As I had not come back to office for a while under the current WFH arrangement, this was the first time I visited the newly renovated food court in APM and was surprised to see a sushi counter there, with the chefs busy preparing the seafood and putting them in the wooden boxes, just like what you would expect in good sushi restaurants. Decided to try it out, I took my seat at the counter, and was served by Chef Kit.
There was an order list offering a wide range of sushi, but there were two different omakase menu available. I decided to try out the Premium Omakase Set ($598), offering 3 sashimi, 10 sushi and soup. The first sashimi was Isaki (伊佐木). With the lean texture of the fish, the chef had sliced it thin. Sprinkled with some yuzu shavings and together with some sake sauce, the sweetness of the fish was nicely highlighted.
The second sashimi was Botan-Ebi (牡丹蝦). The chef had cut the spot prawn in two sections, with one seasoned using salt and lime juice, and the other half leaving it to pair with wasabi and soy sauce. A decent two-way to try out the effects of the different seasonings to the prawn.
The third sashimi was Smoked Kaki (牡蠣). The oyster came from Hyogo, and after opening the raw oyster the chef smoked it to infuse with nice fragrant woody aromas. The oyster might be a bit lean in my opinion but was fresh.
Coming to the sushi assortment, the first piece was Kinmedai (金目鯛). First to note was that the cut of the fish was generous, with the portion of the sushi rice appropriate. The delicate taste and tenderness of the fish was very good, with the sushi rice of the right moisture and temperature for me. A good start.
The second piece was Kasugo (春子鯛). This small bream was a seasonal delicacy in spring, with a beautiful shinny skin. The chef had added a bit of yuzu shavings to enhance the already great flavors, with the umami taste permeating throughout the bite. One of my favorites in this meal.
The third piece was Same-Karei (鮫鰈). The name of this flounder came from the rough, sand-like texture of the skin, which reminiscent that of a shark. The nice fatty texture with the sweet taste was good, and the chef also torched a piece of engawa and put that on top, providing additional wonders with the good bite and vibrancy of flavors. Another of my pick on the day.
The fourth piece was Shiro-Ebi (白海老). The delicious baby white shrimp from Toyama was always my favorite, and the chef had used some charcoal salt and shiso flowers to bring forward the natural sweet taste. Interesting on seasoning, but personally I would still prefer the traditional soy sauce.
The fifth piece was Buri (鰤). The chef had aged the yellowtail for a week, which had softened the texture nicely. This fish was best in winter when it accumulated good fat and depth of flavors, this one was clearly milder in taste and leaner, but still a nice piece of sushi.
The sixth piece was Itoyori-Dai (糸撚鯛). This golden threadfin bream was of the same type commonly seen in local market, but in Japan was a prized and premium fish. Compared with the other types of sea bream this one had a bouncier texture, as well as a sweeter taste. A good one to try out.
The seventh piece was Akami (赤身). Unlike many chefs who would put the lean tuna in soy sauce to marinate for a while, Chef Kit just brushed it lightly with the soy sauce before serving. The different way to enjoy had its own merits in my opinion, and personally the ‘zuke’ method was still my preference.
The eighth piece was Akagai (赤貝). The chef skillfully cut the large, meaty ark shell to make it easy to bite, and the great texture, along with the sweetness of the clam, made this a treat. Another of my favorite in this meal.
The ninth piece was Saba (鯖). The mackerel had an intense taste, with the fish oil giving a burst of nice flavors. It was important that this fish was very fresh as it would spoil and develop a fishy note easily, but certainly this one did not exhibit any of those, testimony to the quality of ingredients.
The tenth piece was Otoro. The fatty tuna had been aged for 21 days, with the enzyme breaking down the protein to make the texture even softer and intensify the flavors, and interestingly giving a slight acidity on the palate.
To my pleasant surprise there were two additional ‘bonus’ pieces served in the set. The first was Uni, prepared in gunkan style. The sea urchin came from Hokkaido, with a creamy texture but to me it had that unique weird taste I did not enjoy in sea urchin.
The second bonus piece was Anago (穴子). The conger eel was poached and then grilled with the special sauce, and again the generous size was impressive. Full of umami and melting in the mouth, it was a good finale to the set.
The chef then asked whether I was still hungry and I could not resist the temptation to try a few more, decided to order an additional Hotategai (帆立貝) and Kohada (小鰭) sushi. The size of the scallop ($48) was very large. After removing the stem and do the butterfly-cut, the chef dusted some charcoal salt to season. It was a bit disappointing as the scallop was not as sweet as I would hope though.
The small Gizzard Shad ($15) had been marinated in vinegar and certainly noticeable on the sourness, but the balancing umami was not as apparent so this one also was not delivering the best experience. It seemed both were not the best and perhaps explained why they were not included in the omakase selection.
As the chef was busy serving me and other customers there was little interactions throughout, but towards the end he got more time to chat. Knowing that this sushi counter only opened in Christmas, we talked about the latest social distancing measures and how that had affected the business. He then served me the Miso Soup and Dessert.
Chef Kit also shared with me that this sushi counter was under the same owner of Sushi Saito, the renown Michelin sushi place at Four Seasons, but targeting to offer customers sushi at a more friendly price point. With no service charge, the bill was $661, and I certainly think it offers good value for money. Probably would become one of my lunch spots in future when I am returning to office.
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