This tempura restaurant is located on Wellington Street, Central. Headed by Executive Chef Eric Chan, it has offered tempura omakase to diners, with three dinner menus. Arriving early evening, we are the first group and the staff brought us to our table in the private room.
Originally, I intended to sit at the counter, but unfortunately it was fully booked, and the manager arranged the room so we can enjoy the meal in a quieter setting. Apparently sitting at the counter allows interactions with the chef, but the manager helps to bridge that with clear explanation of the dishes.
We have to order Taki Set ($1,380 each) with less tempura included, as the Ten Set is only available at counter. The Starter is Tara, or Japanese Codfish, with the fish lightly charcoal grilled to allow its fish oil to seep through. Underneath is shredded Japanese onion to balance, with the middle layer having a bloody orange puree, some pomelo on the side to give a bit of sweetness, and foie gras shavings on top to season. A nice, creative starter.
The Appetizer is beautifully plated, featuring five different delicacies. Kurage, or jellyfish, has a crunchy bite and the flavours from the briny sea, with the vinegar and touch of mustard great to complement. My favourite is the Kanimiso Tofu, with the soft tofu rich and delicious, the kombu jelly on top giving a bit of sourness to freshen up as well. The Hokkaido White Corn is very sweet and juicy, while the seasonal Hotaru-Ika has intense umami, paired with a bit of vinegar miso. The last piece is Saba, and the chef has interestingly paired the mackerel with fig to go with some fermented soybeans on top. A pleasant feast of visual and sensory delights.
The third course is Takenoko no Osumashi. Drinking the clear soup brings a nice, comforting sense to the stomach, with the dashi delicate, umami and flavourful. The seasonal Kyoto bamboo shoots are very tender, without any fiber on chewing, and the young sansho leaves help to give a nice fragrance to the soup.
There are three sashimi in the fourth course, including Shima-Aji, Shiro-Ebi, and O-Toro. The striped jack is very fresh, with a clean and milder taste, and a good bite indicating the fish has not been aged. The small white shrimps are mixed with mentaiko, to give the sweet and creamy texture another layer of umami and richness in taste. The fatty tuna comes from two different cuts, with both exhibiting rich fish oil, seeping out from each bite. While not to compare with a sushiya, the quality of the sashimi is quite good.
Coming to the main course Tempura. The first serving is Kuruma-Ebi. The coating of the tempura is very thin, deep-fried to a wonderful golden colour, with the head also edible after frying. With a bit of seaweed salt and wasabi salt to season, the sweetness of the tiger prawn is really great, and there is no heavy oily sensation of the tempura, testimony to the skills of the chef.
The second serving is Ayu. The chef has cleverly made some ‘feet’ for the small sweetfish so it could ‘stand’ on the plate, with the whole fish edible from head to tail, including all the bones. While there is a hint of bitterness from the heads and innards, this classical tempura is one of my favourites and happy to be able to enjoy it in Hong Kong as well.
The third serving is Shirako, and unlike the more common ones from cod, the chef has prepared the milt of sea bream. The large piece has a silky texture, creamy and a bit of slight sweetness, without any weird notes of the cod milt which often require stronger flavoured condiments to balance. A premium ingredient highlighting its best quality, and if it is available, I would strongly recommend trying.
The fourth serving ($120 additional each) is another prized ingredient. The thick piece of fillet from the Managatsuo, or pomfret, indicate how large is the fish, with the chef deep-fried perfectly to keep the flesh moist and cooked through, and paired with the homemade mayonnaise. The richer taste of the fish does not need any additional seasoning, and the creamy mayonnaise gives a bit of buttery note to the taste. A very good one.
The fifth serving is a creative dish. The chef has cut the large Asari into pieces, and then together with chopped mushroom, stuffed back to the clam shell before deep-frying. The taste of the clam is good, with the jus absorbed by the mushroom. Not knowing how but the chef is able to keep the mushroom moist, without the jus extracted by the cooking oil, another amazing piece to highlight his skills.
Coming to the Simmered Dish, it is the Komochi Yari-Ika. The female spear squid is bursting with its eggs, and the chef has simmered the squid in broth, then brushed with the sweet thick sauce. The creamy texture of the eggs is pleasant, while the squid has a good bite but not chewy. Another great seasonal delicacy to enjoy.
For the Hot Dish, the original set is Duck Breast, but we decided to change one to Japanese Wagyu Beef ($280 additional). The duck breast has been slow cooked to medium rare, with good caramelization on the skin from charcoal, leaving a juicy interior. The sauce is cold pressed from the essence of the bones, rich in flavours, with a bit of cabbage on the side. Seasoned well and very nice.
The Nagasaki wagyu beef, to me, is the better of the two options. Directly sourced from the farm, apart from the steak, which is very juicy and tender, with rich flavours of the beef permeating inside while crispy on the caramelized surface, the chef has also a few slices of charcoal-grilled beef, having even stronger taste with the fat. Quite heavy to finish the whole portion, ordering each option and sharing is a good arrangement thanks to the recommendation from the manager.
The Noodle is a pleasant surprise, having the perfect al dente texture. The very rich and flavourful Chicken Broth is so delicious that I cannot help but to finish every last drop in the end. With some menegi on top to increase the fragrance further, I believe the Kue, or garoupa, did not add much to the already phenomenal noodle and soup. There is also a special sesame chili oil that the chef bought from Japan to accompany, which got enormous fragrance and good spicy kick, for those who want extra condiments. Another signature of the restaurant that one must try.
The manager has promised us that there is another tempura included, and it was revealed to be Annou-Imo. The sweet potato has been deep-fried for an hour to perfection, sweet and with great flavours, and the chef has suggested to dip with Japanese brandy before adding some white sugar, with the brandy giving the nice aromas and the sugar balancing the bitterness of the spirit. It is another of our favourite in the evening.
There are two Desserts included, with the first being the homemade Almond Tofu, with caramel ice-cream and some almond pieces on top. The almond tofu has good fragrance and delicate in sweetness, while the caramel ice-cream adds some richer taste to supplement, and the almond pieces provide a nice contrast in texture. A nice dessert.
The other dessert is Matcha Warabimochi and Red Beans. The warebimochi has a q texture, with the matcha powder giving the wonderful green tea aroma and slight bitterness, balancing well with the sweet red beans. A wonderful closing for the meal.
Service is good, with the manager eager to explain each course and doing his best to make us feel privileged sitting in the private room instead of the counter, packed with other customers who apparently are having good fun and speaking loudly. He even offers a half bottle of sake for free. The bill on the night is $2,887 after a 22% discount. With all the perks and the discount, it is very good value for money, and hope next time I can try the tempura menu.
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