This sushi restaurant is located in Hung Hom Whampoa Garden, inside the Nine Seafood Place. Haven't been here for a long while, the place looked completely different, with the shopping mall turning into a number of Japanese restaurants and also a supermarket selling seafood. With a reservation we were seated quickly, but to my dismay they somehow did not put me at the sushi counter which I called to arrange after making the reservation online via Openrice.
The staff apologized profusely claiming my record showing I was only on standby for the counter seats, but I told them that it would be better they could tell me when I made the request instead of only knowing by now. Not wanting to create further trouble, we took our seats at the table and made our order.
Decided to try out the Omakase Menu Gin, at $1480 each, with the starter being Duck Breast with Mustard, Nanbanzuke, and Deep-fried Small Crab. Seasoned well, the duck breast and nanbanzuke were both delicious but I like the deep-fried crab the most. A nice presentation of a lively crab, it was crunchy on the bite and the shell was not too hard to swallow. A nice start for the dinner.
Next was the sashimi, including Flounder, Arctic Surf Clam, Sayori, Shima Aji, Botan Ebi and Ezo Awabi. All of them were very fresh and great in taste, and the staff also shared with us the different sauces to use for dipping the sashimi with. The Arctic surf clam was prepared from a live one with the different parts cut out nicely by the chef serving us, very sweet in taste. The prawn was big in size and wonderful too. But among them I like the abalone the most with its tender texture and great flavors.
Following was the Hokkaido Snow Crab, with the meat taken out to make it easy to eat. On top there was the crab yolk which was intense in flavors, and mixing with the delicate crab meat provided an extra dimension of complexity. The special dipping sauce was made with ginger and vinegar, which could highlight the original taste of the crab. Another nice one in the evening.
Then came the O-Toro, and because of its fatty nature, the chef used a piece of seaweed to wrap it, and inside added some basil leaves and bamboo-charcoal salt to slightly season the fish but not masking the overall experience. I applaud the chef for the creativity and a nice way to help reduce the sense of eating a piece of fat in my opinion.
Earlier the staff took the head of the Botan Ebi to the kitchen to help us deep fry it so we can eat it all. Returning with a golden-brown colour, I put a few drops of lemon to freshen it up. Overall it is not too oily but the prawn might be too big for this cooking method. Nothing wrong with the technique but the prawn was simply too hard in the shell to fully chew it thoroughly.
Finishing the hot dish we had the Grilled Clam with Caviar. The clam was grilled equally well here, just cooked but still retaining tender flesh, and the sea-water inside helped to season the clam, so no soy sauce is needed. The caviar certainly enhanced the overall premium serving but I would say it is unnecessary.
Transitioning to the sushi, there were a total of five pieces, including Firefly Squid, Sea Urchin, Akami or Lean Tuna, Fresh Mackerel and Torched Yellowtail. Again they were all very fresh, with the sea urchin sushi bursting with plenty of sea urchin on top, creating a fulfilling experience when biting in. The firefly squid was a seasonal choice and also good in taste. The pickles on the side were decent but not particularly impressive however.
There was also a Minced Tuna Hand-Roll to supplement. Added with plenty of chives, the tuna was also seasoned with salt so there was no need to add any soy sauce. For me it was a bit too salty, but the tuna was creamy in texture and rich in flavors, and the seaweed crunchy on the bite. Tuning down a bit on the saltiness would make this a wonderful hand-roll.
Both of us thought there are room for a bit more so we ordered an extra two pieces of sushi each, including White Shrimp ($80 each) and Fish Roe ($40 each). We had the white shrimp sushi before and also amazed by the skills it took to prepare it. It was sweet in taste and soft on the mouthfeel. A nice addition. The fish roe was also nice, but comparatively there was less excitement maybe because it was much more widely available.
The soup was then served. A clear soup prepared with clams, yuzu peel and chives, it was highly fragrant, very hot in temperature serving, and provided a great comfort as the wrap up of the meal. The soup was so flavorful that I was tempted to ask for another one. A truly nice one.
For dessert it was the Strawberry from Kumamoto as well as the Chocolate Mousse Cake. The strawberry was very sweet, but I like the cake more as it was soft and fluffy, with the chocolate rich and of the right sweetness. A great finale for the whole meal.
Service was good with the staff coming over to explain each course, which food to eat first, sauce to be used for different pieces, and filling in our tea cups regularly. They also came to ask for feedback at the end, like whether there were sufficient sushi in the course for us and improvement needed. A sincere effort I can tell to improve the quality, and I applaud them for it.
Overall bill on the night was $3,520.
Ingredients (for 4):
