Kazahana and Sushi Sora in Tokyo, plus Haku and Gough’s on Gough in Hong Kong

Located at the Conrad Tokyo, Kazahana focuses on contemporary Japanese cuisine.

The restaurant offers a range of dining options, including a multi-course kaiseki, teppanyaki and sushi lunch and dinner menus. It is decorated with traditional sumi-e (black ink wash) paintings and overlooks sweeping vistas of Tokyo Bay. I tried the kaiseki menu that began with a tofu appetiser with edible burdock root and wasabi. A succulent combination, that prepared my palate for the upcoming courses. Next was a clear soup featuring scallops and Japanese spring vegetables – a heartwarming concoction of Japanese goodness. This was followed by a sashimi platter of marinated tuna with smoked radish, squid with salt and citrus, and sea bream with salty kelp sauce. The fish was fresh – sourced from Tokyo’s famous Tsujiki market – and melted in my mouth. Next, a well-cooked charcoal-grilled codfish in soft roe and topped with maitake mushroom, grated radish and edible chrysanthemum was served, followed by steamed Japanese rice with sweetand-salty teriyaki chicken – not too overpowering. To finish, I enjoyed a delectable brown sugar pudding that was surprisingly not very sweet.

VERDICT

The kaiseki lunch set is an elegant dining option for meetings as the multi-course menu is well spaced out and not too heavy despite the number of dishes served. Akanksha Maker