Timeout: Kirala

(From KC's review in Timeout)

Opened by the same folks who operate Sushi Dokoro Hikari in Tin Hau, Kirala is the latest venue to join the myriad Japanese restaurants inside Causeway Bay’s Henry House. Marketing itself as a kaiseki restaurant, Kirala offers no à la carte menus, only set meals with all the details dictated by the chef.


There are six different set menus served during lunch, plus a chef’s special kaseiki set, which we were initially quite interested in. However, when we asked about details of this set, the manageress implied that most diners would choose one of the normal sets rather than the special kaiseki here. After hearing this, it felt pointless to pay $480 for a set menu that even the staff wouldn’t recommend and we opted instead for the wagyu and toro set ($198) and the Kirala set ($178).


Both the main dishes in the wagyu and toro set were disappointing. The Australian beef was undergrilled and lacked both flavour and that melt-in-the-mouth texture. The tuna belly suffered as well. Not only was it a bit too soft, it tasted like it had spent too much time defrosting. The sushi in the Kirala set was equally dissatisfying. The sliced sama, for example, was fishy in taste, overly supple and was served with normal soy sauce instead of the proper mashed ginger seasoning. For the tempura, other than the slightly off-putting greasiness, the seafood was fresh and delicious. The steamed rice with sea eel and salmon roe was probably the best part of the set. The rice was soft with an al dente texture and was imbibed in the savory aromas of the sea.


Price-wise, Kirala is fairly reasonable and we were even given a 10 percent discount on our visit. But, overall, this place still needs plenty of time and work to reach the proper kaiseki standard.

Timeout: Mutekiya

(From KC's review in Timeout)

Although ramen is featured as the signature dish here, from talking to the staff, this newly opened Japanese restaurant has nothing to do with the famous Mutekiya ramen institution in Ikebukuro.


Still eager to give this place a try, we started with sliced Japanese yam ($48), which was cool and refreshingly crunchy, making it a great appetiser for the summer. We also tried some of the grilled and yakitori items as well (note that these are only served during the evenings). The homemade chicken meatball ($45) was delicious, especially with the crisp bits of chicken cartilage that were mixed into it. The sweet barbecue sauce, soy and egg yolk also added plenty of flavour to the minced meat skewer. This is a must-try item. The grilled chicken heart ($22) was another highlight, tender with plenty of chargrilled flavour. On the other hand, the grilled ox tongue ($68) arrived chewy and rubbery. A disappointment for a usual favourite.


We also tried the grilled veggies, the best of which was the French horn mushroom ($22) seasoned with barbecue sauce. The ginkgo nuts ($16) were bitter and the texture too hard and sticky. The Japanese green peppers ($16) were another letdown, undercooked, bland and despairingly soggy.


Moving onto the carbs, we were told that the tsukemen (noodle with thick sauce, $98) is more popular here than the soup rendition. These are of the thick, wheat grain variety designed to hold up its sauce. However, the sauce was watery and the flavour was lacking. It seems that this restaurant still has some way to go before it’s even close to the original Mutekiya.

(Also check out KC's reviews on Timeout here)

Timeout: E-Pai

(From KC's Review in Timeout)

If you’re a fan of The Yuu, you should find the interior and the menu at E-Pai quite familiar. This should be no surprise since both restaurants belong to King Parrot Group. With the dark wood décor and the menus hanging on walls, E-Pai almost feels like a traditional izakaya in Roppongi, Tokyo. Diners can choose to dine at the teppanyaki table, the sushi bar or the normal dining tables. We opted to sit in front of the teppanyaki chefs to enjoy their culinary show.


We started the meal with several grilled items. The fresh gingko nuts ($38) have a bit of chew and a delicate flavour enhanced by the sea salt. The grilled ox-tongue ($25) is equally tasty, succulent and marbled with fat. The grilled eel ($25) arrives moist, with a dry and crispy skin. Unfortunately, the eel still carried a strong fishy taste that even the salt seasoning couldn’t eliminate.


We also tried the E-Pai kansai-yaki ($58) – an Osaka-style savoury egg pancake loaded with beef tendons, mushrooms and cheese, among other things. As a signature dish, this was a let-down – the texture of the cake is too runny and the barbecue sauce used is overly sour, tasting like a supermarket product rather than a homespun offering.


Thankfully, the beef yaki ($68) fared a lot better. The meat is thin-cut with a juicy, fatty texture and intense beefy flavour that is further enhanced by cooking with spicy miso. We also ordered the rice with tea and plum ($50). Although the rice is not from Japan, it’s still cooked very well to deliver a soft yet still slightly al dente texture. Paired with an appetite-inducing sour plum and a tasty seafood soup, we polished off the rice in no time.


When we left the restaurant after our meal, there were still around 20 people waiting outside the door. Obviously, this is exactly the kind of Japanese eatery the Kwun Tong crowd was longing for.

（Here you go to Timeout.com for more restaurants reviews...）

（請表此參考中文食評）

鈇板女大將

(摘自KC在報章上的專欄文章)

之前在這個專欄也說過，在云云日本料理種類之中筆者最喜歡的就是鈇板燒。當中原因有很多，因為喜歡吃牛肉，也欣賞師傅用簡單的烹調方法直接的將食材的真正味道顯現出來。而鈇板燒最吸引人的地方，就是將整個原本在廚房內發生的工序搬出來在客人面前做一次。做得好的有如流水行雲，手法生疏的也無所遁形難以藏拙，是個百分百的「廚房真人show」。



最近帝苑酒店的公關大員告知酒店的日本餐廳稻菊（尖沙咀麼地道69號帝苑酒店1樓 2733 2933）邀得女日籍師傅主理其鈇板燒檯。談起女鈇板師傅，筆者立即想起以前的水車屋，那時的一班本地年青女師傅也實在做得有聲有色，但日籍的女鈇板燒師傅就如鳳毛麟角，當然第一時間去試試。



稻菊的鈇板燒檯就在餐廳的最埋邊，面前一片透日光的人造水幕，襯托著精緻的松樹擺設，仍然是一貫的高貴幽雅。跟正在打點食材女師傅井上雅美打個招呼，漂亮的面孔下是爽朗的聲線及肯定的對答，感覺專業。飯局開始，井上師傅在鈇板上為我們準備各種食物，只見她用刀一劃，輕輕手拉已將東星斑片及帆立貝處理好。又見其氣定神閒的跟大家交談，但一件件燒得火侯則好，外邊焦香及肉裡嫩紅的牛柳已放在我們面前。手法俐落，絕對是大將風範。



最欣賞的還是井上師傅對醬汁的調配，香味四溢的蒜蓉牛油汁正好帶出帆立貝的鮮甜，而生薑醬汁又跟嫩滑的斑片配合得恰到好處。原來她在鈇板燒的工作以外，本身也對烹調法國菜甚有心得，難怪在醬汁運用方面如此到家。

御節料理

（轉載自KC在報章上的專欄文章）

可能年紀越大，時候就越過得快，2010年已在不經不覺過去。上週才跟朋友們喝過「忘年酒」，希望將一切往年帶下來的衰氣霉運送走，文章見報之時，已是2011年。在每年元旦的大清早，筆者還有吃御節料理（おせち料理）的習慣。



御節料理吃的其實是用以供奉年神後徹下來的貢品，意義就有如我們去享用奉過祖先或拜過神的燒肉及雞，意在感謝神靈的恩惠。所以御節料理不單會在日本元旦出現，還會在其他日本節日如人日、上巳節、端午節、七夕中準備。食物因為是預早製定的，所以大多也是凍食，不過內容也頗豐富的。傳統而言，御節料理用「重箱」放得精緻美觀的，最名貴的會有五層（五段重），內容會包括「祝肴」、「煮しめ」及「お雜煮」。「祝肴」是最傳統的日式賀年菜，象徵甜蜜幸福，所以會做成甜甜的。漬魚干、甜黑豆及鯑魚籽等都是「祝肴」。「煮しめ」就是一般的家庭式煮物，內容多會是時令蔬菜及肉類，在御節料理中出現的很多時也是里芋、筍、蓮藕、鴨肉或豚肉。「お雜煮」就是一碗年糕清湯，再加上新年喝的藥酒「屠蘇」，就是日本人元旦日的豐富賀年菜。



在香港，供應元旦御節料理的地方也不少，筆者推薦的是九龍香格里拉的灘萬（尖沙咀麼地道64號九龍香格里拉大酒店地下2層 2733 8751），那裡的御節料理做得仔細美味，加上一碗紅豆飯，絕對是飽足的元旦日開始。料理早在上午七時半已經供應，至十時半已完。不要嫌早，其實新年料理也是大清早吃才合傳統。



也在這裡祝各讀者有個豐盛快樂的2011年。

Sushi Sase (鮨 佐瀨)

(Posted in Timeout Hong Kong on)

The arrival of Satoshi Sase, the former head chef at Sapporo’s Sushi Zen, is exciting news for all sushi fans. The new venue, named after the chef in question, has already become a hot dining spot in Soho, and reservations for a table must be made at least two weeks in advance.



The decor is almost the same as that at Sushi Zen, including a large open kitchen. The juniper and bamboo have the feel of Japanese authenticity.

Three kinds of dinner menu were on offer: the Chef Omakase Course ($1,380) included a kaiseki set with dishes recommended by the chef according to the freshest seasonal ingredients of the day, the Sushi Omakase Course ($1,380) which mainly offered sushi made by the chef with some dishes selected in the kaiseki set, and the Omakase Sushi set ($950), which included 15 pieces of sushi. Having requested to be served by Sase, I went with the Chef Omakase Course.



To start, Sase passed us crab leg and bonito jelly with herring fish roe. The crab leg was sweet and the texture of the roe was crunchy and full of oceanic flavour. However, it could have been smoother and finer if only the crab meat had been shredded instead.



Sase then started to work on different sashimi and seafood dishes – including natural snapper, kinki, sanma (Pacific suary), and Hokkaido hairy crab (with its roe). The ingredients were fresh and of good quality, especially by Hong Kong standards. The snapper was soft and juicy, with a relatively mild flavour, which Sase cleverly enhanced with lime juice.



The kinki sashimi was the star of the night. It was moist and fatty, with a tender and chewy texture. It was lightly grilled for a smoky flavour. The sanma was crunchy and rich. The meat, however, was not fatty enough since it wasn’t in season. And although Hokkaido hairy crab is not usually my favourite type of crab (I prefer Zuwai-kani), the in-season crabs were fresh and very tasty.



Sase also served grilled matsutake mushrooms. This was an ideal way to kick start the sushi part of the night. Ten pieces were served, including samegarei (shark skin flounder), botan ebi (spot prawn), otoro (tuna belly) and bafun uni (sea urchin). Sase skilfully made the sushi; the rice was seasoned nicely with rice vinegar and the standard here was high. The otoro sushi is highly recommended. It was, in fact, “Kamatoro” – one of the most premium parts in the whole tuna belly. The otoro was lightly torched, melting the fat to give it an extremely delicious, explosive flavour. To finish we were served the signature green tea pudding, which was silky smooth with an intense taste and a well-balanced sweetness.



It’s safe to say that the experience was one of the best at any Japanese restaurant in Hong Kong. And yet it’s still not up to the standards of any Michelin-starred restaurants in Tokyo or Kyoto. When Chef Sase was asked where the matsutake mushrooms came from, he had to ask his colleague. We were subsequently told that they were from Yunnan, not Japan. This is quite unacceptable for an omakase chef who is expected to know everything about the ingredients he is using – especially at this price.

Ginza Okura (銀座大倉)

(Posted in Timeout Hong Kong on 4 Aug 2010)

When Ginza, a teppanyaki restaurant located in the former New World Harbour Center, closed down in April this year after 30 odd years (due to the renovation of the building), it may have felt like the end of a great journey. But not satisfied with calling it a day so soon, Chef Okura Masataka led his team and set up another Japanese restaurant in a new commercial center on Chatham Road South and called it “Ginza Okura”.



And on one relatively unspectacular weeknight we visited the new establishment, slightly surprised to see that only half the tables were occupied, and that almost all the patrons were Japanese. We later found out that most of them were old customers of Chef Okura. It seems loyalty is alive and well in this town.



Taking our place among the veterans, and before the ‘teppanyaki show’ started, we were keen to try some of the other items on the menu – and so we started with cold bean curd ($60) and the jackfish (aji鯵, $200), which came fresh and whole, served together with the bone. The raw fish was nicely cut and springy when bitten into, with a delicately sweet aftertaste. We also had assorted tempura ($250) which included shrimps, eggplant, sweet potato and green pepper. All were served searing hot with a light batter. The shrimp meat was tender and juicy, while the vegetable was crisp and refreshing.



We then left the regular table and moved over to a U-shaped teppanyaki table to meet our grill chef, Wong Yan Kit, one of the teppanyaki chefs from the former New World Plaza Ginza, for the second part of the dinner. Three menus were offered to us, each a step up in price, quality and quantity. We selected the Matsu ($560) and Sakura ($650), both served seafood, while the Sakura set also had Matsu beef and the Take set US steak.



We marvelled at Chef Wong’s supreme dexterity in handling his knife, as he sliced and diced live abalone, king prawn, sweet scallop and cod fish, which were immediately thrown onto the grill. By this stage the scallops were the undisputed stars of the evening: thickly cut, lightly caramelized, sweet and juicy. The live abalone were sliced into thin layers, slightly cooked with soya bean sauce and Japanese wine using the abalone shell as a cooking pot. The texture of the sliced abalone was a little crunchy, and the balance between chewy and firm was just right. The shrimp was fresh as expected, but the shrimp head could have been prepared in a way that the hard and sharp shell was removed so that the entire head was edible.



When it came to the beef, Chef Wong stacked strips of steak doused with whiskey and set them alight. Then he got the thinly sliced Wagyu beef and stuffed it with deep fried garlic and finely chopped spring onion, acting as a sort of beef roll. Personally I preferred the thickly sliced US beef steak. With its tender texture and rich flavor, it certainly surpassed the Wagyu beef we had that night.



The feast ended with classic Japanese fried rice and ice cream for dessert, and everybody left the restaurant adequately stuffed. It may well be a pricier option in an area filled with Japanese diners, but given the quality of the food and the attentive service it was well worth it.

（中文食評，請按此　Please press here for Chinese review）

Yakichi （天地旬鮮‧八吉）

(Posted in Timeout Hong Kong 1 Sep 2010)

The latest addition to the Toy House in Tsim Sha Tsui is an establishment that hails all the way from the bright lights of Tokyo and goes by the catchy name of Yakichi. Acquired by the ever mercurial EN Group to replace Chura, Yakichi is the first branch of this famous Japanese chain to arrive in Hong Kong; and having more than 80 outlets in Japan means that Yakichi has enough bargaining power to get first dibs at the Tsukiji Fish Market, importing fresh and rare catch that are not easy to find elsewhere in this city.



We visited on a busy Friday, but found the interior to be rather dim – albeit neat and cosy. Upon entering we spotted some inviting private booths off to one side, but were instead led straight to the large tatami seating area (traditional Japanese flooring made with woven straw mats) located in the middle of the restaurant.



Dinner started with some traditional Okinawan cold appetisers, such as the sea grapes ($58), which on first bite felt similar to the crunchy texture you get when eating fish roe, despite it actually being a kind of seaweed. But still, it tasted fresh and sweet with a distinct oceanic flavor and was a good little dish to kick-start dinner.



Next in line was raw shrimp marinated with salt ($30), another authentic Okinawan appetiser. The shrimp was certainly fresh – it’s texture being perfectly chewy, juicy and bouncy – but other than it being overpowered with the taste of the sea, the salt simply drove us to drink more sake. This traditional dish, also known as “shiokara”, is certainly something of an acquired taste.



Then came the ‘big reveal’ as the waitress brought out the various ‘catch of the day’ for us to survey. After a brief introduction from our waitress we plumped for three kinds of fish, so that we could sample the three distinct ways of cooking them: isaki for sashimi, houbou for braised and nodoguro for grilled. Isaki ($250) is one of those summer seasonal fish that are commonly caught in Tokyo Bay. In terms of preparation, the whole fillet was cut into two parts, fish back and fish belly. The meat in the fish back was relatively lean and thinly sliced, which kept it crispy and slightly chewy, while the belly part was cut in thicker slices in order to maintain its soft and tender texture (kudos must also be given to the chef for his precise knife skills when cutting the raw meat. It’s an art that takes years to master). Finally, the main bone was used to make the legendary, but oh so simple, miso soup.



Next up was the whole houbou ($230), which was braised with soya bean sauce, sake and mirin (Japanese cooking wine). The flesh was meltingly tender with a superbly rich flavour, and together with the slightly sweet sauce was undoubtedly the star of the show. The grilled Nodoguro ($290) was perhaps a bit too salty and the fish skin was not nearly crispy enough. Luckily we were compensated by the tender, succulent and delicious flesh under the skin.



Outside of our oceanic adventures, we also tried the braised pork belly with miso ($72), which tasted delicious but was a little rubbery in texture. The steamed Australia wagyu beef with vegetable ($128) was simply tasteless, and was a real disappointment compared with the near flawlessness of the fish dishes.



And talking of their fish, they only get delivered twice a week – on Tuesdays and Thursdays. So make sure you make a reservation on the right day in order to taste the very freshest catch.

（中文食評，請按此　Please press here for Chinese review）

大阪日本料理 ~

因為食評文章不短，食物相也太多，所以就將所有的短片放在這裡（想看食評文章，請按這裡）：

1. 師傅處理虎蝦的俐落手法：



2. 炒飯：

KC推介~日本料理

可以這樣說，在本地的各式日本料理，出名又或是值得一試的，都試過。想找地道正宗的燒鳥店或居酒屋不難，但要找有水準的刺身壽司店，就極難。以下是32間在各個料理種類上的推介，排名分先後，而名單的不時更改。如果是喜歡日本料理的，建議大家先解決這32間店子及其拿手菜色。而如果對表列上任何一間有興趣的話，我可是樂意奉陪的。

更新日期：2009年6月22日

燒鳥店/串燒











1. 和居和居﹝各式燒鳥﹞
http://www.openrice.com/restaurant/sr2.htm?shopid=14589

2. 純燒鳥﹝燒年糕，燒飯糰﹞
http://www.openrice.com/restaurant/sr2.htm?shopid=6863

3. 五味鳥
http://www.openrice.com/restaurant/sr2.htm?shopid=1031

4. 炭Sumi
http://www.openrice.com/restaurant/sr2.htm?shopid=13543

5. 燒鳥亭
http://www.openrice.com/restaurant/sr2.htm?shopid=12917
http://www.openrice.com/restaurant/sr2.htm?shopid=18780


居酒屋/料理店











1. 元氣一杯﹝珍味前菜，海鰻壽司，午市便當﹞
http://www.openrice.com/restaurant/sr2.htm?shopid=12001

2. 石山﹝各式窩物﹞
http://www.openrice.com/restaurant/sr2.htm?shopid=18057

3. 酒處﹝南瓜沙律，芝士年糕，咖哩飯，新年菜色﹞
http://www.openrice.com/restaurant/sr2.htm?shopid=14446

4. Hokahoka﹝芝士酒盜，鹽辛魷魚﹞
http://www.openrice.com/restaurant/sr2.htm?shopid=13788

5. 古酒家樂宴﹝烤芝士餅，下酒菜﹞
http://www.openrice.com/restaurant/sr2.htm?shopid=16543

6. 一門/一遊﹝下酒菜﹞
http://www.openrice.com/restaurant/sr2.htm?shopid=12097
http://www.openrice.com/restaurant/sr2.htm?shopid=18010


日式拉麵











1. 札幌元祖北海道拉麵﹝極上味噌湯拉麵﹞
http://www.openrice.com/restaurant/sr2.htm?shopid=9988

2. 函館元祖北海道拉麵﹝鹽味拉麵﹞
http://www.openrice.com/restaurant/sr2.htm?shopid=18743

3. 札幌拉麵屋﹝味噌湯拉麵﹞
http://www.openrice.com/restaurant/sr2.htm?shopid=11428


其他類別﹝排名不分先後，括號的是拿手菜色﹞：

1. 伊呂波﹝燒肉﹞
2. 和宴﹝燒肉﹞
3. 和三昧﹝鐵板燒﹞
4. 花盃﹝鐵板燒﹞
5. 中環IFC稻菊﹝鐵板燒﹞
6. 尖沙咀帝苑稻菊﹝天扶良﹞
7. 丼吉吉列專門店﹝吉列﹞
8. 灘萬﹝會席料理﹞
9. 伊藤﹝原條吞拿魚解體show﹞
10. 炭姬﹝雞肉料理﹞
11. 禪八﹝shabu shabu﹞
12. Nobu﹝鱈魚西京燒﹞
13. 味+味﹝釜飯﹞
14. 旬菜富﹝季節料理﹞
15. 道﹝午市及晚市的omakase餐牌﹞
16. 富久保﹝手打烏冬﹞
17. 萬豚屋﹝湯烏冬﹞
18. 割烹宇津木﹝新年菜色﹞

有什麼遺漏的？

2009年必吃的新張食肆

於2009年6月20日更新

排名以英文字母及筆劃分先後：

1. Bentley's﹝多國菜，已吃﹞
原因~畢竟追了蠔王John Stewart多年，其開蠔技巧在香港是無出其右，也找不到第二人
結果~吃過午餐，等蠔季再來才去吃過

2. BLT Steak ﹝多國菜，已吃﹞
原因~來頭大，吃過BLT Fish，BLT Market，現在來了香港，怎能不試試？
結果~食物沒失望，服務一塌糊塗

3. Cepage﹝法國菜，已吃﹞
原因~已在新加坡吃過Les Amis的，領略過大廚Thomas Mayr的手藝，知道他會來港主理Cepage，叫人怎能抗拒？
結果~絕對值得留意，亦值得一試，下周會再去吃其tasting menu

4. Osteria﹝意大利菜，已吃﹞
原因~「Chef Michele Camolei」+「Saint Pau」+「Ristorante Sandler」，夠原因未？
結果~可能太早去吃，表現未如所想，必會再去

5. Sodeyama﹝日本菜，已吃﹞
原因~在覺得湖舟已漸跌watt的同時，也開始留意袖山師傅的新動向，現在以個人名義開店，還引入了西餐廳的元素，足夠理由一試。
結果~符合預期，卻未有驚喜

6. The Drawing Room﹝意大利菜，未吃﹞
原因~盛傳是Toscanan的大廚跟其高足出山之作，也是意大利菜館情意結，不試不行。

7. Union J﹝多國菜，已吃﹞
原因~Chef Johnson及Chef Jason的雙劍合璧，是有理由相信是好吃的混合菜色
結果~吃了午餐，相當滿意，等緊腳吃晚餐

8. 蓮香居﹝粵菜，6月29日吃﹞
原因~自從鳳城之「大展鴻圖」以後，很久也沒有老式及有水準的粵菜館會「開枝散業」的了，值得一試

9. 原澗﹝日本菜，已吃﹞
原因~走高檔的日本料理店已夠冒險，必有其殺著所在
結果~吃了午市，松花堂便當有水準

10.漢城﹝韓國菜，未吃﹞
原因~在香港韓國菜館很多，但正宗又或是接近正宗的十分之少，這裡就是最接近正宗的一間了。在這裡吃過正宗之味的豬血腸，知道這裡重開，要來吃一吃了

11.皇仁舊生會﹝粵菜，未吃﹞
原因~唔知點解，在一些舊生會、聯誼會、同鄉會，總會找到好東西吃。探子回報，這裡做的是有水準的粵菜，值得一試

陸續有來。