Wineshark Mystery Restaurant - Mikasaya 三笠屋

Not having seen Chef Motoyama for a few months, today we came to his Causeway Bay sushi restaurant Mikasaya to see what he has prepared for us. Per our routine, we have pre-arranged the Special Omakase Menu ($1,800 each) and open a bottle of 常山 純米大吟醸 極 ($1,000).

First course is Awabi and Uni Somen. On the silky soft, thin Japanese noodles there are some slices of abalone, with the liver paste added to enhance the flavours. On top is sea urchin, from Hokkaido, for its umami and sweetness, seasoned with shiso flowers.

Second course is Sanma and Smoked Sawara. The seasonal Pacific saury is so good and flavourful, best together with a bit of scallion and shoyu. The Japanese Spanish mackerel has a tender texture, torched on the skin for fragrance, to pair with ponzu.

Third course is Karasumi. The homemade salted mullet roes are our favourite, and today Chef prepares two pieces for us, one is torched, the other is not. The torched one has a nice smoky note, but I also like the original taste which somehow is richer in umami.

Fourth course is Matsutake Dobinmushi. Served in the teapot, the dashi is very delicious, rich in flavours from the fragrance of the prized matsutake mushroom, seafood, and vegetables. Adding a few drops of lime juice enhances the refreshing note further.

Fifth course is Tako. The octopus tentacles have been braised to wonderful tenderness, fully absorbing the flavours of the sauce. The sansho leaves give a nice aroma while yuzu sansho paste helps to balance the sweetness from the sauce.

Sixth course is Hirame Sushi. The olive flounder has a mild sweet taste, with a nice firm and elastic texture. The clean and delicate flavours are ideal to start in a sushi set.

Seventh course is Shima-Aji Sushi. The striped jack mackerel has a richer flavour, with good firmness on the texture, and a mild umami taste.

Eighth course is Kuruma-Ebi Sushi. The Japanese tiger prawn has good sweetness in taste, with a nice bite. The chef has cut it in halves, so it is easier to eat them.

Ninth course is Akami-Zuke Sushi. The lean tuna has been marinated in shoyu briefly, to tenderize the flesh and giving it an extra layer of umami flavours.

Tenth course is Saba Sushi. The mackerel has been cured in vinegar, to tone down the fishy note. A thin strip of transparent kombu is put on top for additional flavours.

Eleventh course is Gindara Saikyoyaki. The fillet of the black cod has been marinated in white miso before grilling, with fragrant fish oil and rich savoury taste.

Twelfth course is Chu-Toro Sushi. The medium-fatty tuna has rich fish oil, with wonderful flavours seeping out on each chew. Truly delicious.

Thirteenth course is Hokkigai Sushi. The surf clam is big in size, has a pleasant, sweet taste and crunchy in texture. Really good quality.

Fourteenth course is Ankimo. The monkfish liver is creamy, melt-in-the-mouth and bursting with amazing flavours. Paired with narazuke as condiment it is unstoppable.

Fifteenth course is Buri Sushi. The Japanese amberjack has nice fattiness, demonstrating a buttery texture with rich flavours, with a touch of daikon as condiment.

Sixteenth course is Nodoguro Sushi. The blackthroat seaperch is a prized deep-water fish with a good fat content, further vitalized after torching it briefly. Velvety in texture.

Seventeenth course is Ikura Sushi. The cured salmon roes have an appetizing orange-red colour, poppy texture with rich flavours.

Eighteenth course is Bafun Uni Sushi. Wrapped in the nori sheet is the Hokkaido Bafun sea urchin, creamy and sweet in taste.

Nineteenth course is Fish Soup Udon. The signature soup is made with large quantity of fish heads and bones, plenty of ginger, very rich and delicious. This udon completes the wonderful meal with satisfying contention, warming the stomach comfortably.

The final course is the dessert, serving the seasonal white peach with homemade mochi. The fruit is juicy and sweet, while the mochi has a nice chewy skin with cream cheese ice cream.

Service is very good as always, though Chef Motoyama is so busy serving a full house (and two rounds) that he has not a lot of time to interact with us. The bill on the night is $5,060. It remains one of the omakase restaurants we frequently visit all these years.