With so many choices in dining, there are
only a few restaurants that I do frequently revisit. One of them is Sushi Zinc,
located in Shau Kei Wan, on the short one-ended Miu Tung Street. With its black
door and the illuminated letter Z on the doorbell, they are the two clues in
finding the place.
Arriving right on time we greeted Chef Zinc
and was seated in the middle of the 10-seat hinoki counter. The décor has a
contemporary industrial vibe, with rough concrete walls and floors, but
intertwined with refined elements. A glass wall allows diners to see into the
activities of the kitchen as well. The omakase menu costs $2,400 per person.
Following the recommendation of Chef Zinc,
I started with a serving of
くどき上手Jr.の超高精白株式會社 出羽の里29 純米大吟釀 ($200). Made using local Yamagata rice, with a polishing ratio to
29%, this sake has a delicate, refreshing and very clean palate, lighter in
taste. Very good start.
Chef Zinc began by cutting two pieces of the
triangular Kuchiko
海鼠子 into very small
pieces, and then took the vinegared Aka-Namako 赤海鼠 into the serving bowl, sprinkled with some kuchiko on top. The
crunchy texture of the sea cucumber, with a touch of sourness, adding with the
umami of the dried sea cucumber ovaries, is a perfect match. The latter is
known as Japan’s top three umami delicacies.
Taken out from the steamer were the Shako
蝦蛄 that had been bundled together. The mantis shrimps were caught in Lamma
Islands, each with plenty of orange-colored roes inside. Pouring a thick sauce
made from radish, with some yuzu shavings on top, the pure joy of eating the
sweet mantis shrimp without having the trouble of taking the shell off, is
memorable and luxurious.
One of the seasonal seafood in Japan right
now is Torigai
鳥貝. The Japanese
cockle was really fresh, with Chef Zinc telling us these arrived just before
they opened on the night. He removed the bottom part, before serving the body
to us with a bit of shoyu and wasabi. The freshness was apparent with the
muscle quickly contracted when getting hit, and its sweetness and umami were
truly unbeatable.
The bottom part of the Torigai
鳥貝 was not just being discarded. Chef Zinc put it in a cup and added
plenty of menegi in. Pouring some hot broth, each seep of the soup brought a
comfortable, warming feeling to the stomach, satisfying not just on the palate
in terms of flavors but also the wellness of the body. An example of showcasing
the ingredients to their best. Amazing.
Taking a tartlet shell from the kitchen,
Chef Zinc retrieved three boxes from the fridge, which contained Kobashira
小柱, the adductor muscle of round clam, candied mandarin, and sweet
peas. With some lemon sour cream underneath, he carefully put together the
ingredients in the tartlet, then sprinkled with some salt flakes on top.
Complex in taste and texture, a fusion course with western techniques.
Next Chef Zinc showed us the Seki-Aji
関池魚, a specialty Japanese horse mackerel from Oita. Meticulously
cutting on the surface to allow the shoyu to seep in, the sushi was phenomenal,
with the fish having a slightly firmer texture versus the other horse mackerel
we had tried, but still being soft on the bite. The chef had added a bit of
young ginger too to subtly add to its taste.
The second sake serving was
くどき上手Jr.のヒ蜜 The Nectar 純米大吟釀 ($200). One of Chef Zinc’s personal favorites, with a stronger
fruity note, showing a much more apparent tropical fruit and ripe characters
than the first sake. A perfect match with sushi and dishes with richer taste.
The salad was another example of Chef Zinc’s
mastery in flavors. Using Hotaru-Ika
蛍烏賊 from
Toyama, he toasted some of the firefly squid before grinding them to make a dressing
with olive oil, replacing the original recipe using anchovy. The flavors were very
similar but better, with more savory taste and less salty. Together with
shredded puntarelle and firefly squid, the salad was really delicious.
When we arrived Chef Zinc was busy
preparing a Threadfin and he used it to prepare the next sushi. The fish was
caught in local waters, weighing over five-catty. Even though the fish is
supposed to be off-season now, this one still had rich fatty oil and full of flavors.
No doubt also helped by the chef cleverly searing the skin lightly to vitalize
the fatty layer underneath to make it even stronger in taste.
Taking the lid off the Chawanmushi
茶碗蒸 revealed the beautiful orangish Bafun-Uni 馬糞雲丹. The sea urchin from Hokkaido was sweet in taste, mixing well with
the silky soft egg custard, which had been added with a bit of chrysanthemum
and yuzu to give extra fragrance. The sea urchin was shipped in brine, only
having very short shelf life, but able to avoid preservatives to keep
original taste.
Next came Kasugo
春子鯛. The young seabream had very tender texture, best in quality in the
spring season, as the larger seabream would be having roes so a lot of fat and
nutrients would be channeled there, making the flesh less delicious. Chef Zinc had
marinated it on Sakura leaf and then adding a bit of Sakura petals in the sushi
to bring forward the taste of spring even further.
The third sake serving was
くどき上手 白ばくれん 山田穗55 超辛口 吟釀 生詰 ($160). This series of sake had a crisp
and more subtle aromas, using the special rice 山田穗 to brew, and was ideal to pair with food of stronger flavors.
When the sous chef heated some kombu broth,
I had been wondering what food would be cooked there. It was the famous Karen
Kaki
華漣牡蠣 from Nagasaki, plump and with a sweet
taste. Chef Zinc also used a spring wild vegetable called Gyoja Ninniku 行者葫 to prepare the sauce and some tempura on the side. The Siberian
onion did not taste like leek but similar to spring onion with better sweetness.
Chef Zinc then showed us the box of Aomori Shiro-Uni
白雲丹 from the famous brand 大千. The white sea urchin has lighter color than the Bafun-Uni tasted
earlier, but much bigger in size. The skill in kneading the sushi with the very
soft sea urchin was a test of the chef, but not any problem for Chef Zinc. Seasoned
with some rock salt, it was truly delicious, with great umami taste.
The chef then went into the kitchen for
some time, before coming back with some pan-fried Hotategai
帆立貝. The scallops were very large in size, wrapped in guanciale to supplement
with savory flavors, with each bite offering pure joy and wonder. Together with
a Kumquat Kanroni 甘露煮 and a sauce made
from dried scallop, Parma ham and aged vinegar, another Western-style dish
inserted to good effect.
Taking a large slab of Akami
赤身, Chef Zinc carved out pieces of the lean tuna to make the sushi. He
told us that the tuna was caught in Shizuoka, with the meat without going
through any aging. The acidity of the flesh was appetizing, with the shoyu a
perfect complement. Seeing how we liked them, Chef Zinc kindly served us
another piece, seasoned with salt flakes instead, to bring a different taste.
The fourth sake serving was
くどき上手 赤ばくれん 超辛口 吟醸. Using a different rice to brew, compared
with the last one, although both were super dry, this sake was less spicy, with
a rounder palate and more umami notes, and I found that it might be easier to pair
with food.
Chef Zinc also took out a slab of beautifully
marbled O-Toro
大とろ which could be
easily mistaken for wagyu. Cutting thin slices of the fatty tuna, he took it
back to the kitchen to prepare in sukiyaki style, then served with grilled
eggplant, paired with a miso egg yolk sauce. The taste and texture were similar
to wagyu, but also having an umami taste and less fibrous on the bite,
fantastic.
Seeing the Unagi
鰻 we knew that it was near the end of the meal. Chef Zinc had braised
the eel to a wonderfully soft and melt-in-mouth texture, with another highlight
being the use of sansho flowers as condiments, which is only available for a
very short period in the year, and very expensive. Unlike the sansho peppers, the
flowers had the same fragrance but not the spiciness.
As we enjoyed the Seki-Aji
関池魚 very much, we asked Chef Zinc for an encore. He generously prepared
a tail of the fish for us to share, making into four pieces of sushi. To be
honest, we felt a bit uneasy eating so much in front of the other customers,
but the fish was so good that I knew I would certainly regret if I did not. It
was a lucky day and truly recommend trying it out when there is the chance.
In the conversation Chef Zinc shared he had
one of the best sakes tasted and knowing it was available I could not resist having
my fifth sake serving.
十四代 龍之落子 大極上諸白 純米大吟釀 ($480) has nice fruit notes, a delicate sweetness, well-balanced
and delicious. Definitely a must-try.
Knowing we loved silver-skinned fish Chef
Zinc asked whether we were interested to have Iwashi
鰯 as well. With the sardine season just about to start, he only
ordered a small quantity to try out its quality, and we were lucky to be able
to enjoy it. While it might not be very fat yet, it was flavorful, and we really
look forward to the full season.
The soup featured Sansai
山菜, with six seasonal spring wild vegetables, many of which were
foreign and new to me. Two of these I recognized as Junsai 蓴菜 and Kogomi こごみ, which are
watershield and ostrich ferns. The unique taste of the vegetables, mixing with
the flavors of the broth made from toasted kombu, was harmonious. A healthy soup
good for wellness and tastebuds.
The circular Tamagoyaki
玉子焼, made according to the traditional style from a mixture of fish,
shrimp and egg without any flour added, had a wonderful fluffy texture and permeating
sweetness from the seafood. Paired with butter and some sugarcane syrup, it reminded
me a lot of pancake, but with the flavors at an extra mile.
The dessert was Hojicha
焙茶 Pannacotta, with the creamy and silky pannacotta just perfect at its
sweetness level. The roasted tea flavors were appetizing as well, and the
overall experience was smooth and comfortable. Perfect finale to a fantastic
meal.
But Chef Zinc told us he prepared a secret
additional dessert as well. The homemade Milk Ice-Cream had been infused
with smoke to give special flavors, surprisingly with some
meaty, roasted animal fat fragrance. The creamy softness of the texture was
also impeccable.
Service is great, with Chef Zinc interacting
with all the customers and paying attention to their needs. On the day, he noticed
a customer having toothache and brewed a concoction for him to lessen the
effect of inflammation. The bill on the night was $6,424. Great food with pleasant
surprises every time, plus wonderful services, an unbeatable omakase experience
that prompted me to return again and again.
