This sushi restaurant is on Hollywood Road, near Man Mo Temple, where the former Bibo is located. It brought back some memories as Bibo had one of the most creative and art-centric décors in all the restaurants I visited in HK. But today I come here to experience something much more traditional.
The entrance has a small plaque showing the restaurant’s name and if not paying attention one can easily walk by without noticing. Going in the waitress and chefs greeted us, and it is the long sushi table made from a large slab of wood which immediately caught our attention. There are some nice touches of art too, including a modern-art painting and a tree with flowers hanging upside down from the roof.
There are only four customers on the night, and we are served by Chef Kimijima, who has lived in HK for 22 years, but will be leaving HK at the end of the month to return to Japan. We have the Omakase Experience ($2,088) while I also go for sake pairing ($800).
The first course is Truffle Rice, a signature from Chef Kimijima. The white truffle is freshly shaved and intensely fragrant, with the aromas so prominent I can smell from a distance. The rice has also a great texture, of more bite than the shari used for sushi, appropriately seasoned, and mixed with also truffle oil to further enhance the flavours. No wonder this is the signature, featuring in the beginning of the course.
In the sake pairing, there are a total of four different sakes served. The first one is Kiritto 45 from Michisakari, a super dry sake that revolutionized the Japanese sake industry in the 1970s when the sweeter version was at its peak of popularity. Its dry nature I found pairing well with the more delicate-flavoured sashimi.
The second course is Zuwa-gani, or Snow Crab. Presented as a neat cube, the snow crab meat is prepared with dashi gelatin, adding some caviar on top. The wonderful umami notes from the dashi, the delicate sweetness from the crab meat, and the touch of savoury from the caviar, combine to make this a nice feast in flavours.
The third course is Bonito, or Skipjack Tuna. Instead of smoking, the chef has served it raw. Originally worrying that the flesh will have too much strong smell it is surprisingly pleasant through the clever use of chives and myoga. There are also some baby sorrel leaves underneath, and its sour and lemony taste also helps to cleanse the palate from the bonito. Another example of the thoughtfulness of the chef.
The fourth course is Tako, or Octopus. Seeing the chef takes out the tentacles from the bowl and cutting a few pieces already started my mouth watering. The octopus is very tender, with umami flavours from the braising sauce bursting out on each bite. Pairing with a bit of yuzu kosho and wasabi, plus some yuzu peels on top, help to freshen and increase the complexity of flavours even further.
The fifth course is Awabi, or Abalone. Again, seeing the chef in action is part of the enjoyment. While many would think there is no technique in cutting the abalone, on closer look the chef has deliberately twisted the wrist during the process to create a wavy surface on the cut. Whether it is this or other reason I am not sure, but the abalone is certainly very tender and without any rubbery texture. Paired with the paste made from the liver adds to the wonders in its taste.
Transitioning to the sushi, the second sake is served. The Kokuryu Daiginjo has richer fruity notes and heavier body, which makes it suitable to pair with the sushi.
The first sushi is Hirame, or Flounder. The chef has added half a shiso leaf in the sushi, and one can see through the translucent flesh to the green underneath. The delicate taste of the flounder has been supplemented with a bit of yuzu kosho to good effect. One thing to note is that Chef Kimijima kneads a smaller shari than most other sushi restaurants, which I believe is the more traditional style.
The second sushi is Akamutsu, or Rosy Seabass. The chef has lightly torched this prized deepwater fish, to release its fragrant fish oil. On the bite the rich fatty texture is very pleasant, smooth and fulfilling. Another great piece.
The third sushi is Kanpachi, or Greater Amberjack. With a decent amount of fat, the fish has a firm texture, but a milder sweet taste. The most amazing thing however is how the chef has up-leveled the flavours through a bit of sesame, which are intense in its note but has good harmony with the greater amberjack.
The fourth sushi is Hotategai, or Scallop. The large scallop is first cut in half, and then further butterfly-sliced to spread longer. Using a piece of shiso leaf underneath again, the chef uses sea salt and some yuzu shavings to season the scallop, to bring forward the sweetness.
The fifth sushi is Ishigakigai, or Bering Sea Cockle. The crunchy texture of the cockle and the sweet, umami taste is wonderful, and while the chef did not smash the cockle to make it stand like other sushi chefs, he touches the tip and the muscle contracts, showing its freshness also.
Before going to the second part of the sushi another sake is served to pair. The Junmai Daiginjo from Kudokijozu has a fresh taste, sweeter than the last one with a very well-balanced palate. Personally my favourite sake on the night.
The sixth sushi is Kuruma-ebi, or Japanese Tiger Prawn. After poaching the chef allows the prawn to cool down a bit before removing the shell and head, taking away the brown meat to make into a paste. Using it to enhance the flavours, he put that as fillings inside the sushi. The firm texture of the prawn meat, its natural sweetness and the umami coming from the soy sauce created a perfect combination. Really good.
The seventh sushi is Anago, or Sea Eel. A bit different than the other sushiya making the sea eel so soft like dissolving in the mouth, here it has a much firmer texture, and while it is nicely grilled and the taste is nothing inferior comparatively, I would still prefer the softer style.
Coming to the end of the sushi is the trio of tuna, which comes from Oma in Aomori, with the Akami Zuke, or Lean Tuna, first being served. Marinated in soy sauce, the tuna is a bit too salty for me unfortunately. But the soft and smooth texture of the tuna, as well as the pinch of fragrant sesame on top, helps to rescue some marks.
The last two pieces, Chu-toro and O-toro, or Medium Fatty Tuna and Fatty Tuna, are served together. Both are very good, without any tendon and chewiness, and the burst of fish oil on the bite is a great experience that makes people around the world crave for this.
Coming towards the end, I am surprised to see there is a last sake to pair. The Daiginjo from Isojiman has a floral note, with a clean and clear taste, which helps to remove the flavours in the mouth to a good effect.
We have made the request to add caviar ($288 supplement) to the Uni Maki, or Sea Urchin Handroll. After checking with us on the amount of rice needed, the chef has scooped in a generous portion of the expensive caviar, and an abundance of the nice sea urchin, to make the handroll. If you worry about still being hungry because of the small amount of shari on each sushi, finishing this maki will most likely make you full.
The Tamago, or Egg, wraps it up, with a fluffy interior and a deep-coloured, firmer surface. The rich umami flavours are fantastic, apparently coming from the great broth mixed with the egg. It is so good that I am tempted to request the chef to give me another piece.
The Miso Soup has a large clam, and the hot soup has a comforting effect to the stomach, also not overly salty.
The dessert includes a Homemade Daifuku, a round mochi wrapping a Kyoho Grape, as well as Matcha Chocolate. Both are very good, and I can tell the chef has paid a great deal of attention on this, while many would simply take the easy way of offering fruit in my experience. These can be sold on its own in a Japanese confectionary shop to illustrate how good they are.
The service is good, but ideally I want to understand more the ingredients and the food for even better enjoyment. I guess if the chef may not be exactly very comfortable doing that using English, the waitress perhaps can support more in that respect. The bill is $6,204 and frankly is a bit on the high end, but to see how Chef Kimijima continues to uphold some of the traditional elements in his cuisine has a value on its own.
