Knowing this Japanese sushi restaurant has become such a popular spot in town with extreme difficulty in securing a booking. Managed to secure booking for lunch, we pre-arranged to have dinner Omakase Menu ($2,000 each) served. At the appointed time, we came to Sheung Wan Hollywood Road.
Seated at the hinoki counter, we patiently waited for the other customers to arrive, before the lunch duly started. To pair with food, I have a bottle of Frederic Savart E’cueil Trepail Blanc de Blancs Premier Cru NV ($1,880). A blend of Chardonnay from E’cueil and Trepail, it is a crisp champagne versatile to match with most of the food on the day.
The first course was Awabi 鮑, with the chef cutting the black abalone into thin slices and serving together with a congee mixed with the abalone liver. With a bit of deep-fried nori to add flavours, it highlighted the original delicious taste of the abalone to the full extent.
The second one was Aori-Ika 障泥烏賊 Sushi. Meticulously cut on the bigfin reef squid to form groove to hold the shoyu from sliding off, the sweetness and soft texture of the squid was impressive, with a bit of ginger elevating the flavours.
The third piece was Ishigaki-Dai 石垣鯛 Sushi. The spotted knifejaw was of top-notch quality, having marinated briefly in shoyu to infuse the meat with savoury taste but not salty, rich in umami and flavours.
The fourth course featured Unagi 鰻. The grilled Japanese eel was thick and meaty, with the skin having nice char while keeping the flesh moist and juicy. The sauce was also not too strong to mask all the flavours, and the chef cleverly used shredded ginger and cucumber to help balance the fat of the eel.
The fifth piece was Madai 真鯛 Sushi. The red seabream had been wrapped inside kombu to marinate, to soften the texture of the flesh while enhancing the umami flavours, resulting in more tenderness while keeping its signature firmer texture. Wonderful taste.
The sixth piece was Sayori 針魚 Sushi. Seeing the chef prepares the Japanese halfbeak already got my mouth watering, with the shiny and glittering skin showing how unbelievably fresh. It was probably the best halfbeak I had ever tried. Simply amazing.
A small nabe was set up for the seventh course, which featured Fugu 河豚. In shabu shabu style, we got to simmer the pufferfish briefly in dashi, with delicate taste. By adjusting the time, we also got to enjoy different textures of the pufferfish. Paired with an Ankimo 鮟肝 paste added a rich fragrance from the monkfish liver.
We also ordered an additional Taraba-gani 鱈場蟹 ($450 each). The red king crab leg was grilled over charcoal, with the meat wrapped in softened Karasumi 唐墨. The homemade salted mullet roe added savoury and umami to the sweetness of crab meat, a treat in flavours not to be missed.
Before going to the next stage of the menu, we were served a small piece of Pear, with some yuzu shavings on top to freshen, helping us to cleanse our palate for the second half.
Coming to the eighth and ninth piece, the chef had used Maguro 鮪, caught in the famous Oma area in Aomori, and had been aged for 8 days. With new shari using red vinegar, the Chu-Toro 中とろ was wonderful in flavours, medium in fattiness and very tender in texture.
The other piece was Akami Zuke 赤身, with the lean tuna having marinated in shoyu, silky smooth on the texture, and the richness in taste with the red flesh and savoury of the soy sauce was perfectly integrated.
The tenth course was an interesting one. Instead of seafood, the chef had prepared Pigeon, aged for three days, with its leg deep-fried in tempura style, and smoked breast grilled on charcoal, keeping the flesh pink, with light seasoning to showcase the flavours without a strong gamey note.
The eleventh piece was Botan-Ebi 牡丹蝦 Sushi. The spot shrimp had great texture, soft and sticky, with its sweetness above and beyond the typical shrimp. Having soaked in Chinese Huadiao, with a spray before serving, helps to intensify the savoury note.
The twelfth piece was Nodoguro 喉黒 Sushi. Its skin had been lightly charred to vitalize the fish oil through the heat, so that the fatty deepwater blackthroat seaperch could showcase its amazing flavours.
The thirteenth piece was Hokkaido Bafun-Uni 馬糞雲丹 Sushi. The sea urchin was sweet, without any weird taste, and the chef had made a gunkan roll to serve, taking the steps to lightly toast the nori sheet before using to ensure its crispness, again demonstrating his attention to details.
The fourteenth course was Shark’s Fin Ramen, with the chef using pig bones to prepare a rich and delicious broth, and together with the ramen noodles which had wonderful texture, was simply unstoppable. The shark’s fin also added a bit of crunchy bite on top.
The Tamagoyaki 玉子焼 was soft and fluffy, with the egg mixed with plenty of seafood before baking to the omelette.
With space for a few more pieces, I had an additional Kohada 小鰭 Sushi ($100) and Kanpyo Roll 干瓢巻 ($100). The gizzard shad had a nice silvery sheen and I liked the marinade not too sour in taste.
The dried gourd was also nice, and I requested to have plenty of wasabi in the roll as well, completing the meal with great satisfaction. Dessert was some plump and ripe Strawberry to finish.
Service was very good, with the staff friendly and knowledgeable. The atmosphere was comfortable but interactions with the chef was rather limited. The bill on the day was $7,678. Considering the overall experience, I would rate this restaurant an Exceptional 85 points. Must try!
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