By Aude
Japanese food … Sushis? Sashimis? Yakitoris? Well yes, but there is so much more to it than just that. I have been wanting to experience Izakaya forever. Izakaya? Japanese popular eateries where people gather to enjoy a beer or sake and share dishes with friends and colleagues.
So excited when I heard a new one was opening in Hong Kong. Okra is more the fancy type than the popular one though. 12 seats at the bar, 6 standing tables and an open kitchen to encourage chit-chatting with the chef while having him cooked a 8 courses tasting menu, Japanese style.
8 courses? Did I just heard 8 courses? Yes, you hear me right. 8 fresh and innovative dishes to pair with the list of rare sakes.
Not one course that is not worth mentioning! Each and everyone is just absolutely surprising and comes with the excitement of having the chef cooking it just in front of you. I absolutely enjoyed every bite of it.
I started the meal with a very light and fruity sake – Wakatakeya “Tani” with nose of dried peaches. I must confess, I consider myself not a big fan of sake but this one was really good and perfectly goes with the very fresh first five dishes.
My favs? Bafuni and Smoked Anchovies – perfect balance between the smoky taste of fresh anchovies and the absolute freshness of Japanese sea urchin. The Kibinigo Salad – a mix of two different Italian seaweeds with soy sauce and dashi jelly was pretty epic too, never tried something like this before.
Then came larger and hot dishes. Nicely advised by the staff, we went for a heavier and much more complex sake – Wakatakeya “Genrokshu”, 5 years aged Sake with notes of hazelnut, chocolate, orange and persimmon. This one to be honest was not my type, too strong. But yet I have to admit it did not taste like anything I have tried before. Anyway, must of my focus was on the dishes.
The Dry Aged Baby Tuna is just way too good not to be tasted! A soft and melty dry aged tuna, lightly fried and served with sharp ume ketchup. Every bite of it is a little bite from heaven. But to me, the real star of this 8 parts show was the Unakyu Foie gras, barbecued unagi, honey miso duck liver and sanbaizu (vinegar, soy sauce and mirin). The crisp of the barbecued unagi with that sweet taste brings by the barbecue sauce, the absolutely meltyness of the very pornfood foie gras and just the perfect touch of acidity thanks to the sanbaizu … This dish just nailed it!
No … Do not tell me it is over yet!
Pssst: the idea of Izakaya is to share dishes. Okra ones are designed to do so. I went for the 8 courses tasting menu and share all of the dishes (yes, unbelievable but I do share my food sometimes) with my boyfriend and it was just perfect.
Okra
G/F, 110 Queen’s Road West, Sai Ying Pun
https://www.facebook.com/OkraHK/
The bill:
1 x 8 courses menu (shared between 2): HKD 700
2x glass of Wakatakeya “Tani”: 2x HKD 68
2x glass of Wakatakeya “Genrokshu”: 2x HKD 138
Total (w/ service charges): HKD 1 168