Out for dinner on Saturday evening to the unknown territories of Deng Long Street in Causeway (street behind Times Square) and the street is a well-known local drinking hot spots full of karaoke bars + traditional Hong Kong Style hawker food. Kusuya Rakuen was highly recommended by our friends and is a traditional Okinawa style Japanese cuisine, thus you can expect plentiful of Japanese snacks, beers & fresh seafood jetted in from Japan on a daily basis.
Dishes definitely did not disappoint but however the portion sizes were quite small therefore do not expect a very filling dinner. Some of the highlights of the meal which I want to share with you all:
a) Orion Beer -- traditional Okinawa brewed beer (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orion_Breweries) which was extremely refreshing in taste but my personal favourite is still Yebisu which you can buy from City Super & Sogo. If you visit this restaurant now, they have a special promotional deal which is $99 for 3 bottles of Orion which is very attractive. If you do visit this place, check out their selection of traditional Okinawa Sake-tinis & cocktails!
**b) Okinawa Style Peanut Tofu -- I had doubts when our friend ordered this Okinawa Style Tofu as I sometime question why people order such dishes when dining out. However, I was wrong!!
This Tofu dish could well be the best Tofu I have ever eaten in my entire life. The texture is similar to a Mozarella and the complement of the Japanese soya was a perfect matching. The texture of the Tofu was so so unique that I have never experienced anything like this. The first bite of the Tofu was full of peanut flavours and it was very fragrant and plus, Tofu is very healthy for one's body & mind therefore we ordered 2 portions of this as it was truly delectable.
c) Sashimi Platter -- A Japanese meal can never be complete without a Sashimi Platter. All the sashimi was extremely fresh and full of fish oil. The wasabi is freshly grinded and very unlike the wasabi paste you get in the conveyor belt Japanese restaurants. The Maguro (Blue Fin Tuna) truly stood out from the rest in the platter. Very refreshing dish & a perfect summer platter for sure.
d) Okinawa Sea Grapes (Umibudou) -- This is a vegetarian must have dish and it is also a very unique dish. Although not from Shizuoka, this Okinawa delicacy regularly appears in supermarkets and in good Japanese restaurants. Although called Sea Grapes (Umibudou) or Green Caviar for their shape, it is a sea-weed variety! It is best to consume this dish raw with soy sauce or rice vinegar mixed with mustard.
e) Japanese Style Fried Chicken -- As I always believe, Japanese style fried chicken is quite possibly the best fried chicken in the world. The batter is not too over oily and the texture of the chicken is simply superb. Pair this with the Japanese style mayonaise with a zip of the Orion Beer, this is the perfect snack for your beer on a hot summer evening.
For the rest of the dishes, I wouldnt go into too much details as I think the above 4 courses simply made my whole evening. The restaurant was packed with Japanese citizens and when you go to a Japanese restaurant full of natives, you are ensured that you are at the right place. Overall experience was very pleasant, food & drinks were all superb. I will definitely return to this restaurant once again for lunch or dinner.
Food Quality (5* the highest): ****
Price (5$ = very expensive): $$$
Address: 12F, Wing Kwong Centre, 28 Tang Lung Street, Causeway Bay 銅鑼灣登龍街28號永光中心12樓
Enquiry No : 3580-8858
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That's my favourite izakaya in HK - I never blogged about it because I selfishly wanted to keep it a secret! It's hard enough to book as it is! Next time you go, try their awamori sour cocktail - my favourite summer drink - and the bitter gourd & pork stir fry (if you eat bitter gourd) - also one of my faves :)
ReplyDeleteHi E_Ting,
ReplyDeleteI totally agree with you -- the best Izakaya in Hogn kong by far and very authentic Japanese style!