Hearing the legendary Mori-san has returned to HK, opening a
new sushi restaurant at FOCO in Central, the place was fully booked in no time.
Fortunately, like his prior venture in Shau Kei Wan, he also partnered with another
chef, this time with his former apprentice Lung of Sushi Yayoi in Tin Hau. Today
we came to Daigo.
Separating into two rooms from each chef, Chef Lung and his
team was already busy in preparation when we were brought to the long sushi
counter, able to accommodate 10 customers. The place was brightly lit, with a
contemporary design. The Dinner Omakase menu was of $2,280 each.
I started
with a serving of
大盃 Macho
雄町80
($130). Made by Makino Brewery
牧野酒造 in Gunma Prefecture, with
over 300 years of history, this sake had revolutionized the focus of rice
polishing, using low degree of polishing to highlight the muscular flavours of
the traditional sake rice Omachi.
The first course was Kue
九絵 from Shimane, with the huge Kelp Grouper weighing
11.8kg. Requiring a lot of effort to cut it up, Chef Lung had aged the fillet
for four days to soften the texture. Fantastic in pairing with ponzu.
Next came Aori-Ika
障泥烏賊
Sushi. The Bigfin Reef Squid had been cut into strips to knead into the sushi,
with a wonderful sweetness and great tender texture. Fantastic piece of sushi.
The third course was a Ise-Ebi Chawanmushi
伊勢海老 茶碗蒸. The
Steamed Egg Custard was silky soft with a good umami taste, with the Lobster
meat sweet and the chef also using the lobster miso to enhance its rich
flavours.
Then it was Kinmedai
金目鯛 Sushi. The Splendid Alfonsino was easily recognized
with its beautiful red skin, slightly torched to vitalize the fish oil for
fragrance. The fatty flesh had a rich and sweet taste.
The fifth course was Iwashi Isobemaki
鰯 磯辺巻. A signature style to prepare Sardines, the roll also
included menegi, pickled onion and takuan to balance the fattiness and intense
flavours, presented in a pretty flower. Great in appearance and taste.
The second
sake was
伯樂星 純米大吟釀 兵庫県社下久米產特等山田錦
($312). The sake was specially made to pair with food, using top-graded sake
rice with a high degree of polishing (to 29%). Very clean and refined, with a smooth
mouthfeel.
The sixth course was Torigai
鳥貝 Sushi. The
Japanese Cockle was very fresh, with the muscle bouncing up when being hit,
highlighting its unique beak shape. and had a slight crunchy bite, with the
umami and briny taste a great combination.
Next came Kinki
喜知次,
with the prized deep-water grilled Channel Rockfish delicious with fish oil,
its scales edible through pouring hot oil on top, with the whole fillet sitting
on a Hokkaido white corn puree, smooth with nice sweetness. There were also some
corn kernels on the side as condiments.
The eighth course was Nishin
鯑 Sushi. The
Pacific Herring was meticulously cut to resemble a millefeuille of many thin
layers of herring. The rich flavours are pleasant, with also a soft texture,
but the team must spend a lot of effort to remove the bones.
The third
sake was
而今 純米吟釀 雄町 生
($520). The famous brewery from Mie was very popular in recent years, with the
price correspondingly reflecting the high demand. This sake had nice fruity
notes with balancing acidity. My favourite one in the evening.
The ninth course was Awabi
鮑 with Junsai
莼菜.
Cutting thin slices of steamed Black Abalone, Chef Lung then lightly blanched
those on the stove, and served with the delicious broth and Watershield, with abalone
liver paste provided for dipping.
Next was Akamutsu
赤鯥
Sushi. The Rosy Seabass was large, with the rich fish oil seeping out from the
flesh from the light torching on the skin, full of fragrance, and the intense umami
flavours are amazing.
The eleventh course was Tsubugai
螺貝, with the Sea Whelk having a
wonderful crunchy and bouncy texture, a clean taste that the chef had paired
with an emulsified butter sauce to give an additional richness.
Then came Kuruma-Ebi
車海老 Sushi. The Japanese Tiger Prawn
had been cooked and immediately taken to the sushi counter to remove the shell
and made into the sushi, retaining the temperature and perfect texture, along
with its sweet taste.
The thirteenth course featured Kaki
牡蠣, with the Saga Oyster wrapped in a
spring roll sheet together with shiso leaf before deep-frying, giving a crispy surface
while retaining the juicy tenderness. With some caviar on top, it was a
luxurious treat.
Next was Akami
赤身
Sushi, with the lean cut coming from a tuna caught in the waters of Australia,
weighing 94kg. The tenderness of the flesh and the rich flavours of the slight
irony was very pleasant.
The fourth sake was
黑龍 大吟釀 龍 ($320). Another
versatile sake that had good fruit, slightly dry, with a clean finish that paired
well with different food and could be a good choice for the omakase menu to
cover most of the dishes.
The fifteenth course was Kama-Toro
釜トロ Sushi,
with the tuna caught in Shimane. This rare and prized cut came from the jaw
area, only having two pieces for each fish. Slightly seared, the intense fatty marbling
was delicious.
Then came the Ankimo
鮟肝, with the Monkfish Liver very creamy and soft, virtually
melting in the mouth. Dusted with some sansho powder on top to season, it was
another wonderful piece to go with sake.
The seventeenth course was Ji-Uni
地海胆 Sushi. The
red sea urchin came from Ehime, with a lighter colour and larger size on the
piece. Not those with the mango flavours, this one was sweet and have a creamier
taste.
The fifth
sake was
会津娘 純米酒
($180). A well-made sake that was easy to drink, the rice fragrance was mellow
and not intrusive. Coming to the end of the dinner this one was a good finale
without the burden of something too strong or powerful.
Seeing the chef took out a large claypot drew a happy gasp as
we were having Kegani Kamameshi
毛蟹 釜飯 for the night. Mixing the meticulously
picked crab meat from the Horsehair Crab, crab miso was also added to prepare
the rice, infusing fantastic taste to the steaming hot rice. It was so good I
could not help but finishing three large bowls.
The Aka-Miso
赤だし味噌
Soup was flavourful and helped to warm the stomach after the fantastic meal,
with the miso not overly salty. The Tamagoyaki
玉子焼 was fluffy,
with the egg custard made from the seafood paste and eggs.
Service was very good, with the staff all polite and eager
to explain each dish and the story behind as much as possible. The bill on the
night was $6,624. Considering the food quality, service and overall dining experience
I would rate them an Excellent 83 points, worth returning.
