Culinary delights revealed after another appetising trip to Land of the Rising Sun

One of the perks of being a manager at a restaurant chain is the tasting trips; and when your company specialises in Japanese cuisine, that means you are in the food heaven of Tokyo several times a year.

At the opening of Dondonya's fifth outlet in Taikoo Shing on Wednesday, marketing manager Vivian Lee and senior restaurant manager Kwan Ching-tat showed off the culinary discoveries from their latest Japanese trip.

'We found a trendy little place in Roppongi that served udon in a creamy soup topped with spicy mentaiko [cured pollock roe] and loved it so much we took the recipe back and put the dish on the menu - exclusively at this new outlet,' Kwan said. 'It's a bit non-traditional as a dish, but it's getting really popular in Japan, so we thought we'd see what kind of reception it gets here.'

The Highball - Suntory whiskey and soda served in a frosted beer mug - is another new import to the menu. Not surprisingly, Lee said she came up with the idea to bring the drink back to Hong Kong between her second and third round of the stuff. But, she says, it is not all fun and games. It takes discipline and an iron stomach to get through a day of non-stop eating.

'We typically have eight to 10 meals a day during these trips, from early morning till late at night, to squeeze in as much as possible' Lee says. 'It's pretty tiring, if you think about it.' Perhaps, but she won't be getting much sympathy for that statement from Hong Kong's food-crazed citizens.