Kaetsu: M/F Grand Hyatt, 1 Harbour Road, Wan Chai, Hongkong, Tel: 588-1234, ext 7088. Hours: Midday-2.30 pm, 7-11 pm. Decor: High chic with low lighting. Beautifully designed with dark wood, stone, clay and earthy looking textile finishes. Cuisine: Japanese, set lunches from $250, set dinners from $300. Clientele: Mixed bunch of friends, families, tourists and a few business people.
Service: A la Grand Hyatt; waiting team includes the odd familiar face from Grissini. No question is too much trouble to answer. Reservations: Not necessary (yet). Parking: Valet parking available. Cellular phones per table count: None (yet). Smoking policy: No non-smoking section. Overall value for money (out of five): 41/2 bowls here PRETEND you are a Hongkong hotel opening a new food outlet and you've already got one Italian restaurant. Not only that, you've already got a champagne and caviar bar too. What should you do? You take a chance and build a sushi bar.
The Grand Hyatt has gone two further and - in a space that used to be a shop selling clothes with names like Gianni Versace on the labels - created not only the most understated sushi bar in town, but also put it bang in the middle of the ultimately chicJapanese restaurant. One expected to see designers crawling out of the landscaped woodwork to pat each other on the back.
There was barely even a piece of ikebana in sight to detract from the minimalist angles and wooden layered effect. Tables were bare but for a simple white napkin and a pair of long and elegant chopsticks.
Once into the minimalist style of things, it became a bit of a worry that when the food arrived it was going to mar the symmetry. In fact, the place is so chic it probably does look better when everyone's finished dinner and gone home.
It is certainly not for people who might want to write something down or refer to a diary during a meal. It could even be ever so slightly embarrassing doing business in a place where lighting is strictly for mood, designed to flatter the food and leave the face in romantic half-light.