12/F, 11 Stanley Street, Central
Tel: 3902 3813
Open: Monday-Saturday, noon-2.30pm, 6pm-10pm
Cuisine: fusion Japanese
Price: about HK$400 without drinks or the service charge.
Ambience: the spartan, rustic interior is clean, comfortable and recognisably Japanese. There are three types of seating: sushi bar, individual tables, and a communal island in the middle.
Pros: service came with bottomless smiles and advice not to over-order. The menu included a note that the shortage of fish from Japan (because of radiation contamination fears) has prompted the restaurant to obtain food from other parts of the world, although some seafood, including hamachi, comes from Kyushu. Our meals arrived quickly (there were only two other tables occupied) and were beautifully presented.
Cons: our waitresses spoke little English, which caused confusion. We were told tea was not available; obviously, this was not the case.
Recommended dishes: the foie gras and scallop maki (HK$130) was a flavour and texture winner. The foie gras had a subtle but definite presence, its buttery richness balanced by the sweet mango-flavoured dribbles on the plate and the crunchy sesame seeds and fish roe. Sushi doesn't normally come with much heat, which is why we tried the spicy salmon skin maki (HK$100), a special dish served with a slice of tomato capping each sushi, with an ikura egg doubling as a pom-pom. Barely fiery, but with a pleasing crispiness and crunchiness, it was one of the best-looking dishes. The aji tataki, 'horse mackerel, beaten' (HK$200), was light and fresh. The fish head, which decorated the dish, was used to make miso soup to end our meal.
