maki. The chef has used the liver of the filefish to prepare a paste to mix with the flesh of the fish, with the creamy and rich taste of the liver paste adding to the more subtle and delicate taste of the flesh. Another wonderful piece.
The eighth course is Shiroebi 白海老 Sushi. The small white shrimps have been marinated with seaweed beforehand, to enhance the umami note even further. Paired with an egg yolk sauce to increase the smoothness of the mouthfeel and added with a bit of charcoal salt to season.
The ninth course is Shiro-Amadai 白甘鯛, with the chef lightly poached the tilefish briefly and then served together with Ebi-Imo. The shrimp taro has been deep-fried and is very tasty, with the thick sauce going well with both the fish and taro.
The tenth course is Hotategai 帆立貝 Sushi. The chef has first grilled the large scallop to enhance the sweetness with caramelization, then cut in the middle to flatten and sprinkle with some sea salt to season. One of the best scallop sushi I have ever tried.
The eleventh course is Sawara 鰆 Sushi. The Spanish mackerel has a good fatty level, a soft texture and great umami flavours. With only a slight brush of shoyu the taste is already amazing. Another nice piece.
The twelfth course is Shako 蝦蛄. The mantis shrimp has been marinated with dashi to infuse the sweet meat with further umami, and each has fatty ‘yoke’ inside giving additional flavours. We both liked this dish very much.
The thirteenth course is Ginnan 銀杏. The gingko nuts have been marinated with koji to give a bit of fermented characters, then skewered and grilled over charcoal, with a slight burn providing bits of smoky aromas. The taste reminded me a bit of cheese, this modern twist made these gingko nuts one of the best I have tasted.
The fourteenth course is Akami Zuke 本鮪の漬 Sushi. The tuna comes from Hokkaido, and the lean cut has been briefly marinated in shoyu, infusing with umami and making it even smoother on the palate. The tuna is virtually sliding down the throat when we swallow. Another great sushi.
The fifteenth course is Otoro 大とろ Sushi. The fatty tuna has rich fish oil, making each bite seeping out the highly flavourful taste to coat the mouth. Even though there are a bit of tendon so need to chew a few times more, it is still good in taste.
The sixteenth course is Shirako 白子. The cod milt has been grilled and put in a nice dashi broth, added with a bit of sansho paste to season with the refreshing spiciness. The cod milt is very creamy and wonderful in taste. I end up drinking all the dashi as well.
The seventeenth course is Nodoguro 喉黒 Sushi. The prized, fatty blackthroat seaperch has been seared on the skin briefly, vitalizing the fish oil which is so intense and rich, the whole taste continues to surround the mouth a while after swallowing.
The eighteenth course is Uni 海栗 Temaki. The sea urchin ‘ice-cream’ handroll is really good, with the golden orange sea urchin so sweet and creamy, the nori sheet crispy, really making me want to immediately ask for an encore.
The nineteenth course is an Oshizushi 箱寿司, something I have not tried before. The chef first made a maki using the minced tuna with some vegetable and pickled radish in a nori sheet, but instead of having the sushi rice inside, the rice actually is on the outside wrapping the nori and tuna fillings. On top is a piece of grilled Taichio 太刀魚, with the skin nicely seared and the flesh tender. Very good indeed.
The twentieth course is the signature of the chef. He takes out the Ankimo 鮟肝 and trim to the right size, then put a pickled watermelon on top, wrapping with a thin strip of nori with sushi rice. It is melting in the mouth and the rich taste of the monkfish liver, supplemented with the umami notes from the pickled watermelon, is definitely a must-try.
I order an additional piece of Saba 鯖 Sushi ($100). Nicely cut to show the silvery sheen of the skin and the pinkish red flesh, the chef adds some scallions and shiso flowers as condiment. Very fresh and tasty, this completes a very satisfying dinner for me.
The Tamago 玉子 is served next. It has been made with scallops, fish and yam paste mixed together with the whisked eggs, before baking to give a nice caramelized surface while retaining a fluffy texture on the inside.
The Miso Soup has a warming effect to the stomach, not overly salty and the miso has a nice umami taste, with some clams added too. Finally, the dessert is Seasonal Fruit, featuring Shine Muscat Grapes. The large grapes have a poppy skin, very sweet and juicy.
The service is very good, with the staff attentive but not intrusive in the dining experience. The chef is also friendly and willing to share, and his good English definitely make it easier for non-Japanese speaking customers to interact. The bill on the night is $7,304 and I will expect this restaurant to become more and more difficult to book in future so perhaps need to come more often while we still can.
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