Peter Verey

Sushi Obana is a family run sushiya in Gunma ( 90 mins north of Tokyo ) . The husband and wife team deliver one of the best sushi experiences you could possibly imagine. Humour and warmth is their style of hospitality, and the quality of the Edomae style sushi is astonishing.
Bookings are hard to come by as Obana is not accepting new customers so find someone to bring you along !! It is perhaps the best sushiya I have been and it is definitely my favourite .

It’s easy to focus on the marquee names in a meal like this , #1 boxes of Uni or incredible Tuna from Yamayuki , but there was simply a lot to love .

The best awabi steamed for 4 hours , the flavour had deeply amplified .
Seneka ( tuna back ) had great soft texture .
Shimofuri aged for 2 weeks was absolutely luscious .
First time having Nakazumi ( grown up Kohada ) was also a highlight .
The secret ikura which was a reddish/grey had deep saltiness and a vastly different texture .
This did also start my love affair with aka uni , the quality of aka uni over the last few days has been phenomenal.
Also a fun vegetable nigiri with mustard greens and daikon sprouts, I really could go on and on ….

Course menu below

Ala ? - sea perch
Sawara grilled on straw
Bafun Uni parfait
Awabi steamed for 4 hours
Nodogoro with fish head broth
Akigai himo maki
Sanma
Poached oyster with Aonori and yuzu koshi
Nakazumi
Nodogoro Kimo
Toro Taku maki

Madai
Kohada
Secret ikura
Akami
Senaka
Shimofuri
Shin - ika
Kasugo
Akagai
Iwashi
Shima ebi
Hamago
Kaiwari daiko
Kuruma ebi with head sauce
Aka uni
Murasaki uni
Anago
Tanago Less

Kurosaki was my favourite meal of my February visit . I was too slow to grab a spot with @jtfoodcation this time around , but did swoop on a late cancellation for the 2nd counter/ private room . The ingredients used between the two appear largely the same ( did miss out on one premium uni due to limited supply ) , the main difference is simply missing out on the aura of chef Kazumi Kurosaki at the main counter .
Have absolutely zero regrets and only minimal FOMO and definitely recommend the 2nd counter with much enthusiasm.

Highlights of the meal was an incredibly crispy Unagi that gave me Suckling Pig feels .
Terrific and wildly different Murasaki and aka uni .
Kawahagi was both chewy and smooth
Kohada simply because it’s my fav every time
Kegani crab chawanmushi is a great mid course change of pace .
And the incredibly dense yet somehow tender Shin Ika

Murasaki uni
Braised hamo
Abalone with kimo sauce

Kawahagi
Tairagai
Unagi
Kohada
Kuruma ebi
Kegani crab chawanmushi
Ikura
Awaja Shima aka uni
Shin-ika
Otoro
Akami
Chutoro
Shin- Ika geso
Kuruma ebi head
Anago
Kanpyo roll
Tamago Less

French restaurants that specialise in game meat are pretty rare in France so it’s great that @lature_restaurant has made a name for themselves here . Very concise and interesting cooking , some fun ingredients.

I don’t usually mention amuse bouche as they have become a little generic in the world of fine dining (uni,caviar, tartlets, crudo etc ..) but this was a different take which was appreciated .

Deer blood macaron sets the scene for the meal , a venison boudin noir with the blood also used for the macaron pastry . Nice balance of sweetness , great start .
Ayu and potato croquette is a crowd pleaser .
Pumpkin mousse with shrimp and vanilla consommé , looks and feels like chawanmushi but subtle differences in texture and flavour .
Finally a nourishing Venison bone broth with venison leg meat , matsutake , sudaichi zest ,chawanmushi .

Scallop , wild mushroom and bacon fricasee , aged sweet potato custard is the first of the larger courses, an excellent Alsatian fricasee and loved the sweet potato custard .

Badger , wild boar , venison and foie gras pate en croute . Textbook pate en croute with an interesting ingredient! But the key to making this stand out was simply temperature , pate en croute is often served with a slight fridge chill , this was room temp and the texture was soft and yielding .

Bonito , with zucchini , tomato and perilla sauce and tomato and dill water . Have had versions of this dish at every Kaiseki so far , can’t go wrong with Bonito tataki .

Ayu fish pie , a forcemeat of Ayu and scallop has encased the ayu fillets, the pastry is terrific .

Great quality Ezo Venison with bordelaise sauce , eggplant and potato crisp . Well executed classic

Pear and chestnut Mont Blanc on meringue base . The meringue adds a different texture to the Mont Blanc . Less

Despite 2 Michelin stars and a high Tabelog rating I was somehow unprepared for how good Myoujyako would be .
An effortlessly minimalist space which does well to hone in on the concept of purity that transcends the menu. Water is a big feature with 2 courses relying purely on sea water as the flavour agent . Zero dashi is used .
We start off with the essence of Myoujyaku , sweet potato boiled in water and salt. The potato is firm yet very tender and the water has taken on a lot of its sweetness.
Gently cooked pike eel is paired with chrysanthemum petals , beautiful and satisfying .
Sashimi course is outstanding , octopus whose skin has been meticulously removed rendering it into a stunning albino colour . The protein has been very lightly cooked but still feels raw, it’s cut in a way to relax the tissues and give a satisfying melting bite , it tastes like raw lobster, an absolutely masterful dish.
Accompanied by two textures of sea bream , also excellent but it’s hard not to be fixated on the Octopus.
Today’s soup is sea water with whelk , clam and winter melon . The additional ingredients reign in the salinity .
Beautifully grilled Amberjack is served with perilla and green onion , love the piquancy of the relish .
Haven’t been a big fan of Turtle in the past but this may start to convert me , texture and flavour reminded me of fish maw and was set with a ginkgo nut cream which also elevated another ingredient that I am not that fond of .
The signature dish is the ayu hand roll , first the head and bones are placed on a super thin egg white crepe , the ayu is then grilled and placed onto the crepe hissing as it releases its steam, you then wrap up the crepe like an envelope . Awesome !
A palate cleanser of sorts follows , multiple marinated chilled fruit ( grapes, fig, peach,persimmon,Asian pear, walnut ) .
Fried dish is again a creative success , edamame paste encasing Bottarga , vegetal and salty .

Continued in comments .. Less

Lovely Kaiseki lunch yesterday at Tagetsu . Highly rated on Tabelog (4.12) I was nonetheless surprised to be the only foreigner in attendance . Cooking was very clean and precise , there were few standout dishes but every dish was perfectly enjoyable and it added up to a very satisfying meal .

My favourite dish of the meal was certainly the tempura of fig with whipped tofu . The tempura batter was thin and shatteringly crisp , it essentially created a mock pastry layer coating the fig which was ripe but still holding its shape beautifully, the tofu gave a nice respite of texture and from sweetness .

Edamame mochi with corn puree and yuzu peel was the first course , each flavour quite distinct, the yuzu gave a great fragrance.

Mushroom and snapper dashi was also served with a hint of citrus which really elevated the broth.

Wood fired bonito tataki , with perilla sprouts and egg yolk shoyu . Bonito is one of my favourite fish and appears to be in season right now based on my last few meals …no complaints !

Tai ( sea bream) sashimi with uni and okra - lovely sashimi course .

Grilled butterfish with cucumber , myoga and green onion . Fish a little overcooked to my liking , another straight forward dish.

Hassun - tilefish sashimi, shishito pepper stuffed with shrimp paste and sesame
sauce , jellied eggplant , Anago nigiri . The hassun course had one main highlight , the peppers stuffed with shrimp paste and sesame sauce were highly addictive .

Pumpkin and duck mousse , wild mushroom sauce - this dish screamed of autumn despite the sweltering heat outside . Terrific

Grilled conger eel, eel skin with cucumber and sesame. The cold eel skin salad was very refreshing .

Sendai beef round with Japanese pepper sauce and matsutake . Loved the Japanese pepper so floral .

Deep fried Spanish mackerel rice with lotus root , carrot . Rice dish finale was excellent , the fish flaked in larger pieces than usual to match the also larger size of the lotus root . Have since enjoyed 2 of the 5 onigiri that I took home post meal .

Maple and hazelnut monaka
Peach compote with wine jelly and kudzu starch noodles. Always happy with peach desserts . Less

6 days in Tokyo has somehow led to 6 sushi omakase bookings , started off last night with what surely will be the most unique of the 6 in terms of style . Sushi sho masa and its owner Masakatsu Oka is devoted on staying true to his mentor Sushi Sho founder Keiji Nakazawa , one of the most influential sushi chefs in the world today . Nakazawa left Japan in 2016 and opened a restaurant in Hawaii , apparently after 7 years he decided he didn’t think much of Island life and just opened his latest venture in New York a few months ago.
Back in Tokyo , there are around a dozen Sushi Sho disciples who carry on his tradition with his blessing .
While I am far from an expert , it appears the sushi sho style leans very traditional Edomae , with a focus on aging as well as a variety of at times strong garnishes .

Generosity is also a Sushi Sho trademark and chef Oka has taken it to the next level here , offering a 54 piece sushi onslaught ( it hovers anywhere between 40 and 60 on a nightly basis ) . It is an astonishing amount of food but I can honestly say that it was only the last few bites where palate fatigue kicked in .

Favourite pieces were Aji with red miso, milky Hokkaido oyster, best Aori Ika I have ever had , Ankimo , Fresh ikura only marinated for 90 seconds and the signature “Mille feuille” of Otoro which was a pale as good prosciutto , sliced very thinly and layered with 4 dabs of wasabi which cut thru the fat incredibly.
Service takes just shy of 3 hours but time does fly , English speakers are well catered for , with the Chef speaking sneaky good English and his assistant is a young chef from Macau who was very excited to see a Macau phone number on his upcoming booking list !

Seems I managed to snag 48 photos out of the 54 and the whole menu or my attempt at it is listed in the comments below, with a couple of ingredients which I clearly misheard . Less

Absence makes the heart grow fonder and that’s also true for the stomach . Having not returned for 5 months , it somehow seemed that everything @ottoemezzobombana_macau tasted especially delicious .
Let me start with the meticulous details that they get right . Starting off with the warmest of welcomes before even entering through the front door. I always rave about the service here so I won’t repeat myself too much but two of their FOH superstars are currently away , and the service team didn’t miss a beat , the roster of excellence runs deep !!
Let’s talk about the bread , the ciabatta is first rate, great for dipping in olive oil or indulging in Scarpetta. If possible the beer sourdough is even better , love the malty notes .
The trademark “caprese “ amuse bouche has had a face lift with mozzarella now being joined by burrata and straciatella, but it’s the tomato water that steals the show , floral and full of flavour, it really showcases tomato season .
Now to the food … @riccardolaperna ability to offer rustic Italian dishes with class and style is never in question.

Foie gras is served in the style of Mont Blanc dessert , with a spiced jelly , nuts and brioche . It’s light and moorish .
Cacio e Pepe veers away from tradition with the addition of Porcini mushrooms and parsley emulsion . The tagliatelle had great flavour and texture and the parsley gave the dish a burst of freshness .
A “simple” serve of Sicilian prawn pasta followed, the prawn was lightly cooked , the light tomato sauce coated the pasta perfectly .
Really enjoyed the Milanese risotto which despite being fortified with veal jus and bone marrow remained very light on the palate .
Maruya beef strip loin is perfect for those looking for a rich savoury finale , paired with a deep celeriac purée and beets .
Desserts started with a new to the menu dish which had its debut last night , raspberry and pistachio with a yoghurt sorbet is a terrific combo .
And for the grand finale , a rustic Rhubarb tart , the rhubarb is cooked slowly in strawberry juice and takes on a lot of the sweetness and floral notes which beautifully restrains the astringency .

Returning ASAP ! Less

Absolutely blown away by the savoury crescendo of an excellent September menu @yimorpheusmacau by @wong_angelo

Wagyu beef on tasting menus can be a bit tiresome but this was on a sky high level . The beef is treated in the char Siu fashion and the glaze matches beautifully with the fattiness of the protein , red rock rice (braised and crispy) along with preserved radish brings great texture . This dish was all pleasure .

The menu started a little slowly but delightfully continued to build .
Up first was generous Hokkaido snow crab buried beneath a quarter of eggs ( Filipino crab roe , caviar , egg white spheres , egg yolk dressing ) . Dispersing the caviar through the dish made this very satisfying but would have loved a drop or two of acid .

Double boiled soup always gets a guernsey on the Yi menus , this time fish maw and velvet mushrooms are the star and I kept my 💯 record of burning my mouth on this soup intact .

Red grouper was steamed on fig leaf alongside lily bulbs and chanterelles. The fig flavour was noticeable but I did miss the excellent sauces and oils that grouper is usually paired with here .

The menu sprung into life on the following dish , an absolutely perfectly fried langoustine with zucchini flower and a shrimp/ red pepper sauce . The technique here really paid dividends .

Australian abalone was baked with Macanese curry sauce which was a terrific nod to the local cuisine . This is rarely done by the high end restaurants here and this was a great tribute .

The signature Zhongshan 23 day old pigeon was a delicious mess as usual , love the lemongrass flavour on this dish .

Prior to the standout Wagyu dish was an excellent creative creation. Tomato was stuffed with corn and quinoa and served with a chicken and beetroot glaze . The dish was gorgeous to look at and very comforting to eat .

Dessert was also a hit with a gigantic peach Mochi complimented by an aloe Vera and oolong tea sauce .

After three visits in 2023, this was a long overdue visit to Yi in 2024, definitely one of my favourite restaurants in Macau . Less

Chef @chefvickycheng had been the hottest name in HK F&B for a while now , even when I visited Paris earlier this year Bruno Verjus was absolutely raving about him .

So I was well overdue for a first taste of his food , rather than kick things off at Wing , I thought starting at Vea would be a good introduction.

A very impressive meal it was , the dance of Chinese and French ingredients and techniques interplayed beautifully , every dish was thoughtful and delicious . Love the restaurant long counter set up as well .

The first dish of the night may have been my favourite.
Shima Aji and cucumber were both served as carpaccio and tartare , and dressed with longan juice and chive oil . Savoury and sweet , this reminded me of childhood cold cucumber soup , absolutely visually striking as well .

Brittany blue lobster was touched with only a whisper of heat , and combined with local squid , snap peas and snow cabbage , terrific again .

Sea cucumber is stuffed with a Tiger prawn farce but thankfully the farce keeps a lot of texture , served with a light crustacean broth and then augmented with sprays of aged yellow wine . This one hits all the senses .

A surprisingly thick cross section of Rough Scale Flounder was topped with a stuffed zucchini flower ( miss seeing this on menus ) , and served with tiny Bo-Kak mussels , these little seasonal gems are barely the size of a pinky nail but they make their presence felt !

Before the main course , a little comfort food . Yunnan matsutake mushrooms are prepared in a variety of textures and well matched to congee .

French pigeon is perfectly grilled and paired with carrot, apricot and five spice , all these flavour profiles are firm friends . Bulletproof dish .

We ease into dessert with a simply stunning piece of fruit , end of season Nagano peach is the floral sweet flavour that you wish all peaches would be , simply served with a dollop of jasmine infused cream , the dual floral notes soothe and inspire.

Final course is a petit bateau of Tarte Tatin camouflaged by fresh slices of Granny Smith apples .
Accompanied with burrata ice cream as well as apple and Chinese celery ice cream.

Terrific meal !! Less

There’s a lot of change in the F&B offerings @wynn.macau this year but it’s great to have Wing Lei celebrating 15 straight years at the Michelin 2 star level . It’s a blessing to have such a quality venue where you can pop in for a 40 minute lunch and be completely satisfied .

The Ha Gao looked pristine and tasted just as good .
The carp fish balls in fish broth are probably not everyone’s favourite as the dish is unapologetically fish forward but i very much enjoy it .
Layered bean curd skin with fish paste in soy soup was new to me and i will certainly order again .
While bean curd skin was also the carrier for a nice traditional melange of crab meat and matsutake , can’t fault .

Suckling pig and toast was sandwiched with mango and cucumber , this traditional suckling pig preparation almost tasted western and gave nostalgic Porchetta sandwich vibes which brought me back to many a farmers market .

Chilled abalone marinated in sake lees rounded out the lunch , the abalone was super tender and almost creamy . Less