Foodle

My remaining week or so in Hong Kong is going to lean heavily Japanese , starting off with ….

Sushi Shikon by Yoshitake which has held 3 Michelin stars since 2014 . This year they face their biggest transformation with the former chef returning to Tokyo and young chef Satoshi Toda taking on the role .

The menu begins with 5 otsumami , a chawanmushi with matsutake and ikura is earthy , salty and generous .
Sashimi of the day is aged medai , lovely slightly tacky texture and it’s clearly spent some time on kombu as part of the process .
The signature dishes are the Tako and Awabi , both uber tender but retain an integral bite . The Awabi liver sauce is sublime .
Grilled Amadai is the final starter , the skin carrying the workload in terms of flavor .

The nigiri portion was super solid , only the uni and Anago slightly underwhelmed but all the rest well and truly delivered .

Sumi - Ika - bright and clean , crunchy yet yielding
Kue - long and fatty finish , balanced with acidity from sudaichi
Buri - lightly smoked , clean lingering finish , a standout .
Chutoro - very lean , would have thought this was akami .
Otoro ( Kama Toro ) - gorgeous mouthfeel washed over the palate without overpowering.
KOHADA - thick interlapping cut , great texture .
Bafun Uni - perfectly fine but a little muted
Kuruma ebi - light and balanced salinity
Anago - a little muddy .

As add ons I repeated the buri and Kohada, and also tried the awabi handroll . The flesh is cut into ribbons resembling noodles and the liver sauce is generously slathered within , it’s equally messy as delicious . A terrific finish .

Looking forward to the new evolution of @sushishikon in the deserved hands of Chef Toda . Less

A family business in Osaka and Tokyo spanning five generations since 1850 !! , Tempura Ippoh is also well established in Hong Kong over the last decade .
Classic almost rustic tempura experience , the menu starts off with all the pieces you would expect but it continues to ramp up with some creative preparations that were certainly new to me .

Shrimp head
Prawn
Prawn with Shiso - love the fragrance
Lotus root
Silago
Asparagus
Squid / thick cut , great texture
Corn - capital S for Sweet
Maitake
Conger eel - perfect
Ginkgo
Shrimp tomalley and uni roll - Unami driven
Abalone - huge portion , meaty
Scallop - almost fudge like
Shirako with Shiso - outstanding
Anago - mild flavour , super clean
Red bean - mini mochi tempura is terrific
Tendon Less

Satisfying and good value lunch course at Sushi Wadatsumi . Fun going to multiple sushi restaurants in a compressed time frame , it’s a great way to learn ,compare techniques and produce for those like me who are challenged in memory !

Kegani chawanmushi
Buri sashimi
Local octopus slow cooked for three hours , served with mustard seeds
Grilled Tachiuo - sweet finish

Hirame and engawa
Shima Aji - luxurious
Botan ebi - raw , lightly crunchy
Katsuo - iodine , metallic
Akami - soft , young
Otoro - fresh ham , long finish
Hokkigai - crunch , ozone , citrus
Aji
Gunkan uni
Anago with Shiso
Toro temaki Less

Super comforting and tasty lunch @tangcourthk .

Siu Mai with shrimp , pork, mushroom and Yunnan ham had plenty of intriguing texture .
Mushroom Chiu chow dumplings carried lengthy mushroom flavour thanks to the use of morels .
Stir fried rice flour rolls with scallop and ginger were terrific with the accompanying sesame sauce .

There are three types of crispy chicken on the menu , opted for the salted version , love the chicken fat accumulating on your lips as you dislodge the meat from the bones .

Bean curd fritters with ham and mushroom are then topped with abundant fresh crab meat .

Haven’t ordered fried rice for a long time and this version with garoupa and salted fish drive home those savoury notes .

Simple double boiled apple soup to round out the meal . Less

The final savoury dish on the current @ryotakappoumodern is a tour de force . A stunning creamy clam and Katsuo broth , tender awabi , premium quality udon noodles and awabi liver and bamboo pith for added interest . It’s a dish of pure pleasure .

The menu begins with another lovely soup , a clean dashi with an abundant array of autumnal mushrooms and slivers of duck breast .

The sashimi course is two fold , first up slices of Hirame , Kinmedai , ankimo , aori Ika and Sanma , each fish dotted with a seperate condiment . The next plate features Katsuo and Maguro under a dome of fruit forward smoke .

A DIY nori roll is up next , Wagyu tartare , squid , uni and caviar along with rice ensure this is a diner favourite.

Grilled Amadai is soft and yielding and the yuzu miso marinade creates interest .

The Wagyu course features striploin from a Kyoto female princess cow , served katsu style with sukiyaki sauce and grilled vegetables. Straight forward but well executed .

Tomato martini is a nice classic palate cleanser , with tomato water , jelly and basil oil . Italian flavours which fit right in .

Dessert is a chestnut cake with sake less ice cream , a lovely seasonal finale . Less