Page 103 - Hong_Kong_&_Macau's_Best_Restaurants_English_edition

HONG KONG RESTAURANTS
JA PA N E S E

GODENYA GONPACHI HOKKAIDON
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G/F, 182 Wellington Street, 4/F, Lee Garden One, 33 Hysan Shop 313, 3/F, Cityplaza, 18 Taikoo Shing Road, Tai Koo, Hong Kong
Central, Hong Kong Avenue, Causeway Bay, Hong Kong TEL: +852 2577 0828
www.godenya.com TEL: +852 2787 3688 www.hokkaidon.com.hk
www.gonpachi.com.hk
If you do not like sake, you have Fresh, sweet seafood is the pride and joy of Hokkaido prefecture, and the
two options: avoid Godenya Located on the top level of Lee pristine quality of the produce goes naturally with a bowl of plain, fluffy
completely, or go straight there Garden One, Gonpachi sets to white rice. That’s the premise of Hokkaidon, a restaurant that specialises
to recalibrate your palate and please Japanophiles the moment in don—bowls of rice topped with various ingredients including fresh
kickstart an appreciation for they walk in. The laidback izakaya sashimi, fish roe, pickles and more. The Tai Koo restaurant offers more
it. This understated temple to takes up a lofty circular space, than just rice, however, with small dishes such as tomato salad topped
Japan’s famed rice wine is one handsomely appointed with dark with fried crabmeat and steamed egg custard with seafood. Sashimi
of Hong Kong’s most intriguing beams, timber columns and is also available a la carte. Among the main acts, the signature Hokkai-
culinary destinations, hidden in cleverly lit counters, red details don is a premium mix of sea urchin, scallop, botan shrimp, crab claw,
a mysterious alleyway off Kau U and bamboo screens. Tatami- right eye flounder, salmon, salmon roe and abalone. If that’s too much,
Fong. The interiors are dominated inspired rooms, bar seating and the Hokkai mini don features three smaller bowls with a pared down
by industrial concrete contrasting more conventional tables cater selection of toppings. As the restaurant is located in the perpetually
with Japanese woods, and the best both large groups and couples, and busy Cityplaza shopping mall, service is brisk and food comes quickly,
seats in the (small) house are most grant plenty of privacy regardless of making this an efficient spot for lunch or a bite to eat before a movie or
certainly at the counter where the party size. On to the menu, and shopping spree.
dishes are served directly from what a treat that is: spanning sushi
chef to diner. Helmed by Shinya and sashimi, grilled skewers and
Goshima, who used to run the housemade soba noodles (a must- INAGIKU GRANDE
original in Tokyo before closing it to order to wrap up the meal), the
launch Godenya in Hong Kong, the offerings are expansive and often 7 6 8 9
experience involves a multifaceted unique to the restaurant, which is
eight-course omakase featuring always noteworthy in our books. 1/F, The Royal Garden Hotel,
a masterful blend of Japanese The Gonpachi ‘pizza’ for example, 69 Mody Road, Tsim Sha Tsui,
ingredients and techniques with is a fun, Japanese take on the Each course Hong Kong
the odd influence from around the Italian staple, with the base made TEL: +852 2733 2933
globe. Goshima’s take on tom yum from thin gyoza skin that stays at Godenya is www.rghk.com.hk
kung, for example, is transcendent. perfectly crispy under a generous
carefully matched
Each course is carefully matched mix of cheese, minced chicken and With a large menu featuring
with a unique sake that is served at vegetables. Skewers are the with a unique sake everything from sushi to sukiyaki,
the precise temperature at which izakaya’s forte; from the Royal Garden Hotel’s Japanese
that is served
Goshima feels will bring out the tsukune to short ribs, restaurant has something for
best of both food and wine—lighter eringi mushroom and at a precise everybody. Smaller groups may
starters such as Nagoya figs Miyazaki A5 wagyu like to sit at the sushi or teppanyaki
with fennel fronds, for example, beef, each grilled bite temperature counters to keep an eye on the
are paired with crisp, cool (10C) is packed with flavour, action, although the rest of the
Mansaku-no-hana junmai daiginjo juicy and well salted. dining room is comfortable too, if
that brought out the aniseed quality Sake and shochu, rather not looking a little dated. Another
of the dish. A truly unique and than wine, are the focus improvement we’d like to see is
enlightening experience that needs here and pair well with the the removal of the endangered
to be tried at least once. umami-packed cuisine. bluefin tuna from the menu—even
without it, they have a great range
of seafood. Apart from sushi and
sashimi, cooked preparations
such as tempura are of are a
great way of showcasing their
premium ingredients. Delicate yet
full of flavour, the local live prawn
tempura is served with the heads
of the shrimp, which is the best
part. While most of the a la carte
dishes are made to share, for more
formal dinners, consider ordering
the tempura or teppanyaki sets,
which are individually served. Also,
consider the fruit selection instead
of dessert, as you’ll be treated
with the best seasonal Japanese
fruits. The sake list has entry-level
selections as well as bottles that
would please connoisseurs, and a
good number of them are available
in smaller carafes for those who
Inagiku Grande’s live just want a taste. Staff are quick on
prawn tempura their feet, intuitive and happy to
help should you need it.

T .DINING 2018 | 101