There are three sushi restaurants in town which I regularly visit, and Sushi Kumogaku is one of them. The staff greeted us warmly and soon we were settled down in front of Chef Kin, waiting for him to weave his magic to bring us wonderful and delicious seafood.
Like usual, I had requested Chef Kin to recommend the sake for the night. Starting with くどき上手 禁じ手 磨き一割一分 純米大吟釀 生詰 ($270). This special sake has its rice polished to 11% after spending 9 days. With a crisp and clean palate, a really nice and versatile sake to pair with food.
The first course was Hotaru-Ika 蛍烏賊 with Spring Seasonal Vegetables 春の野菜, including local organic sweet peas, Japanese warabi, and spinach. Paired with a bit of plum sauce and olive oil, the grilled firefly squids were delicious and flavourful. Very good.
For the second course, we saw Chef Kin skewered two large Ainame 愛魚女 fillets and then grilled over charcoal briefly, so that the surface was cooked but the interior remained raw. As the fat greenling had a mild taste, the chef cleverly used this technique to provide more texture and taste. Very good.
Then Chef Kin took the Torigai 鳥貝, cutting it open to remove the innards of the Japanese cockle right before lightly blanching it on hot water, to serve on ice, in order to keep the crunchy texture of the meat and the intense umami taste. Truly phenomenal and excellent.
Coming to the second sake, 加茂錦 Brillance 越淡麗 純米大吟釀 ($270). Made with the sake rice ‘越淡麗’, it had a richer taste than the first sake, more rounded on texture, and suitable to pair with seafood with a bit stronger flavour and body.
The fourth course was Komochi Yari-Ika 子持槍烏賊. Chef Kin had stuffed the spear squid with its eggs, almost to bursting, and used the tentacles and other parts of the squid to make a thick sauce, highly complementary in taste with each other. Together with Nanohana 菜の花, it is excellent.
Coming to the first sushi, the Aori-Ika 障泥烏賊. The bigfin reef squid had been meticulously cut to break the fibers on the body, so that the sushi had a great softness. Seasoned with a bit of yuzu zest and salt, it was really enjoyable. Very good.
The second sushi was Hirame 平目. Chef Kin shared that the olive flounder was about 1.2kg in size, and he preferred not using too big ones as its meat would deteriorate quickly. Having marinated with salt and aged for two days before using, it had a delicate sweetness, soft and tender texture. Very good.
The third sushi was Sayori 針魚. The beautiful Japanese halfbeak had translucent flesh, with a shiny silver middle strip, equally good in taste with nice umami. The availability of this sushi showcased the freshness of ingredients, as the fish would develop unpleasant smell quickly. Very good.
The fourth sushi was Iwashi 鰯. A luxury with each fillet only making one sushi, the sardine had good fattiness, tender and each bite bursting with the intense flavours. One of the sushi tonight I would like to encore for another piece. Excellent.
Taking a pause in the sushi, we were served Shirako 白子. The deep-fried milt of blowfish was large in size, creamier than the cod’s, with a mild sweetness that paired well with the mashed radish and soy sauce underneath. Very good.
Next came the Saba Oshizushi 鯖 押し寿司. The mackerel pressed sushi was served on a piece of nori, with the fish having been marinated in vinegar in the traditional style, infusing it with a nice sourness which helped to slow down the deterioration. Very good.
Coming to the third sake, 仙禽 無垢 ($270). From the brewery in Tochigi, this one had fruitier characters, more full-bodied with balanced sweetness. The banana aromas were prominent. A richer sake that paired well with stronger flavoured dishes.
Returning to the sushi, Chef Kin carved out the Akami 赤身 and then brushed with soy sauce to briefly marinate. The tuna came from Shizuoka, with the lean cut having a soft bite, full of umami and flavours, and very delicious. Very good.
Continuing on the tuna, the next piece is the prized O-Toro 大とろ. The fatty tuna was bursting with fish oil, with the umami taste unforgettable. It is apparent why this remained the favourite of so many Japanese people. Even my wife who normally did not like fatty fish praised highly. Excellent.
Seeing the large Akagai 赤貝 drew a wow from us. Chef Kin also shared that this was probably one of the largest he had used, with the ark shell having a wonderful crunchiness on texture, very fresh and with each bite one can taste the sea with the umami and sweetness. Very good.
The hot dish came next was grilled Kamasu 魳 with Japan mountain yam. The barracuda fillet was grilled over charcoal, with a fragrant surface while keeping the flesh moist and soft. Having been marinated there was a subtle sweetness as well, with the yam helping to cleanse the palate and balance. Excellent.
The fourth sake was くどき上手 純米大吟釀 無愛想 ($280). Another in the wide range of sake from the famous brewery 亀の井酒造, the rice polishing ratio was very low at 22%, with the taste slowly seeping through the palate, very clean and balanced. My favourite sake in the evening.
Going to the final stage of the menu, the sous chef took out some boiled Kuruma-Ebi 車海老 from the kitchen, then immediately removing the shell of the Japanese tiger prawn for Chef Kin to prepare the sushi. Very delicious with a great bite. This was another piece I would encore. Excellent.
The Shiro-Uni 白海胆 was pretty big size, and instead of making a gunkan roll like most restaurants, Chef Kin just kneaded the sushi directly with the white sea urchin, demonstrating his skills. While creamy in texture, this one however was not my favourite on taste. Decent.
One of the signatures of the restaurant was certainly Ankimo 鮟肝 Puff. The puff was heated on hibachi and then the sous chef piped the monkfish liver paste inside. The taste was still impeccable, but this time the puff was not re-heated sufficiently to create the contrast in temperature. Still good, however.
The last piece was Anago 穴子 sushi. The conger eel was blanched in dashi before brushing with the homemade sauce on top. Melting in the mouth, the whole experience was rewarding and fulfilling, wrapping up a wonderful meal with a sense of satisfaction. Excellent.
Knowing that I could still have a bit more sake, Chef Kin shared one of his favourites for my fifth sake, 日日 山田錦 生酛 ($220). A very versatile sake that could pair with food, light-bodied with delicate aromas and smooth palate, as well as a slight fizziness.
To pair with the sake Chef Kin prepared a Himokyu-maki ひもきゅう巻 for us. Using the mantle of the ark shell, with plenty of shredded cucumber, he made a roll which was refreshing and got good crunchy bite. A smart way to use the ingredients to the full extent. Very good.
Apparently, I could still eat a few more, and so we ordered an extra Kanpyu maki 干瓢巻 ($120) to share. Chef Kin shared that it took a lot of effort to prepare the dried gourd, particularly to squeeze the gourd dry after each soaking. With plenty of wasabi in the roll, it was very good.
The sous chef then cut out two pieces of Tamago 玉子 from the large serving, and the egg omelette looked similar to a sponge cake, fluffy and rich in umami, as the egg was mixed with shrimp and other seafood before baking. Excellent.
The Miso Soup was made with red miso and kombu. Steaming hot in temperature, the soup helped to warm the stomach and highly satisfying. Very good.
Dessert was Milk Pudding. Silky soft on texture, the pudding was very rich in milk flavours, but not too sweet. Good. My wife had the Fresh Strawberry instead.
Service was very good, and we could spend more time chatting with Chef Kin on the night, as the other customers were pretty focused on their own conversations. The bill on the night was $7,073. The consistently high food quality, his portfolio of sake for pairing, and the friendly atmosphere all contribute to the reasons why we kept returning to the restaurant regularly.
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