sushi shota

Date: 22nd September

Sushi Shota @ Kyoto Plaza

My younger brother was set to leave town for some time, so I decided to treat him lunch at Sushi Shota… 

menu

we ordered the Sashimi and Sushi set ($280 + $20 for upgrade to hot udon), plus a beef teriyaki set ($90)

chawanmushi

the sashimi and sushi set came with a lot of side dishes, and this was first to arrive. the custard was pretty solid and very eggy and not much taste to it apart from 'eggs' - i.e. there wasn't enough dashi added to the mixture. there was no seafood but only a few pieces of mushroom.... definitely no where near Naozen's. 

potato salad

mashed potato salad, iceberg, cucumber, tomatoes, fish roe

T downed this one for us, as we don't like potatoes much...

udon

thick udon, hot shoyu broth

udon was too soft for me - i still prefer the thin and chewy or flat udon noodles.... 

miso soup, pickles

nothing crazy good here - miso soup was just plain with spring onions. 

sushi and sahimi platter

sushi: negitoro (fatty tuna & spring onion) maki, uni gunkan, salmon roe gunkan, snapper, steamed shrimp, tamago, salmon, yellowtail, fatty tuna

sashimi: octopus, lean tuna, sweet shrimp, salmon, clam, yellowtail, hirame (flounder), mackerel

whilst most of the sushi were fairly fresh, my favourite being the negitoro maki, the sashimi disappointed. the sashimi today were mostly the inexpensive kinds - something you would expect for their normal sashimi sets, rather than a premium set. we weren't given any toro save for the one piece on top of the sushi, and even so, the lean tuna which we were given was no longer fresh and was quite oxidised....it was actually inedible =(. Mackerel sashimi was nice though. 

appetizer

this appetizer of korean-like japchae came with the beef teriyaki set. weird pairing, but ok. 

beef teriyaki main

grilled beef, mayo, sliced tomatoes and cucumbers, shredded cabbage

beef was way way way too tough, and it tasted..... a lot like a burger patty for some reason

the bowl of rice was also dishearteningly your typical long-grain rice, rather than Japanese pearl rice

after being rushed to pay, we were rushed to order our flavours for ice cream too... 

sesame

bits of ground sesame in the icecream for a bit of texture, different but strong and yummy

green tea

not as strong nor bitter as i would have liked - you can probably tell from the light green colour...but nonetheless edible

cute cup of coffee to end, served with miniature ucc creamers

Food: ♥♥1/2

Service: ♥♥

Price: $$$

Sushi Shota 

8/F Kyoto Plaza, 491-499 Lockhart Rd., Causeway Bay, Hong Kong

Tel: +852 2834 3031

Chez Shibata

Date of visit: 15th September and 1st October 2010

Chez Shibata @ Elements

Chez Shibata is a Japanese-French patisserie which has been franchised in Shanghai and in September, Hong Kong. My first visit to Chez Shibata was shortly after its opening, and tried out the first five reviewed desserts below, and on a second visit, tried the two signatures plus one croissant. My experiences with each cake varied, but nonetheless good overall.

 after I snapped these two pictures I was informed no pictures are allowed...!

"Tranche Maccha" ($40)

green tea mousse, chocolate mousse, sponge, green tea powder and crispy chocolate balls

this was naturally my first choice, since i love matcha and chocolate (both separately and together!). but i must say this was one of my least favourites from Chez Shibata, since this was poorly executed. the cake comprised of green tea mousse, chocolate mousse, and (orange?) sponge, all of which were overly 'wet' and not very pleasant in the mouth. green tea mousse could have been stronger, and so could the chocolate mousse. sponge layers were so thin and drenched you could hardly taste them. i have no idea if they are always like this, or if it was just my unlucky day, but a pastry chef should know when his batch of cakes have gone bad and therefore not allow them to be sold... 4.5/10

"Mont Blanc" ($38)
chesnut, cream, chocolate flakes, chocolate sponge
this was E's first choice, as she loves all things chesnut! as far as I remember, the top underneath the chocolate flakes were chesnut puree and beneath that layers of sweet cream and chocolate sponge. the whole dessert was not too sweet and was quite good, balanced, but again towards the bottom of the cup was wet cake... 7/10

"Macaron Emotion" ($34) 
cream, macaron, strawberries, custard, jam. 
my favourite so far, the crispy macaron shells were surprisingly not overly sweet, and the filling of fresh strawberries, custard and strawberry jam worked very well, was balanced, and very enjoyable. 9/10

"Verrine Plaisirs" ($36)

white chocolate mousse, chocolate mousse, passionfruit jelly, mango

mousses were not set properly (i.e. liquid when spooned), and I didn't really think the sour fruits went with the white and milk chocolate mousses at all... 2/10

 "Mi Cuit Fromage" ($36)

cream, berries, cheesecake

this cheesecake was a toned down version of the American cheesecake - a lot smaller and much less sweeter for the Asian palate. one thing we noticed was the lovely strong fragrance of the cheese when we opened the box, and the taste and texture definitely did not disappoint. before you reach the biscuit base there's a thin layer of berry puree as well. would definitely recommend if you like baked cheesecakes! 8.5/10

 "Éclair au caramel" ($32)

choux, caramel, salted butter cubes

upon examination, this eclair is slightly different to the standard pastrycreme filled choux pastry and a glaze. this thinner and longer version had no pastry creme, but only layers of a strong and wonderful caramel. the cubes of salted butter melted instantly in the mouth, and matched nicely with the already-perfect caramel (strong in flavour yet balanced in sweetness). my only complaint would be the texture of the choux - if it could be crisper this pastry would have been peerrrrrfecttt! 8/10

"Couer de bois" ($38)

sponge, peanuts, mousse, raspberry mousse, raspberry jam, red sugar, raspberries. 

this, being one of Shibata's signatures, as well as its perfect red heart shape prompted me to pick this. the red exterior is simply coloured sugar (very thin layer), and inside is a very light mousse-type layer, sort of like whipped mascarpone, not very strong in taste. in the middle you will find raspberry mousse and raspberry jelly, which gives the cake a tangy/sweet punch of flavour - quite refreshing indeed. lastly, at the bottom is a thin sponge as base sprinkled with some peanuts, which I disliked passionately. I believe the purpose was to add crunchiness and textural differences to the cake but the taste of peanuts really did not match the sour raspberry and light (mascarpone) mousse...! 7/10

"Raspberry almond croissant" ($20)

croissant, custard, jam, almond topping. 

definitely not something for breakfast. this pastry is sweet with its raspberry jam and custard filling,  as well as the sweet almond and butter topping. again, better if the croissant could be more crisp. 6.5/10 

on both times I had the desserts to-go, but had them around 10 minutes after being packed. there are a couple tables in-store if you wish to have them there, but this will cost you an extra $5 per piece, plus 10% service...

Food: ♥♥♥

Service: ♥♥

Price: $-$$

Chez Shibata 

Shop 2003, 2/F, Elements, 1 Austin Rd West, 

Tsim Sha Tsui, Hong Kong

Tel: +852 2196 8921

Inaniwa Udon Nabe

Date of visit: 13^th September 2010

Inaniwa Udon Nabe @ Elements

For a family dinner I picked this restaurant as Elements is accessible and is one of the better restaurants in Elements. It was a Monday and we were seated in one of the rooms for more privacy (not that we needed it, we were only five!).

menu

soy milk hot pot set ($160x2)

left: cabbage, assorted fungus and...

soup base... 

hot pot set is listed on the menu as $160 per person but since minimum order is two, the minimum charge is $320.  came with a plate of assorted vegetables and a plate of assorted seafood/meats. we also decided to add another plate of seafood ($95), cabbage ($15) and shimeji mushroom ($12) 

the soup base of soy milk was milky white and wasn't pure soy as I imagined it might be. There's definitely some dashi in there since it had the 'umami' taste - pretty enjoyable. 

the plates that came with the set included Japanese sliced pork loin, clams, salmon, and in the bamboo stick is some minced chicken, which you slide cuts of into the boiling pot. 

the other plate had cabbage, Japanese bean curd skin, black fungus, fresh and enoki mushrooms. 

the plate of extra seafood (not photographed) had two large prawns, scallops, salmon and some shellfish.

as the broth got evaporated or divided into bowls the waiters refilled the pot with stock. ingredients on the whole were fresh, particularly memorable were the broth, minced chicken and the slippery smooth bean curd skin (really different in texture to ones we get locally), as well as the large prawns. 7.5/10

Inaniwa udon in hot soup with Hokkaido crab meat ($108)
the broth is very thick, so we were warned. come to think of it, it may have been the enoki mushrooms that made the broth become so viscous, rather than some form of starch being added. i like thin and slightly thickened soups so I quite liked this. There wasn't much crab meat to justify the extra $4x, but price aside the noodles were really good - thin, slippery and slightly chewy - my favourite! 7.5/10

Inaniwa Udon in Tomato and Pork Bone Broth with Japanese Pork ($108)

The udon noodles were again good, though I didn't care for this broth. I was expecting something heartier but all this was was sour tomatoes and sliced pork in a broth which tasted very pedestrian. for me the noodles didn't match the broth at all. (ps. very subjective, because dad clearly liked this bowl of noodles better than the crab meat one above). 5/10

Inaniwa Udon in Hot Soup with Prawn Tempura ($108)
This would probably be my favourite style of serving these udon noodles - in a very simple Japanese shoyu-based stock. I know that the best way to enjoy these noodles are probably having them served cold and you dip them in the sauce/broth, but I much prefer hot soup noodles, so provided you don't let the noodles sit so long in the broth, the texture of the udon remains intact (read: eat quickly!). the tempura shrimps were crunchy, but then again they were quite small and I'm not sure whether it justifies $48... I loved these noodles so much I just might have to go back soon and be open-minded about trying their cold varieties! 8.5/10

Homemade Squid cake ($65)

a must order - i don't think i've had anything like this before, and these slices of squid cake were bouncy and had tiny bits of squid meat for a variation of texture. seasoned very well too, so no sauce was needed. 8/10

Cheese Rice Cake ($48) 

these cute little rounds of mochi had a molten cheese centre, and were crispy on the outside, whilst the mochi layer was hot and only slightly chewy, the cheese melted easily in the mouth. they were fried really well to achieve the crispy exterior minus the oily/greasy taste. after a plate we decided we needed another one too =P 8.5/10

Cross section of the cheese mochi...

if i remember correctly everything was polished off! we all really enjoyed this meal.... i wonder when my next visit will be?

Food: ♥♥♥♥
Service: ♥♥♥
Price: $$$ (about $200 per head)
Inaniwa Udon Nabe Japanese Restaurant
Shop 2004, Elements,
Tsim Sha Tsui, Hong Kong
Tel: +852 2196 8989

Sang Kee

Date of visit: 13^th September

Sang Kee Congee @ Sheung Wan

I woke up with a craving for something soupy...and thought of Sang Kee. I dragged my poor brother out with me to Sheung Wan, promising him some good congee (though I had never been). After getting slightly lost in the unfamiliar streets I finally found Sang Kee (there are a few branches around the same area, but each specialise in something different e.g. rice vermicelli or beef brisket). Sang Kee Congee was small and full at 11am, but we were just arriving as some were leaving, and were seated amongst other grandpas and grandmas quietly slurping their huge bowls of congee....and we knew we had arrived somewhere special.

shredded pork and century egg congee $25 (large)

a piece of century egg... 

Lean pork and century egg is a common and popular combination, and Sang Kee's made for the best version I've had (which I can remember). the consistency of the congee was perfect - thin and rice is cooked to the point of being only tiny particles left. I couldn't detect the use of cornstarch or other thickeners either. The ingredients gave the plain congee flavour, and it was slightly salted so it was really enjoyable on its own. 

fish belly and sliced fish congee (yu-lam and yu-wun) $32 (large)

There was plenty of fish belly (i.e. fish attached to bones) in this big bowl of congee, which was much plainer and loaded with spring onions in comparison to the lean pork-and-century-egg-combination above. The fish itself, being white, does not impart much flavour to the congee so the bowl of soy sauce is there for diners to dip the fish for more 'taste'. The consistency of the congee is the same as above - thin, with the rice 'broken'. 

From the two the pork and century egg definitely outshone the fish belly/sliced fish congee, though both are indeed different and had equally good congee base. 

pan-fried fish (dace) cakes $10 

These pan-fried fish cakes were a disappointment (at least, on my visit any way), and don't think I would order them again on a next visit. Fish cakes itself were soft and all I could taste was oil.... i.e. the fish cakes were a sponge which absorbed way too much oil! (ps. should have ordered those fried dough sticks/crullers instead!)

Fish cakes aside Sang Kee definitely did not disappoint and those huge bowls of congee provided a filling and comforting breakfast. 

Food: ♥♥♥♥

Service: ♥♥

Price: $

Sang Kee Congee 

G/F, 7-9 Burd Street, Sheung Wan

Tel: +852 2541 1099

Naozen

Date of visit: 6^th September

Naozen @ Lan Kwai Fong

D really likes Japanese food, so I suggested we try out Naozen for lunch. We went at 2pm, and were promptly seated at the sushi counter/bar. We were given the menu, and soon decided on the grilled fish and sashimi lunch ($190), and the grilled beef with teriyaki sauce lunch ($160). 

lunch menu

appetizer (cold)

dried tofu, bak choy, dashi

salad

cherry tomatoes, shredded cabbage, carrots, house dressing

soup

miso, dried tofu, seaweed

balanced and not too salty, Naozen's incorporated dried tofu rather than the normal chopped silken tofu. 

steamed egg

shrimp, crab meat, ginko nut, spring onion

despite the air bubbles on top, this chawanmushi was silky smooth and very tasty - umami indeed!

sashimi

yellow tail, lean tuna, sweet shrimp, snapper

 cuts were fairly small. one of the slices of akami (lean tuna, left) was really veiny... but sweet shrimp + hamachi were sweet and reasonably good.

grilled fish

miso-grilled cod, rice, pickles

aside from cod, one can choose salmon, mackerel or pacific saury as the grilled fish main, but the cod was buttery-smooth and cooked to perfection. the rice was also very well executed japanese pearl rice grains - sticky and plump!

beef teriyaki course

steak with mustard on side, rice, miso soup, pickles

steak is cooked to alsmost well-done in most japanese restaurants - why don't they ask the customer what they want first?? anyway, it was not as tender as a result. rice was same as the set above. 

dessert
sliced orange
sweet, fresh and cold - couldn't ask for more =)


All in all Naozen provided a quality and delicious filling lunch. Shall return soon (hopefully)!

Food: ♥♥♥♥

Service: ♥♥ (If only the single waiter didn't run around the restaurant!)

Price: $$$

Naozen

G/F, 21-25 Wellington Street, Lan Kwai Fong

Central, Hong Kong

Tel: +852 2877 6668