Restaurant review: Kanidou Noda in Central – crab-focused Japanese omakase

The chefs at Kanidou Noda must have thought we were very greedy. I misread the menu, and thought that the Kanidou omakase (HK$1,500 plus 10 per cent) included a choice of Kagoshima eel or Kagoshima nozaki wagyu, with the beef costing an additional HK$200. We found out when we received the bill that both were optional, and each had a HK$200 supplement.

Next time I visit – and I’ve already made the booking – I’ll skip the optional course because although good, it paled in comparison to the focus of the restaurant: crab.

The friendly chef proudly showed us the crabs: kegani (hairy crab) and the much larger taraba (king crab) that were alive and kicking. By the end of the meal, we’d eaten the entire kegani, and a good part of the taraba.

OMG omakase - our three best meals at Hong Kong Japanese restaurants

The omakase didn’t sound impressive: appetiser, sashimi, hot dish, grilled dish, deep-fried dish, rice, soup, pickles and dessert. So far, so manageable. But it turned out to be far more impressive and extensive than that, with the different parts of the crab showing up in many different ways.

The appetiser course was chilled broccoli rabe, tender octopus, shrimp, and a fantastic piece of ankimo (monkfish liver).

The sashimi course featured both types of crab: hairy crab, which, raw, was a little tough, and sweet, soft king crab, as well as flounder and toro.

Grilled king crab leg was succulent, served with sudachi and a dish of vinegar, both of which enhanced the sweetness.

The waitress asked if we ate shirako and, after receiving an enthusiastic yes, presented us with an excellent dish of wonderfully creamy fish “male roe” in a delicious broth with chrysanthemum petals and a soft piece of daikon.