Wineshark Mystery Restaurant - Sukiyaki Nakagawa

This sukiyaki restaurant is located at 3/F Cubus in Causeway Bay and is part of the same group with Teppanyaki Mihara Goten, which is just adjacent. As there are two seating for reservation, we arrived sharp at 6:00pm, for the first session. 

Settling down comfortably at hinoki counter, Chef Itagaki Kazuyuki came to introduce himself, showing us also the jar of fermented soybeans and shoyu he made in-house. We started off with a refreshing Signature Japanese Tea each ($55). 

Pre-ordered the Winter Limited Omakse Menu ($1,680 each), the first course was Sashimi, which included Hokkaido Abalone, Grouper, Lean and Medium Fatty Tuna, plus Sea Urchin, together with Salmon Roe and Caviar. Fresh and delicious with miso as condiment.

We also had Golden Dragon Ball Roll ($600). On the nori sheet the chef put Kosawari Cured Egg Yolk, Hokkaido Uni, Akami and Chu-Toro, plus Hokkaido Rice to make this sushi roll, with the homemade miso adding savoury to the great taste of the roll. No wonder it is a signature. It is also good for two people to share.

The second course was Steamed Egg Custard. Inside the silky-smooth egg custard was the meat of Hairy Crab, with an appealing orange colour from the flavourful crab miso. With some Winter Truffle slices on top to bring extra fragrance, the squeezed Fresh Sudachi Orange helps to freshen the palate to good effect.

The third course was the Seared A5 Kobe Beef. Seeing Chef Kazuyuki preparing the stove and pot, heating the sauce and then searing the beef demonstrates his mastery in sukiyaki. The beef, together with Daikonku Shimeji Mushrooms, was served in Truffle and Cured Egg Yolk, heavenly good in taste. 

The fourth course was Foie Gras Sukiyaki with Fried Red Rockfish. The foie gras was beautifully seared, rich and flavourful, matching well with the rockfish fillet which was also nice and fatty. With Truffle on top to enhance the aromas, the Purple Sweet Potato and Beet Puree underneath helps to balance the greasiness of the foie gras.

After showing us the ingredients for the upcoming dishes to stimulate our appetite again, we were served a Sudachi Sorbet, helping to cleanse and freshen the palate to get us ready for the next course of the night.  

The sixth course featured A5 Omi Beef and A5 Takemori ‘Drunken’ Wagyu Beef Sukiyaki. Again Chef Kazuyuki showed his skills in meticulously searing the beef on the stove, with two different dipping sauces, one traditional style made with Kodawari Egg, and the other uses the egg to whisk Foam with Truffle Shavings, more complex in flavours.

Using the sukiyaki sauce on stove the chef also prepared vegetables to go with the beef. The first included Leek, Bamboo Shoot, and Tofu. Tender and not fiberous, the leek and bamboo shoot was great in taste, with the tofu having rich soybean flavours.

The other serving included the juicy Tomato, with its skin peeled to remove the tough skin. The Shungiku is a seasonal vegetable for Spring, with its unique taste that appeals to me, while Chojifu, a type of traditional dried gluten, fully absorbed the flavours of the sukiyaki sauce with a wonderful bite was my favourite sides.

The seventh course was Akita Cold Inaniwa Udon. The signature flat and thin udon picked up the dashi flavours nicely, and to also to help freshen the palate, the chef has prepared a Refreshing Lime Dashi to go with the udon. I ended up finishing all the dashi as well.

The eighth course featured A4 Satsuma Beef, with the beef prepared in sukiyaki style. After that the chef has the beef on Claypot Cooked Rice, poured in a Kodawari Egg Sauce that had mixed with Hairy Crab, with also some Sea Urchin, Truffle, and plenty of spring onion on top. Along with Miso Soup and Pickles, the rice was so good I would like to ask for an encore, despite I was already very full.

The last course was Seasonal Japanese Fresh Fruit, including melon and strawberry. Both were very sweet and juicy. And we finished with another glass of Japanese Tea ($48), picking Hojicha to help digestion and comfort the stomach.

Service was good, with the staff attentive and courteous. Chef Kazuyki and his Japanese assistant both tried their best to introduce using English which we also appreciate a lot. The bill on the night was $5,023. Considering the overall experience, food quality and service, I would rate this restaurant an Excellent 75 points. Worth returning.