Chef Hajime did such a good job making us feel special at the tuna cutting (HERE) that we brought a friend back a month later for their Winter omakase. The man knows how to do business 😂.
As they are with W hotel, the price tag is on the higher end. It was a 14 course omakase for $285 per person.
As they are with W hotel, the price tag is on the higher end. It was a 14 course omakase for $285 per person.
Hyoka
Our sakisuke was a mirugai (cuttle fish) with akagai and hokki gai (clams), and fingerlime and caviar. Amazing! It was a light and refreshing umami dish, where we could taste the detailed cuts of the cuttle fish.
The zensai was saba, parsnip and yuzu, The pops of freshness came through from the diced white cubes.
The onmono was chargrilled foie gras, snow fungus and umami. The broth was a scallop dashi. It was very delicate, like a light noodle dish.
This dish was the agemono described anago, kansho and dashi. It was a fried anagi with a homemade tofu potato. It was sweet, and the rich boldness of the eel was so delicious.
We were served the Yamagata wagyu again for our shizakana, with salsify and sansho. The beef was so tender, with that creamy and savoury sauce. The sansho was the perfect touch of subtle spice.
The palate cleanser was an apple jelly, specifically miso apple with puree koji apple (Aomori). It was so creative and refreshing.
Starting our tomezakana with a coral trout.
The scampi nigiri had shaved cured egg yolk that added a subtle saltiness to the bite.
I can’t believe I forgot to take a photo but there was an akami tsuke, a marinated Tasmanian tuna with kosho.
I can’t believe I forgot to take a photo but there was an akami tsuke, a marinated Tasmanian tuna with kosho.
This odd nigiri was described as peral meat (unsure if there’s a typo and if it’s meant to be pearl), an edible adductor muscle of the giant South Sea pearl oyster. It had a chewy but tender texture.
A delicious unagi roll.
The knife work in this osuimono was amazing and the soft tofu was so intricate and detailed. It was red, white and saiko miso soup.
This was alfonsino from Tasmania, with saiko and spring onion.
We finished with a torotaku, a glorious tuna belly with caviar.
We got an extra piece of sea urchin gunkan for $30 per person (price is a rough memory).
The finale kashi was a nerikiri, a tuna roll with pickles.
The dessert was ureshino houjicha, a wanashi (native Japanese pears) in a mochi that tasted crisp and sweet. Served with tea.
Service
Chef Hajime and his team were fantastic as usual.
Review
We had such a good time that our friend actually attended Chef Hajime’s collaboration in Sydney. And we made a reservation for their Spring menu (LINK).
Thanks for reading. Happy eating.
Thanks for reading. Happy eating.
