Nutritionist Recipe - 21. Salmon Tartare with Mango and Avocado

Ingredients (for 2):

• Salmon sashimi - 8-10 pieces
• Mango - 1
• Avocado - 2
• Low fat mayonnaise - 4 tsp
• Black pepper finely - 1/2 tsp
• Tarragon - 1 tsp
• Extra-virgin olive oil - 2 tsp
• Shallot finely - 1
• Lemon juice - 2 tsp
• Soy sauce - 2 tsp
• Mirin - 1 tsp

Procedures:

1. Cut the salmon into small pieces.

2. Marinate the salmon with black pepper finely, tarragon, olive oil, shallot, lemon juice, soy sauce and mirin and put in fridge for at least two hours.

3. Peel the skin of the mango and cut into pieces.

4. Cut the avocado in halves, remove the seed, and then scoop out the flesh and cut into pieces.

5. Add mayonnaise to the avocado pieces and mix well.

6. Use a circular mold and put on the plate, then add the mangoes pieces to cover the bottom.

7. Add the avocado on top and press tight using a spoon.

8. Add the salmon on top and press tight using a spoon, then carefully remove the mold.

Wineshark Nice Hotel Experience - Asaba (Shuzenji Onsen)

This famous ryokan is located in Shuzenji, where more than 500 years ago Yakuro Yukitada Asaba came to the place and founded Shuzenji temple. Guarding the temple gates were the lodgings of the monks, which is also the beginning of Asaba.

The staff greeted us enthusiastically upon arrival, with good English, explaining the details of our stay. Sitting in the main lobby we were amazed by the serenity view looking out into the pond and the Noh stage, while enjoying a cup of green tea to smooth our nerves.

We were then shown to our room, Asagi. Located on the second floor, right in front of the Noh stage, it has a wooden floor living room and a separate tatami room. Very spacious and cozy, the overall atmosphere offered us a deep sense of relaxation, warmth and comfort.

The indoor bath is up on the mezzanine, reaching by walking a number of steps, with glass ceiling and the premium hinoki bath. Opening the window one can actually watch the Noh stage while taking the bath, and I can imagine during one of those nights when there is the performance it would be interesting to enjoy the bath while watching the Noh drama in the room.

We took a walk around the ryokan, There is a salon on one end of the building, with freshly brewed coffee and tea available anytime for guests to enjoy. On the day we visited there was no many other guests and throughout the walk we only met a couple of visitors, and essentially we felt like the whole ryokan was just for us.

We then went to the public bath to enjoy our first bath before dinner. Interestingly the outdoor bath has a period in the day in which they allow usage by both men and women together. Surrounded by the beautiful bamboo bushes, immersed in the free flowing Shuzenji hotspring water, it really took away my fatigue and smoothen my whole body. I then went over to the indoor bath to try it out. Though not big, I was the only one enjoying the cypress scent and it was equally wonderful.

For dinner, starting the course is Steamed Yuba, delicate and tasty, and then followed by Fried Bamboo Shoot with Nanori. The tender bamboo shoot was just fried to give a crunchy skin, and paired with nanori gave an extra flavor dimension.

Next is the Seasonal Platter with an assortment of different delicacies in the area. Everything is so neatly prepared and delicious. And then came the Japanese style Vegetable Consomme, with a light and ethereal note.

The Sashimi dish comprises of local fish and Japanese Spiny Lobster, extra fresh and truly highlighting the quality of the seafood. Then the Grilled Spanish Mackerel gave a contrast to the texture of the sashimi, emphasizing the aromas from the fatty skin.

The Taro and Japanese Mitten Crab Soup is full of flavors, with the taro and sweetness of the crab complementing each other perfectly. And then came the Fried Taro and Soft Roe, both having the surface deep fried but not burnt, crispy but not feeling oiliness, while the inside is soft and moist. A true demonstration of the skill of the chef.

Next is one of Asaba's signature, the Conger Eel Sushi with Black Rice. The bones of eel is deep-fried so it could be eaten whole also, providing further enjoyment. It was followed by another signature dish, the Chopped Local Chicken in Broth. It was cooked in front of us by the okami, with the minced chicken having some soft bones inside giving a nice bite, the leek fragrant and the broth simply phenomenal.

Using some of the broth the okami prepared scrambled egg, making an Egg Bowl and Japanese Pickles. The egg had absorbed the broth so it is extremely flavorful and I couldn't help myself and eaten two full bowls of rice despite I was very full already.

Wrapping up on dessert I had the Kuzukiri, which is Vegetable Jello with Brown Sugar Syrup. The jello was inserted into a grapefruit to add a nice citrus notes and is very refreshing. Then we had the Grand Marnier and Pumpkin Ice-cream which is more indulgent and gives us the sweetness to complete this wonderful dinner.

With a good sleep I woke up early the next day to go take another bath in the outdoor bath before returning to the room for breakfast, which was no less impressive than the dinner on the prior night.

I am particularly impressed by the egg, which is very tasty. But for both of us the highlight was in fact the extremely sweet and fragrant strawberries. Every piece is so big and tasty the fruit is a real treat for the royals.

After the hearty breakfast, we went for a walk around the neighborhood. It was only a few minutes away from some of the sightseeing spots so staying in Asaba is really convenient.

We really had a wonderful experience staying in this ryokan and no wonder it was one of the best in Japan. The price is frankly quite expensive, at 166,053 yen but if you can afford to spend a luxury stay in a nice ryokan, Asaba is one of those I would recommend.

My overall rating is 8.3/10.

Wineshark HK Restaurant Review - Tokio Joe

This modern Japanese restaurant is located in LKF, and maybe because we come a day after Valentine's Day it is fairly empty this evening. The decor is decent, with a big sushi counter at one side, a beverage counter at the other end, and seating in between.

The restaurant provides us an amuse bouche, with the tomatoes fleshy, ripe and not sour, plus not having some of the typical grassy taste which sometimes put people off. The dressing is nicely prepared, not to overwhelm the delicate tomato flavors but adding further dimensions to the taste.

We order Tuna Salad as starter, which is big in portion and good for maybe three to four people. The dressing is very good, bringing up our appetite with the right degree of sourness, and supplemented with plenty of tuna which has a mayonnaise dressing. With a crispy spring roll sheet on top to give a contrasting texture, this is a wonderful salad, simple yet tasty.

Then we have the Special Deluxe Sushi Combo, which got Toro, Unagi, Hamachi, Seared Grilled Salmon, Maguro, Amaebi, Uni, Spicy Tuna Crunch and Chopped Scallop Sushi, plus California and Dynamite Rolls. The portion again is very large and there are a total of 11 pieces and 2 rolls, easily filling one's belly and so I recommend you share with 2-3 people. The sushi overall are good, fresh and of the right size, and there is a twist for some contemporary elements also, Another dish I would recommend.

Next we have Assorted Tempura, with 3 prawns, green bell pepper, sweet potato and eggplant. A decent effort but a bit oily to me, as I am quite particular on tempura that they don't give a stain on the paper underneath. However, apart from that the taste, crispiness of the battar and the dipping sauce are all meeting my expectation.

The last dish we have is Kelp Grilled Seabass, which when served is a bit of a surprise to us, as I have the first impression that it is a cod from the look and texture of the flesh. I didn't bring this up to the restaurant however. The flavors are a bit too sweet for me, and I think it probably would be better to tune down the mayonnaise used to marinate the fish. Also, overall it was again a bit too oily for us.

Apart from the amuse bouche the restaurant also provided us with a fruit platter as dessert for free. The services are good, with the staff recommending us the right number of dishes, avoiding us over-ordering. Throughout the meal they come to pour tea repeatedly without us having to do it ourselves, even though the teapot is on our table.

The total bill on the night is $1254, without any beverages ordered. A bit on the pricey side, though I would recommend to try some of their sushi and salad. My overall rating is 63/100.

Wineshark HK Restaurant Review - The Sky Boss

This Chinese restaurant is located on the 101st floor of ICC, the tallest building in HK, reaching 400m above sea level and offering a phenomenal view of the city. On that floor there are a total of four restaurants, and Sky Boss is one of the two Chinese restaurants, which started in Central before moving to this new location in Kowloon.

On the night we ordered the premium set dinner, starting with a Prawn and Pomelo Salad. In fact I would say it should be properly called Mango Salad as the prawns are in fact sitting on top of half a mango, which is very sweet and juicy. The pomelo are on the side and its delicate taste is however masked by the strong taste of the mango. Nevertheless, it is still a good starter in my opinion.

Next is Braised Shark's Fin & Crab Meat with Superior Soup. The shark's fin are thick and of premium quality, and added with some crab meat to further enhance the luxury of the ingredients. The soup is delicious, boiled using Chinese ham and chicken, and there is additional ham extract to add in case the customer would like a stronger flavor. Another nice dish in the menu.

The third dish is Braised 20 Head Dried Superior Abalone with Goose Web. Really the most expensive dish in the set, the abalone is of a good size, and braised perfectly that you can cut open easily with a knife, full of flavors and a treat for us. The sauce is also fantastic and we were given a sample beforehand so we can give feedback for the chef to adjust the saltiness if necessary. The goose web is braised well, with the skin detaching from the bone and pairing with the sauce is a really wonderful dish.

Then we had the Pan-fried Grouper with Black Garlic. This is an interesting dish, with the fish filet pan-fried to crispy golden-brown, and put on top of a winter melon paste, plus a black garlic on top. The black garlic provides a sweetness to complement the fish, while the melon paste is light and balance the fish and garlic. A really unique dish that would worth trying.

The fifth dish is Baked Crab Meat & Mushrooms with Cheese. Instead of the more common crab shell, the crab meat is just baked on the crab-shaped dish, with onion, prawn, mushroom and crab meat, plus a cheese sauce coated on top before putting into oven to bake. Nothing too special, it is good in taste however.

Then came the Fried Rice with Black Truffle, with a strong black truffle aromas that even before eating you could easily identified. I think it is a bit too dominating in the truffle aromas, and so I added a fair amount of XO sauce which provided some spicy and savory notes to complement. The overall quality of this is a bit mediocre for me.

There were two desserts, with the first being the Double-boiled Bird's Nest with Crystal Sugar. It is crystal clear, with pristine appearance and a light and delicate flavor. The staff asked us whether we would need to add some syrup but we opted not, as the crystal sugar did provide a hint of slight sweetness, but still healthy and tasty.

The other dessert was The Boss Petit Fours, which comprised of three different pieces, one being the Mango Mochi style, the other being a deep-fried water chestnut cake wrapped in spring roll sheet, and the last being deep-fried rice cake wrapped in spring roll sheet. Fairly delicious and not too sweet, it gave a satisfying finish to our dinner.

The service is good with the staff attentive and helping to pour tea for us, coming to check whether we like the food, and also offering to help in future bookings. My only comment would be the speed of sending the dishes in could be improved, as it took a while before dishes, which for an evening that is not busy would be slow. Also, they have missed our fried rice. We had waited for a long while and only when they came to take away our utensils did they find out that the rice was not yet served. That is certainly a follow-up the team would need to improve.

With the bill being $6015 for two, without any wine or drinks, it is indeed very expensive. Considering the premium nature of many of the ingredients, however, I would not say they were over-charging. For those who might not want to spend so much for dinner, there are other set menu options and a la cart to choose.

My overall rating is 70/100.