Wyndham Street has been graced with yet another restaurant. Japanese eatery Arigato's opened about a month ago in the dining and drinking hotspot. 'We saw a need for more Asian restaurants on this street,' says director Charles Cheng. 'Arigato's is hopefully the first of several outlets to open in Central and Kowloon.'
The interior, transformed from a gallery space, is panelled almost entirely in dark wood, with a puzzle-like mirror installation on the rear wall. At the front is a bar - for drinks, not raw fish. Sushi, along with cooked food, is prepared behind closed doors. The restaurant seats 26 while the bar can accommodate nine.
The bartender recommends one of the many sake cocktails (see The Mixer, right) to prime the palate.
The Tokyo Mule (HK$68) is a spin on the classic Moscow Mule, using sake, ginger ale, ginger beer
and lemon juice.
For starters, there are dishes such as beef tataki salad (HK$95) and spicy toro tartare (top left; HK$150), which is served in romaine lettuce cups with a sauce made from lime, lemongrass, onion, chilli and vinegar. The deluxe sushi platter costs HK$360 and includes toro, uni, botan shrimp, salmon, snapper, red tuna, ikura, yellowtail, octopus, crab leg and scallop. The signature dish of mango roasted cod (left; HK$130) incorporates traditional miso with the fish while sliced Angus teriyaki (far left; HK$220) comes with grilled asparagus. For dessert, try the banana tempura (HK$90), served with vanilla ice cream and chocolate sauce.
