A Premium Omakase Experience at Kishoku

​What’s better than a plate of fresh sashimi to combat the boiling summer heat? A seemingly endless menu of the finest ingredients the restaurant can offer, of course. This time, #legend takes readers to Kishoku to try out their refreshed “Ku” menu for the premium omakase experience.

Omakase is a Japanese phrase meaning “I’ll leave it up to you”, used by customers to leave the selection of items up to the chef. Ordering omakase usually takes a gamble, but after a hearty bite into Torowich, a piece of Maruyama nori sandwiching a piece of juicy, fatty toro and minty shiso leaf, you’ll happily concur. The small piece of cactus, served alongside the toro, is the ultimate revelation. Juicy and slightly citrusy, it freshens and cleans the palate for the dishes yet to come.

Omakase starts with an array of cold dishes, including Botan ebi shrimp with sakura shrimp sashimi and snow crab stuffed crabshell. With it, a smooth gulp of that creamy, juicy and sweet oyster garnished with scallions and fresh seaweed should not be missed.

The philosophy of immaculate and precise presentation in Japanese cuisine is embodied in the dish of fresh Hokkaido uni. Served with minced tuna and a dollop of black caviar in the middle of the halved shell, the sea urchin tastes faintly of seawater – none of that fishy nonsense.  “With traditional Japanese cuisine, there is a constant challenge to reintroduce it in an interesting way to keep it relevant, while retaining classic flavours”, says Head Chef Leung. The ingredients are meant to be rolled in the nori sheets and eaten together as a wrap, placing some of those tiny edible purple flowers for a heightening experience.

While offering some of Japan’s most exquisite exports, the chef displays the novel artistry of sushi-making with a few gastronomical tricks up his sleeves, piping flavoured foam on the lightly torched red snapper sushi and deep-frying the squared nori sheet to bring out the subtle sweetness in the uni, features exclusively available only on the “Ku” omakase menu.

The revamped menu also brings hot dishes such as seared Wagyu beef, Mentaiko and Conger Eel Tempura and Smoked Hokkaido Scallops, just to list a few. The spongy Tamago sushi is redolent of a moist castella cake, but infused with tiny bits of hand-minced shrimp paste and fish that constitutes to the subtle aroma of seafood. The cup of piping hot fish broth is milky and made from golden snapper bones for a collagen boost, its lingering sweetness a splendid way to end the meal.

Dessert might seem impossible after a scrumptious feast, but the taro ice cream is so good you can’t resist. Melting down to the fullest of bellies, the taro flavour is pronounced, yet its light texture manages to avoid that slick creaminess at the back of the throat. Kishoku is offers a sake sampling session that allows guests to have the rare opportunity to drink three types of top quality sake along with great food. The “Ku” menu sure doesn’t come cheap at $1,850, but with daily arrivals of the freshest ingredients sourced from Japan, there’s no doubting the impeccable quality that has won the restaurant numerous awards since its opening three years ago.

Kishoku. 5th floor, Zing, 38 You Wa Street, Causeway Bay. 2893-0333.