Ten Jaku

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Good Japanese can be food throughout Hong Kong. But remarkable one, are hard to find. My Hong Kong food guide Eugene P took me to a traditional sushi restaurant served by a Japanese master chef.

One look at the dining room, the minimalist décor just calmed the senses. With charming light wood décor and a friendly wait staff, I was lusting for great sushi.

Eugene taught me to order sushi in three rounds, starting with the light fish and ascending toward to heavier ones.

We started off with warm sake accompanied by a refreshing appetizer. With a tart dressing, the fish appetizer with sweet peppers opened my palate.

Beautifully assembled, the first round started with three kinds from the yellowtail (hamachi) family. The younger fish had a crunchy texture with sea sweet taste. The oldest in the yellowtail family had a more rich buttery taste.

To stir up the appetite even more, the plum nigiri is an acquired taste but does the trick. The mackerel (saba) featured its signature fishy pickled taste while I found the flounder too crunchy for my taste.

One thing to notice is the knife skills. Japanese restaurant at this high caliber requires the sushi chef to train one year just to learn how to make vinegared rice. The proper knife skills is demonstrated with beautifully slices of fish.

Our second round included raw sardine that featured a strong sea taste. With a pinch of sea salt, the sea eel is a more savory counter partner to the sweater unagi. Fresh sea sweet scallops and crunchy clam round out the second round.

Finishing the fantastic meal, the final round highlighted the heaviest fish. The medium tuna belly (toro) just tasted remarkable. Sweet tuna but featuring a buttery rich side described the toro. The sea urchin displayed creamy texture and a soft eel nigiri ended the meal.

With sake and whisky, the total for two people was $200 USD. One of the best Japanese meals I have ever eaten, feature different texture and flavors.

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