Mr. C’s Birthday Dinner~ Kazuo Okada

After visiting the one starred Yu Lei from the KO dining group and being thoroughly impressed, I was more than looking forward to trying the other two establishment under their umbrella. Hearing a number of people commenting how good Kazuo Okada was, I decided to celebrate Mr. C’s birthday here~ Kazuo Okada specialises in both kaiseki and teppanyaki dishes, but at the time I made a reservation, about two weeks from the date, I was informed politely by the hostess that their teppanyaki room was under renovation and only their kaiseki room was available, since we both had not tried kaiseki before, I agreeably made the booking.

Arriving on a Sunday evening, we were greeted by the smiling hostess and guided to our table. The decor had an edge of masculinity where black was the dominant colour used, like a well dressed male in a sharp suit. Surprisingly, the restaurant was quite empty that evening, with only another table being occupied, but it was even better for us so we could enjoy each other’s company quietly while admiring the amazing harbour views 🙂

Only two set menus were available, the seasonal kaiseki or the Chef’s kaiseki. After studying the menu, Mr. C did question about the Teppanyaki side, since we had passed a big teppanyaki grill area with chefs working. I asked our server just to confirm whether we could order Teppanyaki items as well, but he replied that they try to keep it separately to avoid the dishes arriving in the kaiseki room to be cold. This was fair enough, but he did not mention that the room was still under renovation, regardless we decided to continue our evening with the Chef’s kaiseki menu.

Just as we had finished ordering, the manager from KO’s Italian restaurant Messina came over to greet Mr. C and knowing it was his birthday kindly surprised us with glasses of Ruinart Rose~ Thank you very much 🙂

So our kaiseki journey began~

The flash smoked salmon in a nuta sauce is their acclaimed signature dish. Arriving in a smoky paper covered glass bowl with holes artistically cut out, we were advised to smell the fragrant cherry wood smoke wafting out before peeling back the paper. Once the smoke cleared, it revealed two thickly cut slices of salmon laying on a bed of greens with a shallow layer of dressing. The salmon was unctuous, gorgeously fatty with the heady flavour of the cherry wood smoke invading the senses. Absolutely wow~ and to cut through the oiliness of the salmon, the tangy nuta sauce mixed with the greens was a pleasant palate reliever.

At this point, after perusing the wine list Mr. C decided to order some sake. I admit I have little to no knowledge of sake, but he told me that the one he ordered was quite rare and not so easily found. Upon taking a sip, one word came immediately to mind. Pure. The essence of the sake was so pure, there was a melancholic note in its smooth bittersweet flavor. Very intriguing~

When the next dish arrived, I was a little shocked to see something that resembled eel on the plate as Mr. C is not very partial to eel. It turned out to be conger pike accompanied with sea urchin and seasonal egg plant. I have to say I was not smitten with this, the conger pike was bland with numerous little bones and I gave up after a few bites. The sea urchin on the other hand was really fresh, a deep ocher colour which seemed to give a more intense flavour than the ones I normally come across.

A soup course was next. Clear tomato broth with onion and grilled ayu fish.The ayu fish was firm with a faint aroma from the grilling process, while the rings of onion were boiled until meltingly soft, helping to cleanse the palate for those who might find the ayu fishy in taste. I really enjoyed the broth though, slightly sour from the tomatoes, it really helped to open the appetite for the heavier sashimi course to come.

The sashimi course consisted of the chef’s selection of the day’s freshest fish. Presented so prettily, it seemed almost a pity to eat it. I found the clams to be very good~ dipping it into the accompanying yuzu juice its sweetness was enhanced even further and the toro was unbelievable! It was that delicate pale pink colour which signifies its high fat content, and its melt-in-your-mouth texture was just dreamy~ The toro itself was prepared two ways, plain sashimi while the other piece had been slightly aburied. The aburied piece was more fragrant and because some of the fats had been liquified during the flaming process, a more heady richness was released. So filling, but oh so good~!

Termed as the daily shinogi this was essentially sushi. Two generous sized pieces, one normal sashimi and the other aburied. Like the toro, my preference leaned towards the aburied one more as the flavours of the fish become richer once it had been licked by the flame.

By this stage, both of us were already more than a little sated from all the fish we have had, so it was nice to know that we had reached our first main of lobster~ The lobster flesh had been deshelled then crumbed in edamame batter and fried. It was cooked well, not too tough, but I found the batter to be a little odd tasting, with a heavy flavor of raw edamame beans. I actually preferred eating the innards and roe of the lobster more, so much creamy goodness found in the head and I could tell Mr. C enjoyed that lots too 🙂 The sides of chilled abalone was beautifully tender with a nice firm bounce, but the squid sashimi was so overly salted that both Mr. C and I only managed to eat one piece each.

The original meat dish was kagoshima beef, but I requested for something else. They were going to offer me fish, but I was honestly a little overwhelmed by fish that night so the manager came by and offered me the choice of kurobuta pork instead which I gladly accepted. Mr. C’s beef looked highly appetising, covered in sansho teriyaki sauce and lain over a potato mash. According to him, the beef itself was very tender with an even marbling which made it highly enjoyable, but the portion was quite small, with a serving of only three slices.

My kurobuta pork arrived as three thin slices rolled up, where each was filled with a different vegetable of mushroom, asparagus and baby corn. It was presented on a piping hot miniature teppanyaki plate to ensure the pork did not become cold and although it was a thoughtful gesture, the meat did eventually become tough so it was necessary to eat it quickly. In terms of flavor, I did find it a little bland and more teppanyaki sauce (even on the side) would have made it better.

Time for the carbohydrates~ in the form of truffle rice! The shaving of the truffles was performed table side into a small pot where the rice was held and I just could not resist inhaling deeply a few times just to appreciate the earthy aroma. No matter how many times I smell this delicacy, it’s perfume still bewitches me completely. The rice was cooked till it was quite dry, but it retained a stickiness like all Japanese rice so that it clumped easily to be picked up by chopsticks. There was a generous amount of truffles hidden among the grains and when I could not fit in another bite, I took pleasure in seeking out the rest of the truffle slices :p And like any traditional Japanese meal, the rice was accompanied by miso soup and pickles.

Ending on a sweet note~ dessert was a combination of three items. In the bowl was a green bean paste studded with strawberry jelly cubes, a slice of firm sweetened bean curd layered with red bean jelly and a slice of the sweetest honeydew melon which had the most mouth-watering perfume 🙂 This would have been the perfect finish after so many courses, but…

there was still birthday cake~!!^^ A birthday cannot be complete with anything less 😀 Happy Birthday! *muah*

And so our kaiseki journey concluded. Despite both of us not being big lovers of fish, it was still a good first experience. I loved how everything was presented so artistically, so much attention to detail which is definitely not an unusual trait for a Japanese restaurant let alone such a high class one. The manager was certainly attentive, coming by several times during the course of our meal and making sure we were enjoying ourselves which was much appreciated. Thank you~

Gala Dinner June 2013~ @ L’ Atelier de Joel Robuchon

I have dined at L’Atelier numerous times already, but each experience still makes me just as excited as though it was my first and this time even more so since it was their Gala dinner~! Held annually in Hong Kong, Monsieur Robuchon and his team fly in just to prepare the menu and dishes for this particular evening, so it just makes everything all that more special 🙂

There is no a la carte that evening, just one set menu and guests are greeted by their own Joel Robuchon signed copy of the evening’s menu tied with their signature red ribbon.

And so it begins~

Their version of an amuse bouche, strawberry gazpacho. French strawberries blended into a chilled soup with a ricotta cheese sherbet made as an espuma and then flash frozen by a burst of nitrogen gas. This was then spooned into the gazpacho as it was served. A lovely dusky rose pink, the gazpacho was velvety in texture and mixing in the ricotta sherbet resulted in the slightly tart and subtly sweet flavours taking on a pleasantly mild creaminess. A wonderful start to the evening~

First course, asparagus adorned with Sologne Imperial caviar accompanied by assorted vegetables lain over a shallow layer of clear tomato jelly. This was a visual delight to the eyes, like a ready-to-eat vegetable garden all on a plate~ The asparagus was juicily fleshy with the soft caviar adding a brininess to the fresh green flavour. The tomato jelly was the highlight for me, intense tomato flavour filled the senses edged with a sour tinge pairing very well with the rest of the vegetables. It was so good, the gentleman two seats down from me could not keep murmuring his pleasure while swiping his plate clean with the tail end of his baguette :p

A softly boiled egg resting in a puree of spinach and an aged Comte cheese mousse was served next. Looking so simple, the flavours were anything but… Gorgeously oozy on the inside, it paired wonderfully with the spinach puree while the 18 month Comte cheese added a stronger flavour with an edge of saltiness.

Those that love sea urchin would have swooned over this dish. A Hokkaido sea urchin royale, essentially a custard, layered with a veloute of cauliflower. Creamily smooth with a thick body, the custard had an intense sea flavour from the sea urchin, but that was not all. As you gradually eat, I could taste a slight curry spice mingled within which gradually built up a pleasant heat on the palate. Interesting.

The sea main course used lobster as the main ingredient. Roasted rock lobster from Australia accompanied by French green peas served with a Chateau Chalon sauce. Two generously portioned pieces of bouncy lobster flesh fragrant from the roasting process was delightful with the wonderful savoury sauce and I loved how the green peas popped happily with a burst of sweetness 🙂

The last savoury dish was grilled French baby pork cutlets with white beans accompanied with a lettuce wrapped pork pluma and mushroom ball and a cannelloni of chorizo topped with a disc of beef bone marrow. This dish blew.me.away. Rustic, homely flavours, the pork was so tender with a richness from the slight trim of fat and paired perfectly with the heady, yet surprisingly spicy flavour of the white bean sauce. The cannelloni was al dente while the bone marrow was fragrant from its own fatty oils. I also really enjoyed the cabbage ball which had stronger salty flavours and tasted like a sausage meatball with occasional bouncy cubes of mushroom adding to the texture~

As I finished with my main course, my server of the evening thoughtfully asked whether I needed a break prior to my dessert. It is just little touches like these that make all the difference to ones dining experience 🙂

When I was ready, my first dessert was brought to me. Apricot compote and mousse with a ‘lulo’ sorbet. What is a ‘lulo’ sorbet you may ask? It is a Colombian mountain fruit with a citrusy flavour involving hints of pineapple and cherries. This centre of tangy sorbet paired nicely with its counterparts of chunky apricot pieces covered in a luscious blanket of apricot mousse. Those that are partial to sour flavours in their desserts would enjoy this.

The final dessert was a show stopper. A 3D cherry panacotta with a layer of almond sponge cake and cherries soaked in kirsch, encased in a layer of thin white chocolate. So so cute~ I could hear many diners cooing over this as it was placed in front of them. Very creamy, with the flavour similar to Black Forest, the tart cherries made sure that the overall dessert was not too heavy. Stunning~

And to end. Something different from their usual petit fours~ A butter sable with a dab of lemon curd decorated with a ring of French strawberries. Cute and sweet finish 🙂

The dinner was amazing~! So many elements that varied from their usual way of preparing dishes, from the nitrogen frozen ricotta sherbet, to the surprisingly spicy touches in the sea urchin royale and sauce of the pork cutlets while the undeniably cute cherry dessert captured many hearts that evening. Aside from the food, I really admired the decoration on the plates itself where each stroke and colour used were well thought out to be unique and subtly in sync with the overall presentation of each dish. I am sure every diner had their enjoyable moments and of course the ever personable Monsier Robuchon made himself available to take pictures with every guest and ensured everybody received a copy of the photo with a personal signature from himself. Tres bon!

Breaking rules~@ Dondonya

Fried foods have always been a no-no on my food list and have been for the past few years, but after crying my eyes out watching the Korean movie ‘Miracle Cell No. 7’, I had a massive craving for katsu pork cutlet and decided I needed to indulge myself a little to cheer up my spirits.

Since I was already at Elements, Dondonya was the first place I thought of to calm my katsu craving, and despite it being 7.30pm, when most restaurants are packed they can still manage to fit in a seating for one (that is if you do not mind being seated at the bar). See~ who said eating alone is a bad thing?!

More of a casual dining establishment, the restaurant is sparsely decorated dominated with the use of timber. Patrons vary from, couples, to families, to friends catching up or just single diners (like myself) so you can expect quite a noisy environment which is further enhanced by the timber decor, but it just adds to the atmosphere.

The menu has quite a variety of selections including sashimi rice bowls (dons), angus beef dons, katsu items and even shabu-shabu. However, looking around I could see that most diners were there for the fresh glistening cuts of sashimi draped over bowls of rice or generous servings of pork or chicken katsu cutlets.

I already knew what I wanted, but even then there were several choices for pork katsu. They had normal pork cutlet, or a higher grade of Berkshire pork (black pig) and even pork cutlet rolls filled with gooey cheese for those that want more of an indulgence. Wanting something uncomplicated that evening, I just chose the most basic version with the option of adding it as a set.

Quite a big serving, the cut of pork was thick and fried to a crunchy caramel hue with a generous serving of cabbage on the side, while accompanying it there was a bowl of toasted sesames with a wooden pestle for you to grind and add to the accompanying sweet and tangy tonkatsu sauce which went really well with the katsu. As a set, it included rice, miso soup and a small appetiser of stewed sliced carrots and bamboo shoots. I did not know at first, but I heard the girl next to me re-confirm with the server that the set included refills of rice and cabbage which is definitely a bonus to those with big appetites 😉

Overall, what can I say, rules are meant to be broken and craving satisfied 🙂 A note on their service, despite the restaurant being full, the servers were still capable of refilling tea cups efficiently and I did not recall a single time that evening where I had to signal one of them for a refill. Really appreciated~

Simple, but satisfying @ Ser Wong Fun

Even though the weather has been so hot, I have had the strangest craving for Chinese liver sausage and lap cheong. Now this normally being a food that is usually eaten during winter, I was racking my brains trying to think where I could satisfy this niggling craving when I recalled Ser Wong Fun seems to serve this regardless of the season and knowing that they also offer home-made boiled soups made it more of an incentive for me to pay them a visit.

Just on the slope of Cochrane st, Ser Wong Fun is unassuming on the outside, but the interior is surprisingly pleasant, like that of a traditional Chinese tea house. It was very busy for a weeknight full of families and couples, but luckily there was still a table available for two when we went in.

We were not particularly hungry, so we just ordered a few dishes to share.

Soup was of course on the agenda and the variety of combinations they offer is quite impressive. I chose the papaya with pork and almonds, while Mr. C picked mollusk and chicken feet. The ingredients are put into individual ceramic pots and then boiled till all the essence comes out resulting in an immensely concentrated and fragrant broth. Really really good~

Rice with mixed lap cheong and liver sausage. The sausages are quite small in size, but their flavour really packed a punch. Most places have a higher lard to meat ratio since it is a cheaper alternative, but the ones here at Ser Wong Fun had more meat, giving a sturdier texutre, while still retaining a richness from the few scattered chunks of lard throughout the sausages. Perfect pairing with white rice~

Lettuce cooked with fermented bean curd and chili strips. The sauce made from the bean curd was quite thick and oily, but the slight saltiness was a good complement to the lettuce. I have not had my vegetables cooked in this way for a long time, so it was good to taste flavours like this again.

Such a simple meal, but it hit the spot exactly! They are actually renowned for their other dishes too like snake (hence the name of the restaurant :p), so another visit is definitely necessary~

Ramening @ Kureha

I have to admit, in Hong Kong when thinking of what to eat ramen rarely comes across as a feasible option for me.Why? Maybe because I have been spoiled by really good ramen during my life in Sydney and even though there have been so many ramen joints that have been raved about as being spectacular in Hong Kong, after trying a couple of them, I can say that they are just a little lacking compared to the ones I have had overseas.

So when J asked me to join her and her brother for ramen at Kureha, I was a little hesitant, but she went on to explain this was her usual place for ramen and that it was really quite good so I decided to give it the benefit of the doubt.

Stepping into Kureha, with its cozy wooden interior, bar table set up and traditional Japanese posters pasted around the walls, it gave a vibe like you had entered a ramen joint right in the heart of Japan. Offering a limited menu, its ramen options are classed under the five elements of gold, wood, water, fire and earth. Each  has its own uniqueness, while the earth element showcases the specials they have available. Most of the ramen are served with a pork broth, but for those that do not eat pork, they do have one with chicken broth as well as one served dry.

Normally when I eat at a new ramen place, I would choose to pick the most classic and plain bowl of ramen so I can try their broth unadulterated in any way. However, this time I asked for J’s recommendation and she told me that her usual pick is one of the specials which is the classic tonkotsu ramen with a drizzle of their homemade black garlic oil. Trusting her judgement, I picked this one, while J herself chose the one with chicken broth. Ordering is done by ticking a sheet of paper with your desired choices, which seems to be the norm of many ramen places nowadays, where you can select the degree of richness to your broth, the texture of your noodles and whether you want any addition of garlic, shallots, extra seaweed or onsen egg.

There was only a short wait before our ramens arrived~ Quite a big portion, the amount of ingredients was generous, and a mouth watering aroma wafted from the bowl, so enticing that I could not help, but spoon up a mouthful of hot broth immediately. Mmm~ rich porky essence with a subtle fragrance of garlic. It was not as thick as I was hoping for, but still quite good. The noodles were of the thin type and since I had ticked the hardest texture available, it still retained a nice chew. Two big slices of charsiu adorned  my ramen, not too fatty, yet still meltingly soft, however I was a little disappointed in the onsen egg that I had added as an option. It was served as a whole egg, but the inside yolk and egg white was slightly too runny for my liking.

J’s chicken ramen came with a curious looking ball on a spoon. Turned out it was a collagen ball that you were supposed to melt into broth to make it even more rich. I had a spoonful of the broth and wow I was amazed~ I was expecting the chicken broth to be almost watery thin, but when spooning up the broth I was surprised at the rich consistency and the depth of flavour was wonderfully intense. I would recommend giving this a try~

Kureha is quite a good choice if you are looking for a ramen fix. Even though I am still not entirely swayed about ramen in Hong Kong, I may return if I have a craving for ramen in the future 😉

Cravings satisfied~@ Nanhai No.1

I have had the biggest craving for suckling pig since I returned from my trip overseas so when I was asked what I wanted for dinner I had no hesitation in voicing my guilty craving :p

Mr. C picked Nanhai No. 1 as our dinner destination. Covering the entire 30th floor of Isquare, the restaurant was surprisingly buzzing for a weeknight. Quite dimly lit with modern decor, it does not seem like your traditional Chinese restaurant and it is correct to assume that as they claim to serve Chinese cuisine contemporary style. Yes, yes I was a little wary about the word ‘contemporary’ too, but judging from all the occupied tables that night and from their one Michelin starred status, customers seem very agreeable to it.
Being such high up, of course they have tables overlooking our gorgeous harbour and for a minimum charge of $500 per person, diners can have a window seat and enjoy the night views throughout their meal.

Looking at the menu, I only had eyes for the suckling pig, but when Mr. C suggested Peking duck I was up for that too haha 😀 Since our meat courses were settled on, it was easy enough to just choose a soup and vegetables to balance out our somewhat heavy meal~

The daily soup was pork and offal with chinese herbs (gum choh). A little overseasoned, but there was a heady depth of flavours.

Suckling pig was next! Roasted a deep golden brown, the skin already looked so alluring… Crunchy, it crackled delightfully in the mouth and the thin layer of fat under the crackling added a richness to the overall taste. Dip it in the sweet hoisin sauce or white sugar for some flavour. Perfect~

The Peking Duck was brought to us whole while we were still enjoying the suckling pig. Beautifully plump and roasted to a beautiful colour, the skin was taut and shiny hinting at its crispness. It was then brought back to us expertly sliced up, with a big steamer of flour pancakes. Spoon a generous amount of sweet hoisin sauce over the thin and chewy pancake, layer on a piece of duck with a sliver of crispy skin, add on as much cucumber and scallions as needed and then consume~ So so good. We actually finished the whole plate of duck it was that good!

The vegetables of the evening was shaved bitter gourd with beancurd, gingko nuts in broth. The gourd still retained its bitter nature, while the gingko nuts were cooked to a mushy softness, eaten together with the flavourful broth it was wonderfully light and a much needed respite from all the meat we had eaten that evening.

A very enjoyable meal, my major craving was satisfied and the Peking duck was wonderful~ Till next time another craving hits 🙂

Too much anticipation @ Pierre Herme

To be perfectly honest, I am a little tired of perfectly round almond egg-white biscuits with perfectly formed feet, coloured a myriad of colours and sandwiching a cream, jam or ganache filling. Yet, when I knew Pierre Herme was opening in IFC I knew that I at least had to try the product of possibly the main rival of the reigning Queen of Macarons. Knowing that they had been open from the end of May (soft opening), I was expecting horrific lines for at least a few weeks like what we had all witnessed from the other famous macaron brand. Surprisingly, when I made my visit a few evenings ago, there were no lines and only a couple of other people were making their purchase. Interesting.

The boutique shop is not very big at all. There is a main glass counter housing the renowned macarons and chocolates, while on the shelves they had a selection of caramels, nougats, tins of tea leaves, drinking chocolate powder, praline spread, loaf cake and of course Pierre Herme cook books. 

My focus that evening was solely on macarons, and I was kindly informed by the helpful staff that they had four signature flavours rose, chocolate, salted butter caramel and chocolate passionfruit, while the rest of the flavours were seasonal. I have to say that they did look promising, quite big in size with a generous amount of creamy filling sandwiched in between. I only wanted to try a few, so three I picked. Their signature rose, Celeste and the olive oil and vanilla macaron. 

Rose- coloured a dusty pink, the whiteness of the cream filling was a stark contrast. When I bit into it I was anticipating a fragrant aroma of roses to fill the senses, but all I could taste was a faint whisper, almost like an afterthought. The macaron itself was a little chewier in texture which I did not mind, but I felt the cream filling was a bit much. Actually really disappointed by this.

Celeste- a mixture of strawberry, rhubarb and passionfruit. I was already enticed by its description and the pretty iridescent colour of purple brushed onto the yellow background was alluring too. It was a little squished when the staff packed it for me, but I was not too worried as long as the taste was good. The sharp and tangy elements were there, but the flavour just missed the mark with the passionfruit overpowering the other two 😦

Olive oil and vanilla- I have always been intrigued by the use of olive oil in desserts so this particular flavour sprung my interest. I was already prepping myself for disappointment since that was the way the trend seemed to be going, but I was pleasantly surprised by the noticeable olive flavour from the creamily light filling flecked with vanilla bean seed and the piece of salty olive hidden inside was lovely with the sweetness of the macaron. I definitely recommend this flavour~

I know that Pierre Herme is world renowned with a huge following, but his macarons just did not hit the right notes with me. I am glad that I had the opportunity to try, maybe later on I will give the other flavours a chance too, but at this moment my vote still remains with the Queen.

Gorgeous views, but so so experience @ Inakaya

We seem to be spending a lot of time around elements a lot recently, so it only makes sense that many of our meals have been had around here. Being a little undecided on what we wanted to eat, we decided to try something new. Inakaya here we come~

Up in the ICC building on the 101st floor, Inakaya commands a breath taking view of the harbour. The restaurant is quite dim inside with a simplistic yet modern decor. Diners can choose to sit at individual tables or if they want to watch their food being prepared and cooked in front of them, a seat at one of the two teppanyaki tables available is an option too. Aside from teppanyaki, they also specialise in robatayaki and they have a dining area just for that, but more on that later.

We were allocated a seat at a teppanyaki table, and while we were deciding on what to order, Mr. C opted for an apple champagne with shiso leaf while I was just happy to relax and enjoy the dusky evening settling over Hong Kong. The menu has quite a wide range of choices, from sashimi, sushi, to broiled items, tempura, main courses and of course teppanyaki items which can be ordered a la carte or as special sets.

Since we were quite ravenous at this point we ordered an appetiser of grilled puffer fish to nibble on while waiting for our other items to arrive. The puffer fish was a little unevenly grilled shown by the colour and it was a little more tough to chew on compared to others I have tried, but it still had a sweet and subtly smoky flavour.

Our sashimi arrived next, we had considered ordering their chef’s selection of sashimi which can be a choice of three, five or seven varieties, but since there were some types of fish that we did not think we would enjoy eating, we decided to just create our own platter. Salmon, toro, scallops, sea urchin, yellow tail and botan shrimp. The sashimi was fresh, cut to a thickness that had great texture when bitten into it, I especially enjoyed the scallops, gigantic in size, the touch of lime really helped bring out its natural sweetness, but the toro had some sinew in it.

I had seen on other reviews that they offered wagyu beef sashimi and not many places serve this in Hong Kong so Mr. C was quite keen to try. Beautifully marbled, it was lain over a bed of ice to keep its slightly frozen texture longer. Dip each slice in the accompanying dark soy sauce where you mix in shallots, ginger and wasabi and wow.. the warm of your tongue melts the fat effortlessly leaving a rich, buttery flavour lingering on the palate. Worth trying~

While we were enjoying our cold dishes our teppanyaki chef of the evening brought over the raw ingredients and started prepping to cook for us. We were only a little more than half-way with our sashimi platter, so he was courteous in saying that he would wait for us to finish before he started cooking. However, he just stood off to the side waiting, and it made us a little uncomfortable, pressured even, to eat quicker.

While he was cooking our first course of scallops, Mr. C indulged in some small talk with him, discovering he was quite new to Inakaya and it did show as he seemed nervous during the time he was cooking for us. Anyway, the scallop similar to what we had as sashimi was once again huge in size and cooked really well. Each piece was tender with a subtle hint from the sake used in the cooking process and the roe was wonderfully creamy. So so good 🙂

King prawn was next. Big enough for the two of us to share, it was meaty with a slight bounce in the texture. Drizzle some lemon juice over it and that was seasoning enough. The prawn head was pan-fried to crispy which is a usual tradition for teppanyaki, and the roe inside was very rich in flavour.

Broiled miso cod. I always enjoy cod fish and here was no different. Two sizeable pieces, the flesh of the cod was snowy white, firm yet still soft. Beautiful flavor, the natural oils of the cod mingled with the sweet miso and soft onions, making for an enjoyable dish.

Japanese clams. Big in size, they were cooked perfectly in a broth of sake. Each clam was wonderfully tender, and despite the broth having an odd corn flavour, it was very sweet from the essence of the clams.

Australian lamb cutlets. Arriving as a portion of two, we asked the chef to prepare it as medium. Still slightly pink inside, it was juicily tender, but had quite a strong gamy flavour to it. Quite typical.

For vegetables, we ordered the assorted mushrooms which are my favourite 🙂 They were cooked with a generous dollop of butter with a light sprinkle of salt and pepper for flavour. Slightly chewy with a meaty texture, these would have been even better if they had been washed properly as there was still sand in the mushrooms.

At this point we felt like we needed some type of carbohydrate, so we added on a beef fried rice. This was only so so, the rice was too wet and it was lacking in flavour, but it did fill the much required carb quota.

And for dessert?

We had the yuzu panacotta and interesting sounding tofu cheesecake. The yuzu component of the panacotta was sweet with a refreshing citrus fragrance while the panacotta was silkily smooth with a light texture that melted effortlessly on the tongue. The tofu cheesecake was more of a heavy dessert, quite firm and smooth with a faint nutty taste of beancurd. The first few spoonfuls were quite enjoyable, but it became a little too one dimensional in flavour afterwards.

You would think this was the end, but not yet~ I remember from photos that Inakaya had an interestingly decorated Robatayaki room, and when I enquired about it, the staff were more than happy to show us after our meal as well as inviting us to view the mochi ceremony that they were holding at 9pm. When we walked in, I felt for a fleeting moment that I had been transported to Japan as it looked quite similar to the izakayas there. The staff were warm and welcoming in their shouted greetings to us and it just seemed a lot more fun and exciting than the more formal dining area outside. The mochi ceremony involved two people using wooden pallets (kine) alternately pounding glutinous rice in a solid wood mortar (usu). All diners were invited to have a turn at the pounding the mochi and yes it is hard work as the pallets were heavy, but great for stress relief haha… After the mochi was pounded, a small portion was served to each guest. Rolled in brown sugar and Kinako (soy bean) powder, the lightly sweet and chewy dessert was a delightful way to end the evening~

Inakaya is definitely worth visiting at least once for the experience, but honestly I do not find teppanyaki to be anything out of the ordinary. I do, however, look forward to returning and trying out their Robatayaki~