Sushi Express, Quarry Bay

I went to the gym at Quarry Bay and by about 2.30pm was absolutely famished (!) and wanted something 'quick'. I was walking back to the MTR when the sign 'express sushi' caught my eye... must have super duper hungry, as the sign actually says Sushi Express! I wanted something simple and quick and sashimi would definitely go down nicely!

It was 2.30pm and there weren't many choices on the conveyor belt, I quickly looked at the menu and knew exactly what I wanted! Sashimi, sashimi and more sashimi! So I ordered one Sashimi and two types of salmon sashimi – one being toro (nom nom!).

As its name, 'express' the food did come relatively quickly. I inhaled the sashimi in 2 seconds flat, as I was hungry. However, the sashimi was fresh and it wasn't slimy or oily. Next, the Salmon sushi which also went down quickly and lastly the toro salmon sushi – which is the fatty part of the salmon. This has to be one of my favourite parts of salmon! It wasn't oily or chewy and it was definitely tender. With soy sauce and wasabi (not too much wasabi, otherwise it goes straight to the head / nose) it was the perfect 'express' lunch!

Sushi Express
19-21 Tong Chong Street
Quarry Bay, Hong Kong
Phone: +852 2563 3000

Kiku, another Japanese Restaurant

I was strolling on my day off at Central and stumbled across this restaurant, Kiku – I have read a couple of reviews on this restaurant and was pretty stocked when I stumbled across it. I have to admits - It's not the cheapest Japanese Restaurant, it is one of the fanciest Japanese restaurant I have been thus far in Hong Kong. Décor was simple with traditional Japanese design features. It does get extremely busy and booking even for lunch is a must! I was lucky to be there early enough to get a table, however, I was told that I had to leave after about 1 hour, which suits me fine.

Menu was quite intensive – almost all styles of Japanese cooking and fresh seafood played an integral part on the menu – grilled, simmered, steamed, you name it, they had it! Prices also varied pending on what you order. Unfortunately, I was dining solo, which means my ordering was limited to just one person! I wanted a salad to start off with, saw Smoked Salmon and Mango Salad – and thought perfect! I am a huge fan of agedashi tofu – and tofu is usually light so ordered that and a I was craving chicken karage – so I ordered that too!

The salad came first – smoked salmon and mango salad – it was just too pretty to eat! The salad consisted of shredded cucumber, lettuce, bit of onions and carrot, which was topped with a generous serving of smoked salmon, mango and Japanese caviar roe with mayonnaise dressing. The combination of it all was simply divine, the mix salad, with the saltiness of the smoked salmon, the sweet mango and the creamy mayonnaise… I savoured every single mouthful I took… it was just absolutely delightful – I could have definitely eaten another plate of that!

Agedashi tofu came not long after, and it wasn't what I expected! I was expecting a bowl of tofu cut into small pieces, instead just one tofu served in a small plate with seaweed and mushroom. Probably a good thing, as I may have ordered too much! Agedashi Tofu is silken firm tofu, cut into cubes lightly dusted with potato starch or cornstarch and then deep fried until golden brown. It's then served in a hot tentsuyu broth made of dashi, mirin, and sho-yu (Japanese soy sauce) topped with finely chopped negi (a type of spring onion), grated daikon or katsuobushi. (One can easily make this at home – however, I am not big on deep frying food at home!). The tofu was definitely soft with a crunchy exterior and sauce was a little tangy.

Last but not least – chicken karage. I went through a phase this week where I was craving chicken karage. I was a little disappointed with the chicken karage – the chicken was not as moist / juicy / tender as I have hoped - It was a little try. The tempura was perfect, it wasn't heavily coated, however, if it was a more tender and moist, it would definitely have been better!

All in all – it was a great meal. Will definitely have to bring Hubby here, so I can try more things. I hear there is a Japanese grill, which provides an excellent smoky cod in miso sauce (is it as good as Nobu though?) and the stone-grilled Wagyu sirloin is also a favourite! Next time!

Kiku
B/F The Landmark,
16 Des Voeux Rd, Central
Hong Kong

Nobu Hong Kong

Nobu is one of Hubby's Japanese restaurants. We first came across Nobu in New York about 3 years ago, and ever since then, we have always tried to go to different Nobu's in the world. We have been to the one in London and also in Melbourne. This would be our 2^nd time in Nobu Hong Kong and have never been disappointed with our meal.

Out of the 3 Nobu restaurants I have been too, I have to say that the one in Hong Kong has to be my favourite. It has spectacular views, water views, overlooking the harbour – Hong Kong Island and if you are there at about 8pm, you get to see the light show from the restaurant. Nobu resides in the glorious InterContinental Hotel.

There were 6 of us tonight and Hubby and I had the pleasure of ordering (as no one else there has been). Thankfully everyone wasn't too fussy about food, so we thought perhaps 8 dishes, 4 hot and 4 cold (or something like that). The menu came to be: yellow tail sashimi with jalapeno; saga beef toban yaki; tuna tataki sashimi salad with matsuhisa dressing; salmon new style sashimi; shrimp and lobster with spicy lemon sauce; black cod with miso; US prime beef tataki steak; and soft shell crab harumaki. A lot right? but it was right for 6 people.

First dish – yellow tail sashimi with jalapeno – one of my favourite Nobu dish. The combination of the creaminess of the yellow tail sashimi and the saltiness of the soy, and the zing of the jalapeno was absolutely divine. This was perfectly executed and was absolutely fantastic!

Saga beef toban yaki – beef cooked on ceramic plate. It wasn't a warm dish, however, it was cooked slightly on the outside, leaving the inside 'blue' so to speak. The beef was so tender and juicy, it melted in your mouth. It was accompanied with some ginger / radish / carrots and spring onions – the combination of all the condiments and the soy sauce and the beef was mouth watering and divine.

Tuna Tataki Sashimi salad with matsuhisa dressing – this was hubby's favourite dish. At the bottom of the plate, thick slices of sashimi tuna, drizzled in Matsuhisa dressing (which I think is soy sauce, finely chopped onion, mustard powder, sugar and a touch of sesame oil). Piled with greens and shaved radishes, carrots and cucumbers. This salad is a visual feast for both eyes and the palate. The dressing I have tried to replicate but have failed many many times.

Salmon new style sashimi – this is another favourite of mine. Hot oil is poured over seasoned raw fish, creating a half raw-half cooked preparation that melts softly in the mouth. Well executed and divine! I could have seriously eaten a whole plate on my own (not that I am greedy or anything!)
That should conclude all the 'cold' dishes, so now to the warmer dishes.

Shrimp and lobster with spicy lemon sauce. I wouldn't say it was spicy but the creamy lemon sauce was mixed with basil and was tossed with mushroom and lettuce. Not a favourite of mine but was not too bad.


Black cod miso – this is the famous Nobu black cod with miso dish. This dish was absolutely divine – the butteriness of the black cod is a perfect foil for the sweetness of the miso glaze, and when the outside sugars are properly caramelized and the inside is soft and moist…. This dish so lived up to the hype. It was perfectly prepared and a favourite amongst the eaters that night.

Soft shell crab harumaki – another words, soft shell crab spring roll. This dish didn't really do it for me. I thought it was a bit oily and tasteless – I have had better soft shell crab elsewhere. The soft shell crap spring roll I thought was pretty tasteless, the dollop of sauce made it more interesting but still was not the best – and I love soft shell crab!

US prime beef tataki steak – this dish really surprised me – it was EXTREMELY good! The dish came out in a hot pot – sizzling. The beef was still medium rare – blue you can probably say and it was so tender and juicy it melted in your mouth. The sauce was a little sweet – tastes a bit like sweet soy sauce and was a great step up from the soft shell crab!

That concluded the main part of the night. We thought of dessert – and no we weren't joking! We ordered chocolate and raspberries and chocolate bento box.

Nobu chocolate and raspberries – two plates came out and I was like 'my gawd – will we finish it'. I can't believe I even had doubts! Of course we finished if – there is always room for desserts right? 2 plates of 6 triangular chocolates came out, both with raspberries, pistachios sprinkled with raspberry sauce and dollops of chocolate sauce. The presentation was just too pretty to eat! I tried only one triangular chocolate as I was eye-ing my chocolate bento box…

Nobu Chocolate bento box – I have had this one before so knew what to expect. It is one of my favourite desserts of all time. It comes in a bento box (hence the name) and it's a chocolate fondant with green tea icecream. The chocolate fondant was warm and when you cut the middle it had chocolate oozing out of it. The green tea icecream was creamy and delish! The combination of warm chocolate oozing, chocolate cake and creamy green tea icecream was absolutely perfect! This dessert totally completed the meal at Nobu.

It wasn't the cheapest meal we had, but it was worth every cent. Thoroughly enjoyed the meal and we were lucky enough to see the light show from Kownloon. Definitely recommend this place for somewhere fancy or for some sort of celebration!

Nobu

18 Salisbury Road, Hong Kong
Tlp: 2721 1211

Japanese Ootoya

On my days that I pretend to be a wanabe 'tai-tai' – I would try a restaurant on my own. I don't mind dining on my own – used to do it a lot when I was travelling for work. As long as I have a good book with me, I am happy to sit there and eat at the same time!

I have read about this Japanese place and have walked passed it several times. It is located in the Shama building opposite Times Squares. Their speciality is actually donburi (rice topped with meat or fish), classic katsu (deep-fried pork or chicken) and noodles. I was also told that their Bluefin tuna with rice was one of their specialities! Unfortunately, I wasn't craving for tuna / salmon like I always do.. I was craving for Unagi (eel).

I ordered the Unagi Donburi set – which was grilled eel, marinated in soy sauce, rice, soup and salad. The eel was satisfying rich - it was just absolutely divine. The salad, which was a small bowl of okra, cabbage, carrots and radish, was a great compliment to the eel. The soup was not your typical miso soup – I was told it was 'homemade and no it's not miso soup' – I would definitely expect it to be homemade and not from a packet! It could definitely taste the miso in it, but like your typical miso soup – it didn't have tofu. Overall, it was a pretty good meal!

The waitstaff was very tentative with my tea – it was always refilled which was an added bonus. I sat there for a while whilst reading my book and were not asked to leave. Mind you - it was rather late in the afternoon and was not peak lunch time hour. I thought if I sat for a bit I would crave for some dessert, alas no. I think I will definitely have to take hubby back so I can try more food.

Definitely worth going and exceptional quality for your dollar.

Ootoya Restaurant, Causeway Bay.

Mushashi – V Day Dinner

We have never been really big on gifts on Valentine's Day, as we both believe that it's a wrought – and besides, I would prefer that hubby would buy me something that's not on a 'commercial' day. However, when it comes to celebrating with food – how can I say no.

I have always wanted to try this Japanese restaurant, there are always a horrendous amount of people lining outside. Like the other Japanese restaurants under the 'Masuya' chain – they don't take bookings, and they have a 'ticketing' service, whereby, you rock up, and if its busy, you take a number and request whether or not you want to sit at the bar, table or outside. We were there 'early-ish' and didn't have to wait too long, however, we weren't exactly fussed where we sat.

The place was buzzing! We sat on the bench and I got to see behind the scenes of the kitchen! It's always exciting to see how they cook and how a kitchen operates. The waiters were friendly and tentative, our green tea was always topped up – which was a bonus!

We started off with the sashimi main – it's always a favourite of ours. Six different types of sashimi – 2 lots of salmon sashimi, tuna, king fish, octopus, king fish, and raw scallops. It was all very fresh, as you would expect!

We also ordered Chicken Karage and Beef Tataki – being Indonesian, I am used to having something deep fried at every meal. Thankfully, hubby doesn't like to eat deep fried food all the time. However, it was a special day, and he knows how much I love chicken karage – who can resist when it comes with sweet chilli sauce? Chicken was very soft and moist, crunchy on the outside.

Beef tataki was very very tender – it was medium rare. The sauce was rather sweet, didn't think it complemented the beef, but hubby seems to have enjoyed it.


Hubby unfortunately wasnt a great fan of the chicken karage - he said that my mother's fried chicken was a lot better! I agree, mum's fried chicken is good, but its not the same. I was more than happy to finish the chicken karage on my own. Clearly he demolished the beef tataki!

Over all, it was a great V Day dinner – relax and not pretentious. You can never really go wrong with Japanese food, especially if its under the Masuya chain. It is definitely worth another visit but be there early.. otherwise it would be a 30 – 45 mins wait!

Mushashi

447 Pitt Street (Corner Campbell Street) Sydney 2000
Phone: +61 2 9280 3777