Unkai

Address: 3rd Floor, Sheraton Hotel, 20 Nathan Road, Tsim Sha Tsui
Tel: 2732 6827

IUnkai has been known for years as one of the very best Japanese restaurants in Hong Kong. The recently renovated interior is dim and classically Japanese with the sound of a bubbling brook creating a serene ambience in the centre of bustling Tsim Sha Tsui. The food is created with amazing detail, and everything down to the miso soup tastes superior.

Its new chef, Oshitanai Takaho, is an expert at kaiseki, a type of meal that includes a combination of dishes designed to balance the food’s taste and appearance. The nishiki kaiseki set definitely lives up to the chef’s reputation. It is the most nondescript lunch set on the menu but that just makes it a bigger delight when it arrives. The spread of dishes includes a bit of everything – small appetisers, soup, sashimi, a beef dish, tempura, fish – and all taste as good as they look.

The shokado bento set is served in a black lacquer box divided into four parts. The presentation is stunning, with the food laid out artfully and neatly, using real flowers and leaves for decoration. The set includes a tempura dish, grilled cod, sashimi, soup and other small items.

Also highly recommended is the US beef teppanyaki set, and of course you can watch it being prepared in front of you at the counter for the full teppanyaki experience. The set includes tender beef with a pile of roasted garlic, a plate of vegetables that comes with its own dipping sauce, sashimi and fried rice.

Last but not least is Unkai’s large collection of sake. Get some recommendations (like wine, it should be paired with your food choices), order some for the table and kanpai!

Daikyo Address: 3rd Floor, W Square, 318 Hennessy Road, Wan Chai Tel: 2832 6636 Daikyo was opened last November by renowned chef Chiu Sze Cheuk of Unkai fame – he was formerly executive chef there for 17 years – so rest assured that the food is of the highest quality. Located in busy Wan Chai, it offers an array of lunch sets that won’t break the bank. The à la carte menu is extensive and includes wagyu dishes (shabu shabu and sukiyaki), tempura, sushi, teppanyaki, chirashi and donburi. Although spacious, the restaurant is cosy and comfortable. Lighting is dim, and the design uses natural elements such as dark wood, stone and bamboo. Most of the restaurant’s seating is booth style (a favourite in Hong Kong), while the teppanyaki and sushi bars, lined with padded chairs, offer a view of chefs in action.

Zuma

Address: 5th & 6th Floor, The Landmark, 15 Queen’s Road Central
Tel: 3657 6388

Although Zuma bills itself as offering the izakaya style of informal eating and drinking, nothing about this dining hotspot resembles the casual Japanese after-work destinations with beer menus on the walls. This is high-end food sharing at The Landmark, a most prestigious address in the heart of Central.

Zuma first appeared in London to much acclaim and has since expanded to three other cities. The concept is contemporary and sophisticated while paying the utmost attention to food quality. The interior showcases minimalist Japanese design and some natural material such as wooden tables that have an unfinished look and a sushi bar made of stone, with an overall effect of understated elegance.

The three open kitchens are the “main” kitchen where starters are prepared, the sushi counter and the robata grill. Since sharing is encouraged, this is the perfect opportunity to try various appetisers, sushi creations and grilled items. The signature starter is baby chicken marinated in barley miso, oven-roasted on cedar wood. If you are wondering how special chicken can taste, you have to try this one. The meat is tender on the inside with a crispy glaze on the outside, infused with the flavours of miso, ginger and sake.

Zuma’s signature nigiri sushi uses unexpected ingredients such as a combination of scallops, pomelo and miso. For an eclectic and unusual assortment of sashimi, try the sashimi omakase (chef’s choice), which might include tuna belly, monkfish liver and fresh abalone.

Everything off the robata grill has the smoky flavour of charcoal grilling. The must-try dish is the spicy beef tenderloin. It is Zuma’s most popular item, using dry-aged beef tenderloin and served with a spicy and sweet sesame sauce.

The restaurant manager calls the pastry chef a “genius” so you better leave room for dessert. The molten chocolate cake was so popular that it had to be removed from the menu so the other desserts would get tasted, but it is available upon request to those in the know.