Matsukan in Roppongi Hills

First night in town, and I just couldn't wait to eat a very good local meal. Since it was Sunday night, most of the well known sushi restaurants were closed because the market was not open that day, so I had to consult the Grand Hyatt concierge for some recommendations.

The concierge personally recommended Matsukan, which she said was excellent for sushi, and not too pricey as well.

A brisk fifteen minute walk down Roppongi Hills later, we were standing outside a tiny little restaurant with a blue cloth banner covering the entrance. There was no English name displayed in front of the restaurant, but I was able to make out the Japanese characters for the restaurant.

The hotel had reserved counter seats for us, and we squeezed into the last 2 seats there. The counter, like most sushi counters, were manned by the head chef and a team of younger chefs, each serving a group of patrons. I requested for the sushi omakase set, and kicked back and waited for the action to begin.

First up was the cold Hokkaido snow crab, cut into quarters, and served with ponzu sauce on the side.

The the fresh oyster dish came quickly after, and served with a thin lemon wedge. The oyster was very fresh, and I wished they had given us more than one piece per person. While I was still lingering over the thoughts of oysters, the fish roe dish over citrus sauce was brought before us.

The fish roe tasted like steamed delicate foie gras. Really yummy. Next came the fried baby fish and sardine. This was also very well prepared and seasoned lightly with salt.

As we proceeded into the sushi section of the meal, out came the horse mackerel, then squid, followed by ark shell, abalone, seared toro, anago (sea eel), and a bowl of miso soup. The seared toro was so good that when the chef asked if we were full, I said we were almost there, but wanted a round of the toro again. This time, he gave us a more generous slice of the wonderfully layered meat. That, to me, was the dessert.

Misato Kaiseki

I recently came across a brief review of Misato in CNNGo.com. Seems the restaurant has been an institution in Shanghai for a number of years, and earning a reputation as one of the best kaiseki experiences this side of the Bund. Misato-san even had the privilege of cooking for former Prime Minister Nakasone as well. I couldn't get a seat at Sushi Oyama for tonight, so I thought this was a good alternative.

Located at the City Hotel along North Shaanxi Road, the restaurant looked pleasant by Japanese standards. Nothing too ultra modern along the lines of a Super Potato designed eatery, but very traditional Japanese aesthetics that are both welcoming and soothing.

I sat at the counter and selected their top kaiseki meal set, and braced myself for an exciting culinary experience. The reviews I read about this restaurant mentioned that the food was strictly traditional kaiseki style, meaning, the ingredients were the stars, and had better shine.

The meal started with an assorted appetizer dish, beautifully presented as three small plates on a wooden tray. While the ingredients were fresh, the preparation was nothing exceptional like recent kaiseki meals that I've tried. The sashimi course was overall fresh, but I thought the otoro could have been better.

The soup course was seafood broth, with a prawn, sliced fish and some mushrooms. This was one of my favorite dishes. The stewed course was a bit of a letdown, again, nothing mindblowing, and the ingredients were cooked in a very bland way. The grilled course consisted of grilled king crab legs. The waitress offered to grill each piece for me.

The meat course was pan seared wagyu beef sirloin, very well prepared and tasted delicious. The last course was rice, and this was served as chirashi don, with six types of seafood served with a bowl of miso soup. This was another of my favorite dishes.

 However, the chirashi don at Suju, another one of my favorite hangouts, was still superior to this. The dessert course completed the meal with three types of dessert - bean ice cream, fresh seasonal fruits and tofu jelly.

For this meal, I paid RMB800. This was one of the more expensive dinners I've had recently in Shanghai, but for this price, I could think of better options to spend my money.

Misato is at City Hotel, 5-7 Shaanxi Nan Lu, near Julu Lu.
Tel: +86-21-6215-7375

Bangkok has a new Nahm

The Metropolitan Bangkok recently renovated their Cyan restaurant on the first floor of the hotel and transformed it into the first overseas outpost for Australian David Thompson's Nahm restaurant, a Michelin-starred Thai restaurant at the Halkin in London. It was a pity the Metropolitan decided to do away with Cyan, instead of the lesser known Glow restaurant on the second floor, but I guess this meant there would be world-class Thai cuisine readily available, without even having to walk next door to the Celadon restaurant at the Sukothai.

I loved the soothing warm decor of Nahm, lots of hardwood, spot lighting and modern furniture. The tables were a bit of an annoyance because of the large diameter of the stem, which left little room for my feet to rest comfortably. But like I said, a small annoyance, really. I was very distracted by the extensive menu and the descriptions of each dish, and my stomach was starting to protest.

We picked the tasting menu, just so we could try as many of their signature dishes as possible. Everything else will have to wait till next trip.

The restaurant staff brought us an amuse bouse to start. Two pieces of pineapples topped with a sweet nutty sauce with chopped nuts and spices. Then the selection of appetizers followed - skewered oyster satays, fresh prawn salad, crispy fried rice noodles topped with seafood and vegetables, many with names that escape me. But they were all excellent in their own ways. Very fresh, tastefully balanced and not too spicy.

The main course selections consisted of grilled cod, minced prawn in coconut broth, tamarind smoked fish soup, a red beef curry that was astounding, and their signature dish of squid ink stir-fried snow peas with squid.

For dessert, we had stewed pumpkin, tapioca pearls and coconut puff pastries over coconut sauce.

By the end of dinner, I had no doubt Nahm would be one of my favorite dining choices in Bangkok from now on. For a start, it was much better than some of the more venerable Thai fine dining restaurants I tried last trip. And since the restaurant is still in its teething infancy, I can only assume there would be better things to come.

Nahm is at: Metropolitan Bangkok, 27 S Sathorn Road, Bangkok 10120, Thailand. Tel: +66 2625 3333

The Lounge, Four Seasons Hotel, Hong Kong

Reservations are a must but the benefits are legion. The impeccable service, the freshly baked scones and the three-piece jazz band create an incomparable atmosphere of complete relaxation for Sunday high tea to catch up with long lost friends.

Cafe Grey, The Upper House, Hong Kong

I am in HK for the weekend and living life as a complete tai-tai. Of course I had to meet my friend who is the authority on venues for power breakfasts and tai-tai high teas. He was the one who introduced me to breakfast at Mandarin Oriental's intimate Cafe Causette.

Today, he arranged for a table at Cafe Grey located on the 49th floor of one of the nicest new boutique hotels, The Upper House. The Hotel sits above the JW Marriott at Pacific Place. It used to be the Atrium serviced apartments but it has been transformed by local designer Andre Fu into a beautiful modern Asian offering with all the latest gadgets and amenities (except a pool).

There are two choices for the tea set and I opted for the simpler option which meant raspberry scones, salmon rolls on pumpernickel squares and a choice of beverage (Earl Grey Tea). The more elaborate set included a selection of finger sandwiches.

We had a small table at the lounge area which meant that nobody else was there as it was too early for drinks. Through the duration of our tea, I was treated to a magnificent view of the HK Harbor and Kowloon as we chatted. It was a real treat that all self-respecting ladies of leisure should absolutely indulge in.

Kappo Yu Kaiseki

Ah, food, glorious food! I'm talking about Kyoto-style kaiseki dinners fit for an emperor. A friend of mine told me that the owner of Sushi Oyama had opened a new kaiseki restaurant in Shanghai recently, and since I had no plans this Saturday night, I thought it would be the perfect indulgence for the weekend. 

I arrived at Kappo Yu's doorstep by taxi, the entrance stood out uncharacteristically from the rest of the neighborhood's facade with its Japanese lanterns, wooden sliding door and bamboo trees lining both sides of the entrance. It reminded me of the quaint little Japanese restaurants I visited when I was in Kyoto. Expectations were high, and I kept my fingers crossed as I walked through the entrance.

I found myself in a tiny restaurant, with a counter that accommodated no more than 10 patrons at a time. There were two other private rooms to the right, and both seemed occupied already. The waitress greeted me politely in Japanese and led me to the sole empty chair at the main counter. I was glad I had made a reservation earlier. 

Since this was a kaiseki restaurant, there was only one fixed priced tasting menu for the evening. I requested for a copy of the menu, which the waitress brought, and explained to me the slight changes that they had made for the evening's presentation based on the availability of fresh ingredients that day.

And so it began. First up was the amuse bouche of asparagus brulee with uni and sweet soy sauce. Next, fresh octopus with yam strips. Third, the botan shrimp and sesame tofu tempura. The sesame tofu tempura was especially delicious with a nice roasted sesame flavor. 

Fourth, a Japanese salad of Ryukyu style horse mackerel with daikon radish sprouts. The fifth and one of my favorite courses was sashimi, fresh tuna and mackerel pike flown in daily from Japan. The tuna was of a very high grade, something that I've rarely come across in most sushi restaurants anywhere. 

The sixth dish was broiled black cod with broth. This was a little overcooked, but very well marinated. Next up was a soup, creamy cauliflower cold soup with yuku jelly. Excellent! My eighth dish was toro steak with foie gras teriyaki mustard sauce. The toro was lightly seared on the outside and still raw in the center, and the earthy sauce with chunks of foie gras complimented the toro perfectly. 

Next up was cold Inaniwa udon, served in a chilled bowl of ponzu sauce, and was very refreshing. And the final tenth dish was abalone rice mixed with abalone liver, with juicy morsels of fresh abalone, accompanied by a miso soup. 

The quality of the meal presentation was exceptional, I was so impressed with almost all the dishes, that I dare say this meal came very close to my experience at Kikunoi in Kyoto. No easy feat to accomplish for a new restaurant barely months old. I also learned that the menu changed every two weeks or so, based on the seasonal ingredients available each week. I thanked the chef, Terada-san and walked out feeling a very happy man. One of the waitresses accompanied me to the street corner and thanked me again for coming. I think I'll be back.

Kappo Yu is at:

33 Wuxing Lu, near Huaihai Xi Lu,

Shanghai, China

Tel: +86-6466 7855

Reservations essential. 690RMB for a 10-course set.

Hoa Tuc, Ho Chih Minh City, Vietnam

If you happen to be in HCMC for a weekend or a night, there are two things I would recommend. One, to stay at the Park Hyatt Saigon - its the best hotel in town with food, drinks and service that rivals the best in Asia.  Two, cross the road directly opposite Hyatt's uber cool bar, Lam Son, go through a somewhat forbidding arched driveway and you will find yourself at the end of a cul-de-sac in front of Hoa Tuc, a self-described "Contemporary Vietnamese Cuisine Tea Garden".

After a full weekend in HCMC both in terms of activities and eating, we were looking for our last meal before boarding our flight.  This little gem was a lovely surprise providing a light tasty meal with a franco-viet cafe atmosphere.

The menu was full of interesting dishes and we made a valiant attempt to sample a range. Every dish was balanced and included lots of fresh vegetables and local herbs.  We ordered :

1. Fresh home made tofu pan-fried in light batter with fresh mint, salt, pepper and lime, 
2. Fish cake wraps with spicy cucumber fish sauce, 
3. Spicy char-grilled beef w/kumquat, mustard sprout, lemongrass and white eggplant, 
4. Traditional lotus stem salad with prawns and pork, 
5. BBQ fillet of Vietnamese snapper with spicy beetroot and ginger sauce, 
6. Clams with star fruit soup with tomatoes and dill,
7. Sauteed glass noodles with crabs and vegetables, and
8. Seafood fried rice.

Everything is highly recommended except for the seafood fried rice.  If you like lounging while eating, request for the sofa corner which can seat about 4-6.

Hoa Tuc

74 Hai Ba Trun, Quan 1, Sai Gon

T: 3825 1676 E: hoatuc@gmail.com