The Hong Kong outpost of the exclusive Tokyo restaurant excels in the details, and successfully preserves the Japanese culinary art form
The Hong Kong outpost of Japan’s revered sushi restaurant Sushi Saito opened in late March, carving out a petite space on the 45th floor of the Four Seasons Hong Kong. Business is running, but the clamour for reservations by sushi aficionados around town is overflowing. Global Link, the restaurant group that opened Sushi Saito’s Hong Kong branch, are also the operators of Tenku Ryugin and our Top 20 Restaurant Ta Vie. As part of the opening perks for their VIPs, the group have offered a limited number of exclusive privileges to book and enjoy the restaurant ahead of the general public.
We were fortunate to be invited as part of an exclusive media preview this week. The experience begins when you reach the modest entrance, brushing past a white noren to reveal a long corridor, embellished with Japanese pottery curated exclusively for Saito’s establishments in both Japan and Hong Kong. The restaurant is divided into two separate dining rooms, separated by a wooden door. Each space seats eight, and we were welcomed by Ikuya Kobayashi, Saito’s right-hand man from Tokyo.
Our exclusive lunch began with appetisers, where warm pen shell (taraigai) is wrapped with crisp seaweed and served as is. The shellfish was lightly chewy, a umami-rich disc that yielded to the crisp seaweed wrapper. Saito’s signature monkfish liver was next, trimmed and sliced at the counter; the rich liver melted like a savoury mousse, while its sweet soy dressing enhanced each bite with a welcoming aftertaste.
Saito’s lunch menu continued with ten pieces of sushi. Guests who are inclined to take photos of each sushi piece are recommended to not miss the golden window of 30 seconds after preparation, where the sushi’s temperature plays an integral role in appreciating the morsel. Unlike the conventional structure of the sushi meal where light-flavoured fish are served at the beginning and richer ones follow, Saito’s arrangement takes you on a roller-coaster ride of flavours and textures, beginning with his signature saba sushi roll, where thick slabs of silver-skinned mackerel, lightly cured in vinegar, are packed on top of warm rice. The richness of the mackerel built up in momentum and got richer, balanced by the sharpness of vinegar.