This sushi restaurant is located in Crowne Plaza Hong Kong in Causeway Bay, providing authentic Edomae sushi and helmed by Chef Inoue Wataru, an award-winning chef with over 30 years of experience. With no dinner allowed yet, happy that the restaurant could accommodate my request to arrange the dinner Tsubaki Omakase Menu ($2380) at lunch hours instead.
The restaurant setting was nice, recreating the Edomae ambience using wooden furniture, Japanese arts and the 8-seat counter setting manned by Chef Inoue himself. The area is spacious and relaxing, and I was fortunate to be seated right in front of the chef to see his masterful skills in action.
Starting with a few appetizers, the first one was Umi-Tsubu (螺). The sea whelk had been cooked with dashi to further enhance the umami flavours, with a good bite but not tough at all.
The second one was a seasonal delicacy, Hotaru-Ika (蛍烏賊). The firefly squids were plump and great in taste. I also liked the bean sprouts underneath with a slightly crunchiness to complement.
Then it was Tako (章魚), with the octopus tentacle slow cooked to loosen the texture, so it was very tender and soft, with the flavours of the sauce fully infused inside.
Finishing the appetizers Chef Inoue started to prepare the sashimi. First came Kanpachi (間八), with the greater amberjack having a firm texture and sweet taste. The shiso flowers were also nice condiment.
Next was Katsuo (鰹), with the chef cutting two thick pieces of skipjack tuna and added an abundance of menegi to go along. Together with a bit of grated ginger, the sashimi was soft and lean, yet highly flavourful.
The third one was Saba (鯖), and the mackerel had been vinegared and then torched briefly on the skin. On the bite the fatty fish oil seeped out, very delicious, with the finely shredded chili helped to freshen the palate.
Transitioning to sushi, the first piece was Madai (真鯛). The Japanese sea bream is one of my favourite white fish, and this one continued to deliver, with the delicate, elegant sweet taste really pleasant.
The second piece was Aji (鯵). The chef had left part of the skin of the Japanese horse mackerel on, with its shiny sheen showing its freshness, and also some scallions to add to the rich taste.
Then came Komochi Yari-Ika (子持槍烏賊), one of my favourites in this meal. The female spear squid was plump, full with squid eggs. The chef had simmered it beautifully, with the squid flavourful and tender, while the eggs inside offered a soft texture and overall, a pure culinary pleasure.
Returning to sushi the third piece was Hokkigai (北寄貝). A nice one, with the surf clam having a good bouncy texture and very sweet in taste.
The fourth piece was Akami Zuke (本鮪の漬). The chef had put the lean tuna in soy sauce to marinate for a short while, infusing further the flesh with umami flavours. He also clevely dusted some grated yuzu skin to freshen and reduce the sensation of saltiness.
Next came Ankimo (鮟肝). Different against other restaurants, the monkfish liver was taken direct from the cooking pot after cooling it for a while, and was served warm. The flavours were a bit milder than expected but it was still very nice.
The fifth sushi was Nodoguro (喉黒). This blackthroat seaperch had very good fat contents, exhibiting nice aromas after a slight sear with torching. The sweetness was also amazing.
The sixth piece was Chutoro (中とろ). The medium fatty tuna had my favourite balance of fat, fully demonstrating the nice flavours of the tuna without creating the heavy sensation of eating a piece of fat.
The seventh piece was another of my favourite in this meal. Chef Inoue began by adding some sea urchin to the shari and mix together with Kegani (毛蟹) meat. With a piece of the crab claw on the side, and some salmon roes on top, the complex and delicious taste was bursting in the mouth.
The eighth piece was Kuruma-Ebi (車海老) and the Japanese tiger prawn was poached briefly before removing the shell and served warm. The chef had added the ebi miso on the inside to further enhance the flavours from the already very sweet prawn meat.
The ninth piece was Otoro (大とろ). After cutting out the piece of prized fatty tuna, Chef Inoue’s assistant took out a cage contained burning coals and he then placed on top of the tuna to lightly sear, without touching. This method helped to heat up the fish oil to enhance the flavours without making the fish oil seeping out to grease the hand when picking up the sushi. The intense flavours and the soft texture were just amazing.
Next came Awabi (鮑). The chef took out the liver and made into a paste to put on the plate before putting the simmered abalone on top. The texture of the abalone was very tender, and together with the liver paste was really delicious. It was so good that I was thankful for the chef to arrange some shari to mix with the paste so I did not need to lick the plate afterwards.
The tenth piece was Uni (海栗), and instead of doing a gunkan or maki, Chef Inoue made a sushi directly, testimony to his great skill. He then put it direct on the back of my hand, so I could pop into mouth direct without using fingers. The sea urchin was creamy, sweet and without any weird taste, a high-quality sushi and visual treat to experience his skill.
Then it was Ikura (筋子) Don. The salmon roes were each large and shiny, and appropriately marinated with soy sauce to have a nice saltiness, bursting with nice flavours on the bite.
Next was Anago (穴子), with the conger eel so soft it essentially dissolved in the mouth. The special tsume reduction was also very good with nice sweetness and umami wonders.
Coming to the end the chef prepared a Maguro Temaki (鮪手巻). Putting the shari on the nori and adding some seasonings, Chef Inoue then put the minced tuna on top, before rolling it as a handroll. The seaweed was crisp, with the tuna wonderfully seasoned. A rewarding and fulfilling finale.
Chef Inoue then provided me a piece of Tamago (卵). On a closer look this was quite unique as there were two layers, with the top showing a spongier texture reminding me of cake, while the lower portion had a more jelly-like mouthfeel. The chef had used a nice broth to mix with the egg, so it was full of infused umami in addition.
The Red Miso Soup was then served, with the aged miso providing a more intense flavour. The Fruit Platter had included strawberry and melon, with the strawberry sweet, the melon juicy and luscious.
The overall experience for this meal was really good. While Chef Inoue might not be very talkative, he is very friendly and approachable. Service was also good, with the staff helping to explain each dish diligently. With a portion of house sake ($480) as well, the bill was $3,146 and while it might be a bit on the high-end, considering the food quality and experience I highly recommend this restaurant to sushi lovers.
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