Fare One of the few places in Hong Kong that serve basashi - horse sashimi (right). Menu includes sushi, yakitori, kushiyaki and set meals.
Ambience Intimate and cosy, or dark and slightly gloomy, depending on your mood.
Cost If you abstain from alcohol, about HK$300 per head - and that's if you order the good stuff: botan ebi (above), uni, toro (good, not prime), with a few yakitori or kushiyaki skewers thrown in.
Who to bring Japanese executives desperate for good, affordable sushi. If those are in short supply, a hungry date, a small group of friends or someone curious about the taste of horse would be ideal.
Turn-ons The basashi is a must-try. The sashimi is sliced thinly, frozen and served on ice accompanied by a sweet, vinegary soy sauce. The frozen slices melted instantly when they came in contact with our mouths and the flavour of the tender meat was strong, distinctive and slightly reminiscent of venison. As for the sushi, the toro (fatty tuna belly) was exquisite. The chef told us that the meat came from the 'chin' of the tuna, and the result is a pale pink, finely marbled toro that melts in your mouth instead of leaving stringy fat stuck between your teeth. We also liked how they prepared some of the sushi two ways. The botan ebi (spot prawn), for example, was served both as nigiri (topping layered over rice) with the body of the prawn and as gunkan-maki (topping layered over rice and wrapped on the sides with nori) with the roe - the latter of which tasted unbelievably fresh and rich.
Turn-offs Requires at least one other dining companion in order to fully appreciate the range and quality of the food. One order of botan ebi sushi, for example, comes with two prawns, each prepared two ways. Four pieces of sushi in one order is a whole lot of rice for the solitary diner. The portion size of the basashi is also quite large - 16 slices. Even though a half-portion is available, that's still overwhelming for one person, particularly for the curious diner who just wants to try the meat.