Seeing increasingly more media coverage of Chef Zinc, in recognition to what he did to promote the local seafood and produce, as well as his amazing food, I can also feel the pride as a regular patron. Today we return to this Shau Kei Wan secret haven to see what he has prepared for us.
Occupying our usual spot on the 10-seat sushi counter, we were greeted by Chef Zinc and his team warmly. As I brought a bottle of wine to share with him, I did not order any sake. With the arrival of a couple of more guests, the dinner promptly started.
First is the prized Uchiura Bay Kuro-Hokkigai with Yunnan Termites Mushroom. Chef Zinc first used the mushroom to prepare a broth to lightly poach the surf clam, making some cuts for easy bite, before serving together with the shredded mushroom. The combined bouncy and soft texture of the two was very pleasant, and the broth was sweet with umami.
Second is the seasonal Kobako-Gani Chawanmushi. Chef Zinc toasted the shell of female snow crab to make a bisque from the extract, then added sauteed crab miso to whisked egg to make a silky soft steamed custard. On the surface, the orange-brown sauce was made from crab roe, rich in flavours with also a touch of acidity from wild kabosu to freshen. In the middle is crab meat roll wrapped in kombu, seasoned by very fragrant local fennel flower.
Third is a dish Chef Zinc showcased in the earlier Red Hot Chef competition. Featuring a two-catty Lamma Island caught Star Snapper, Chef Zinc wrapped the fillet with its skin to make a roll, then steamed under a lower temperature to maintain a moist and soft texture. He further used the fish bones and soy sauce to prepare a sauce, the fish innards to make fish oil, then splashed back on the steamed fish in Cantonese style, to further enhance the flavours. On top are a couple of local garlic scape to give a mild garlic fragrance.
Next begins a series of sushi, starting with Pacific Ocean Perch caught near Po Toi Island. Having aged for two weeks and seasoned with a bit of yuzu and sea salt, the fish has a sweet taste and very tender texture.
The second sushi featured Chef Zinc’s favourite fish: Hirame. The 6-catty local flounder was huge in size, with a delicate mild taste and a supple, firm bite on texture. Nowadays many restaurants are offering farmed ones, so wild version of this size is rarely seen. It is a real treat.
The third sushi brings us back to Japan, featuring Kawahagi from Oita. Using its liver to make a paste, then adding plenty of finely chopped scallions, the umami and savoury of the thread-sail filefish was amazing. One of our favourites in the evening.
The fourth sushi features Toro-Sawara from Mie. The special Japanese Spanish mackerel is caught on lines individually, with exceptional fatty level, rich in taste like fatty tuna. After searing briefly on charcoal, the skin has become crispy. Season with a bit of sea salt, the fish oil enriches the flavours tremendously.
Taking a break on the sushi, Chef Zinc’s brought us the seasonal Matsutake. Flown in from Yunnan on the same day of harvest, the prized mushroom is prepared in tempura style, without any seasoning, to enjoy the original taste. Bursting with juice, depending on preference one can also add a touch of salt or citrus to enhance the flavours.
Then comes another of Chef Zinc’s signature, Shirako Risotto. Cooking cod milt for extended period to remove the unpleasant taste, it is then grinded to a thick paste and cook with matsutake mushroom, before adding in arborio to prepare this wonderful risotto. Some fresh Ganba Fungus, rated as the pinnacle of Yunnan fungus, are put on top, which supplements a beautiful unique fragrance. Truly fantastic.
Another hot dish is Grilled Kinki. The channel rockfish has been marinated in shochu before searing on charcoal, to give a crisp surface while keeping the flesh moist. It is very tender, with an amazing taste of fish oil. The sauce is made from fish bones, hard clam and scallions, seasoned with a touch of sansho, rich in wonderful umami. On the side the lemon balm leaf gives the citrus fragrance to freshen the overall experience.
Finishing some dishes with rich flavours, Chef Zinc brings us Pickled Yunnan Golden Ear Fungus to serve as palate cleanser, the fungus is cooked with lemon and honey, infused with a mellow acidity and helps to remove the unpleasant taste of the fungus. The interesting gelatine texture is also memorable.
The second round of sushi starts from Bafun Uni, with multiple layers of sea urchin put on top of the roll. While the sea urchin is not in season, they are sweet in taste, with a melt-in-the-mouth texture and still very good and enjoyable, testimony to Chef Zinc’s effort to only pick the best quality ingredients.
The sixth sushi features Buri from Oita, with the matured yellowtail very large in size, weighing almost 15kg. Chef Zinc uses half of the belly to prepare the sushi, while the remaining he puts to age for later use. The sear on the skin gives a nice crispness, with some shichimi sprinkled to add an extra layer of spiciness to season.
The seventh sushi is Akami, with the lean cut coming from a large tuna weighing over 200kg. After marinating in shoyu briefly to infuse the meat with umami, the texture is very soft, with the perfect level of saltiness which made it unstoppable. It is great that I got to enjoy two pieces this evening thanks to Chef Zinc.
The eighth sushi continues to come from the same tuna, but this time using the fatty cut of O-Toro. On the bite all the guests are amazed because it is so tasty, first because Chef Zinc smoked the fatty tuna with hay beforehand, and then using smoked minced garlic, replacing wasabi, as the condiment. A genius approach showcasing his talent.
Finishing my bottle of wine, I decide to order an additional serving of sake, picking 大山 特別純米 ひやおろし. Brewed by 加藤嘉八郎酒造, this limited autumn sake has crisp acidity, perfect to match seasonal fish such as sardines with its good fattiness.
The Tamagoyaki has also specially upgraded, adding the stir-fried Yunnan black truffle and shiitake to the egg mixture before making the Japanese egg omelette, creating an extra dimension coming from the mushroom. With plenty of shaved Yunnan black truffles on top to further enhance the fragrance.
The Soup is prepared using Shiro Mirugai, with the white geoduck provided great umami taste to the clear soup, with some white miso to enhance the flavours. There are also fresh Yunnan Bamboo Pith with good texture and hints of sake aromas. Very sweet in taste, the crunchy texture of geoduck and bamboo pith supplements each other impeccably.
Filling there are some rooms left in our stomach, we ask Chef Zinc for additional sushi. He duly prepares two for us, the first being local Brown-Spotted Grouper. While it might not be as flavourful compared with the perch or star snapper, the texture is amazing. A few drops of kabosu juice help to elevate the freshness.
The other additional one is specially reserved for us: Engawa. Chef Zinc lightly cut the prized skirt of the local flounder to make it easy to chew, and then marinate in a special shoyu with herbs, before lightly sears to vitalize the fish oil. Very delicious, it is one of the best pieces on the night, and we thank Chef Zinc for keeping this especially for us.
Coming to dessert, Chef Zinc has prepared three different ones for us. The first one is his signature Tiramisu, but instead of coffee, he uses hojicha as the ingredients with mascarpone. Together with some shaved chocolate and hazelnuts it is nicely done, not too sweet, and did not feel heavy.
The second dessert is Annou-Imo Monaka. Mixing the special sweet potato grown on Tanegashima at Kagoshima with vanilla seeds, together with freshly made mochi, it is then put inside the crunchy monaka shell. Chef Zinc jokingly called them mooncakes, and the reduced sweetness level, with the combination of different texture, is memorable.
The last dessert is Shiitake Panna Cotta. Leveraging the background in Italian cuisine, Chef Zinc used dried shiitake mushroom to add to the milk, before chilling them to form the shape. The addition of some salt helps to elevate the taste further, showing an interesting hazelnut white chocolate flavour.
Service is great as always, and the whole dinner is pure wonder and enjoyment. The bill on the night is $6,270. We continue to be amazed by the creativity of Chef Zinc, his use of local ingredients plus Yunnan fungus featured today, I also have deep admiration on his meticulous attention in preparing different sauce and condiment. My highest recommendation.
沒有留言:
張貼留言