Featuring: Sushi Masataka, Takumi Daisuke Mori, Kaiseki Den…
2017 has arguably been the year for Wan Chai. The relatively unassuming Cross Lane and Wood Road have evolved from a tucked-away part of the neighbourhood to a flourishing dining hub, paving the way for a new slew of high-class Japanese restaurants. Takumi by Daisuke Mori, Sushi Masataka and Kaiseki Den have all sprung up and have been booked solid for weeks, as Hong Kong rekindles its love of one of Japan’s greatest culinary exports.
The one-Michelin starred Takumi Daisuke Mori is a delectable hybrid of picturesque Parisian cuisine with all the precision and knife skills of a Japanese chef who has trained in France, which is exactly what chef Daisuke Mori. Having cut his teeth at the one-Michelin starred Restaurant Taillevant in Paris before working his way to the Michelin starred Signature at the Mandarin Oriental Tokyo and then the three Michelin starred Chateau at Joel Robuchon Tokyo, Daisuke Mori has settled on Hong Kong as his next project.
The result, then, is a refined take on Japanese classics. The standout dish is the wagyu beef, which is sourced from some of Japan’s finest beef cattle-rearing destinations, Saga (south), Hida (central) and Sendai (north), and Chef Mori does every cut of beautiful top-grade wagyu justice. Reflecting unsurpassed quality and the cattle’s healthy upbringing, the meat’s dense marbling allows for an extraordinarily rich, tender and flavoursome bite. One day advance booking is recommended.
Takumi Daisuke Mori, Shop 1, The Oakhill, 16 Wood Road, Wan Chai, phone +852 2574 1299.
Sushi Masataka though perhaps less grand than Takumi Daisuke Mori, certainly has no less of an impact with one of the ultimate omakase experiences currently available in town. Under the helm of executive chef, Masataka “Masa” Fujisawa, Sushi Masataka offers an intimate 9-seat sushi counter in a 1,200 square foot space, formerly known as Rozan that had a dedicated following among Hong Kong’s sushi lovers.
Sourcing the freshest produce from Tokyo’s famed Tsukiji Market, Masa’s signature serves include, fatty tuna sushi and steamed abalone and liver sauce.
Lovers of the hard stuff will be delighted too, as Sushi Masataka has one of the most extensive sake and Japanese whisky lists in Wan Chai, making a decadent pairing with Masa’s moorish magic.
Sushi Masataka, Shop 2, G/F The Oakhill, 18 Wood Road, Wan Chai, phone +852 2574 1333.
Now from omakase to kaiseki. The one Michelin starred Kaiseki Den has been given a full makeover with a menu to match. In the precarious world of Michelin star-dom, it has retained its one Michelin-starred status every year since 2010 due to Chef Saotome’s knife skills that have been honed for over 30 years and the consistently excellent fresh ingredients.
The ten-course set menu includes a rich tapestry of land and sea gems, including lobster sashimi, sea urchin truffled rice, grilled kinki fish and of course, wagyu beef tenderloin, sourced straight from Kagoshima and delicately marbled and deliciously tender.
Don’t leave without trying the luxuriously varied wine list and sake menu, but be prepared to part with a fair amount of dollar.
Kaiseki Den, Shop 3-4, The Oakhill, 28 Wood Road, Wan Chai, phone +852 2851 2820.