My last visit to this restaurant was already six years ago, and it was called Wagyu Takumi then. Located on the same spot in Wanchai Wood Road, I return this evening on the new year eve to experience the wonders from Chef Daisuke Mori again.
The restaurant has not changed much, with the counter seating surrounding the open kitchen so each diner can witness first-hand the preparation of the dishes, the skills and techniques of the chef during the meal.
On the night there is a special Festive menu ($2,680 each) with each course highlighting a specific Japanese ingredient. I also go for the 6-glass wine pairing ($1,180). The first course features Botan-Ebi, or spot prawn, using the chopped up raw prawn to make a tartare, then placing a slice of persimmon, pickled with kombu to infuse with a delicate umami note on the seasonal fruit. The fennel cream sauce and fennel oil further enhanced the complexity in flavours, and nicely integrated everything together. A very good starter.
The second course features Ma-Saba, or chub mackerel. The chef skewers the large fillet before grilling it over charcoal, to give a bit of char to the skin and vitalizing the fish oil, while retaining the inside raw and soft in texture. On the surface he puts on daikon puree and beetroot slices, further decorated with edible flowers. Paired with a bit of spices and raspberry sauce, the rich flavours of the chub mackerel are surprisingly complementary with daikon and beetroot.
The third course features Hotategai, or scallop. The chef pan sears the large, meaty scallop, caramelized the surface while keeping the flesh moist, and then put a Tenkeiko shiitake on top. The shiitake mushroom is from a famous grower, unique for its thickness, which reminds me of portobello, and flavourful. Paired with a Champagne sauce to give a bit of acidity to the dish, the slight earthiness of the mushroom is a good match with the umami of the scallop.
The fourth course features Kinmedai, or splendid alfonso. The prized fish has been nicely charcoal-grilled, turning the skin to crispness but not over-cooking the flesh, and served on a bouillabaisse, with the fish stew highly flavourful coming from the assorted seafood used to prepare the broth, paired with some artichokes and a puree made from shungiku, or Japanese crown daisy, with the stronger flavoured vegetable puree interestingly in harmony with the rich stew.
The fifth course features Awabi, or abalone. We have requested to have the white truffle addition ($550 each) as well. Cutting the wonderfully braised abalone to pieces and putting on top of the barley risotto, the chef then shaves some white truffle on top. We can smell the great fragrance of this treasure in the forest from a distance. The best piece to me, however, is the risotto itself, with its amazing bite, and each kernel of barley having absorbed the flavours of the stock. A must-try with or without the white truffle.
The sixth course features Tako, or octopus. The large tentacles have been braised to softness, easily cut through with the knife and not rubbery. On the side is the truffle espuma, or foam, with also a rich and smooth pumpkin puree underneath to go along. The sweetness from the pumpkin puree connects with the red wine used to braise the octopus, while the truffle foam adds the signature aromas to make the overall experience more luxurious on palate.
An additional, not on menu, course which we also order features Uni, or sea urchin ($300 each). As a dish to transition before the beef, the chef has scooped up a nice portion of sea urchin into the glass bowl, with some nagaimo puree in it, and sprinkled with chives and shallot to give further fragrance. The sea urchin is fresh and sweet on its own, and the chef also provides a nori sheet to wrap the sea urchin together for a different eating experience.
The seventh course features Hida Beef. The prized tenderloin is beautifully charcoal grilled to medium rare, very tender, and juicy, nicely seasoned. On the side is napa cabbage, poached and then glazed, retaining the sweetness of the vegetable. Able to witness how the chef grills the beef to perfection is a treat on its own, maximizing the quality of the meat to its greatest level of enjoyment in my opinion. I want to have another piece!
The eighth course features Kuruma-Ebi, or Japanese tiger prawns. The clear soup has intense flavours, with the large, meaty tiger prawn very sweet in taste. On the bottom of the bowl is a carrot puree. After drinking the nice clear mushroom soup, we mix together with the puree, and the whole taste changes, becoming thicker in body and even more complex in flavours.
The ninth and final course is Black Sesame Flower. A crisp and thin sesame wafer has been moulded to look like the petals, with a hole in the middle to show the lemon yogurt sorbet. Underneath is custard and strawberries. Dusted with icing sugar and some silver flakes on top, it is a festive dessert both pretty and delicious.
While we can see the actions from the open kitchen, I believe the staff can introduce each course in more details, so we can all appreciate better the ingredients, the techniques, and other elements which always make the whole dining experience more interesting and complete. The bill on the night is $9,172 and is expensive because of the white truffle and sea urchin additions. But I will definitely come again as I enjoy the food very much.
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