Wagyu Takumi Hong Kong

Hong Kong Michelin guide is often perceived as the overrated one (even after 8 years) - many so called pundits especially from Europe believe the inspectors have been too lenient when giving away multiple stars. While I often agree with many of them, I found one of the places that hardly cause any controversy about the restaurant's merit was Wagyu Takumi. The restaurant (owned by the Lai Sun group) may not be that famous yet since it's only established in 2013. In addition, its location is relatively hidden, on a secluded road of the Oakhill area in Wan Chai. The 'founder' chef was Mitsuru Konishi who used to work at Taillevent Paris; he resigned in early October this year. The current executive chef is Daisuke Mori who has been working at Wagyu Takumi for 2 years; he was also working at Taillevent as well as Chateau Robuchon Tokyo. Given his qualification and experience, I felt that I was in good hand even during this 'transition' period and Mori-san just proved that during my dinner here. There's one menu only: 8-course tasting menu (well, 9 dishes in my case since I ordered an extra main course). The meal began with good sourdough bread accompanied by smoked sea salt butter supplied by Bordier.

Amuse Bouche - 3 kinds of seasonal items were:
-Botan ebi tartar with ikura - neither extremely fresh nor sweet; quite average
-Fennel soup with Hokkaido crab & olive oil - tasty with some flavor depth
-Deep fried squid - salty and tasted more like Chinese food

Sanma (Pacific saury) served with Fresh herbs and Sweet bitter sauce - Hidden under the Sanma were: couscous, cucumber and tomato yielding texture and flavor variations. The pan-seared Sanma was fresh and tasty; the sweet sauce was contrasted by the thick, bitter & intense liver. A satisfying dish    

Hokkaido Uni (Sea urchin) served with Lily root and Caviar - Actually, this dish was mainly about the delicate & 'unique' lily root having subdued sweetness & slight nuttiness. It was integrated with creamy uni, salty caviar and light but not-so-smooth lobster jelly at the bottom. A balanced dish with some umami flavor in it

Tako (Octopus) cooked with Red wine and served with Pumpkin espuma/froth and Truffle foam - The tako, also cooked with butter, was massaged for a few hours previously, resulting a 'super' tender flesh of octopus with minimal chewiness. The taste was great. The grapes provided some acidity whereas the fluffy/sweet pumpkin espuma was not too rich thankfully; the foam had a weak truffle flavor. Perhaps, that's why the staff offered some white truffle shaving instead which I politely declined. I think the dish was already good by itself (without the Alba truffle)

Awabi (Abalone) served with Barley risotto, Shimanto seaweed and Lotus root - One of Wagyu Takumi's signature dishes. The (French) barley was prepared al dente; it absorbed the stock perfectly to produce buttery, creamy and fragrant risotto. The rather tender yet pleasantly chewy (New Zealand) abalone was slowly and meticulously seared - really delectable. The celery foam on top was refreshing. Everything went well here except that I wish the abalone's size had been bigger ...

Kinmedai (Golden eye snapper) served with Cabbage compote and Salsify - The lovely kinmedai was carefully cooked until the skin became crisp and golden. It was fatty, a bit oily and yummy. The salsify was versatile, the sour cabbage compote was intense, the olive oil-caviar and truffle-flavored powder were alright. This dish decently kept up as a bridge between the scrumptious abalone and the main course

Brittany Homard (Blue lobster) served with Lemon-grass flavor and Seasonal vegetables - Instead of Alba truffle, I invested my money for an additional main course and it improved my overall impression of the meal here. The live Brittany lobster was perfectly executed: juicy, having the right texture (tender yet a bit firm) and retained its sweet & original flavor. Both the meaty tail and plump claw were excellent. The sauce was superb; a mixture of lemon grass, coriander and lobster bisque. For the side dishes, the turnip, carrot and caramelized onion were quite enjoyable too - an awesome dish!

Japanese Wagyu charcoal-grilled Tenderloin served with Komatsuna puree and Braised wagyu-stuffed onion - The beef was Hida wagyu tenderloin; it's slowly grilled over Wakayama (white) charcoal. The meat was marbling, succulent/juicy and not overly oily (though it still had some of melt-in-the-mouth sensation, I could still comfortably chew and taste the 'beef'). The wagyu had a wonderful flavor indeed and served in the right portion (100-120 grams). For combination or if you feel 'too much beef', there were mildly sweet puree, garlic, onion and nutty endives

(Caramel) Pineapple served with White truffle ice cream and Maple syrup sauce - The pineapple was alright; a bit thin and soft. The ice cream only had a light truffle flavor but not so sweet. For the crunchy part, take it from the caramel walnut. Overall, it's neither bad nor underwhelming.

Petit fours - All items were made in-house:
-Green tea financier - rather weak green tea
-White truffle macaron - sweet flavor still more dominant
-Cepe chocolate - interesting and unusual

I had 2 glasses of wine for this meal: Burgundy white Montrachet and Bordeaux merlot Saint-Emilion. They're not cheap but the manager/sommelier poured me a generous amount. Furthermore, I received a complimentary Masumi sake in tasting portion. The service here was polite and professional. Things might be a bit stiff at the beginning; even Chef Daisuke Mori looked very intense (all of his helpers in the kitchen were locals). However, as the meal progressed and the staffs felt they got a better control of the situation, the service became more relaxed and smooth. Don Kwok, the manager, cordially began talking to me more often in the middle of the meal onward. Mori-san served and explained one of the dishes; we even had a longer conversation near the end of the meal. In a typical Japanese hospitality, the chef escort me out of the restaurant and Don also walked me out and showed me the way to the nearest MTR station. The main drawback of the meal was probably concerning Wagyu Takumi's dining room. The setting was a high-end Teppanyaki style with rather small dining area. The counter was in L-shape that could accommodate up to 14 people. It was a full-house event and the distance between chairs was not that spacious. The positive part was that the restaurant did not turn the table, at least during my dinner. Overall, I had a great meal experience: delicious food, beautiful presentation, professional and friendly service. Wagyu Takumi definitely deserved its status as a 2-star Michelin restaurants and I would not be surprised if it will receive many other awards in the future.

Please visit here for the pictures: Wagyu Takumi Nov '16

Food: 95 pts

Service: 94 pts

Overall: 95/100

Waku Ghin Singapore

Tetsuya Wakuda is one of the most famous chefs around the globe, particularly after his elegant restaurant Tetsuya's awarded as the best fine dining places in Australia and consistently ranked among top 5 in the world by UK's restaurant magazine in mid 2000's. A couple of years ago, Chef Wakuda eventually decided to enlarge his territory by opening the latest gastronomy temple in the Merlion country called Waku Ghin, meaning Silver Metal. Generally, I am not a person who will jump to visit any new top restaurants as soon as they open. On the contrary, I usually doubt any new places that have many hypes and are expensive. After waiting for 6-8 months and reading several consistently positive reviews about Waku Ghin, I finally gave it a try. I made a last minute reservation during the weekdays, fortunately they had an empty spot for the first seating and this way I could skip the credit card guarantee requirement for no-show diners. Like many other fine restaurants in Asia, the dress-code at Waku Ghin is not very strict - any smart casual/business attire is sufficient.

I learned that Waku Ghin, located in the casino wing of Marina Bay Sands, is actually not a replica of Tetsuya's Sydney. It only has a single menu - the omakase consisting of 10 courses. At the beginning, guests will be asked whether they have any food allergies or ingredients they dislike to eat. The dining concept here is rather unique; diners are seated in 2-3 different rooms: beginning at the sake lounge for aperitifs (optional), next you will be seated in one of the Japanese-style Teppanyaki rooms and lastly moved to the main dining room for desserts or relaxing (it has floor-to-ceiling view of the Singapore skyline). The flow of the meal will be as follow - the kitchen would prepare the first 3-4 courses. Following that, skilled chefs would personally cook live seafood & fresh meats/vegetables in front of guests. I enjoyed my first meal so much that I decided to return to Waku Ghin half a year later. I will share the dishes that I had in both meals below

1st meal - Jun '11

Flan of Oyster served with Puree of Bacon and Spinach - The oyster was fresh and briny, it went along with the silky chawanmushi and warm spinach

Marinated Botan Ebi served with Sea Urchin and Oscietre Caviar - Waku Ghin's most popular dish offering generous seafood. The uni was velvety and creamy combined with sweet marinated ebi and a lavish dollop of briny caviar. Not forgetting the rich egg yolk at the bottom - Excellent dish indeed!
Note: I also had this signature dish in my 2nd meal

Slow Cooked John Dory served with Roasted Eggplant - The fish, imported from New Zealand, got weak taste. The charcoal grill eggplant was more interesting in flavor - overall, nothing memorable

Steamed Alaskan King Crab served with Lemon scented Extra virgin Olive oil - A perfect example of simple cooking but delivering delicious result. The crab was prepared on a bed of sea salt served on bamboo leaves while the 'lemon sauce' added a hint of acidity. The result was a succulent and tender crab - pretty much faultless

The first few dishes are accompanied by: 2007 Domaine Leflaive Macon-Verze - Burgundy, France (Well-balanced with fine aroma and citrus notes)

Tasmanian Abalone served with Polenta, Tomato and Garlic cream - The 'greenlip' abalone was still alive. It had beautiful texture with right chewiness. The side dishes represented the summer spirit with fresh cherry tomato and cream's sourness. I like this kind of abalone's preparation better than the one served at Chinese restaurant with 'brown' sauce

Braised Canadian Lobster with Tarragon - The lobster was lightly cooked to produce right texture. The 'sauce', generating deep flavor, was not too rich but very tasty; the broth consisted of lobster bisque, olive oil, tarragon and butter. Great dish in generous portion

Japanese Ohmi Wagyu roll from Shiga prefecture served with Maitake mushroom, Wasabi and Citrus soy - Tender, heavily marbled and scrumptious! One of the best of the night ... the beef is sweeter and milder compared to other Japanese beef. The freshly grated wasabi, fried garlic, earthy maitake and citrus soy were good. There's also charcoal grilled mixed vegetables on the sides. I can easily eat 2-3 more portions of this beef
Note: I had this Ohmi wagyu in both meals. The 1st one even in 2 serving

Accompanied by: 2008 Kooyong Pinot Noir Mornington Peninsula - Victoria, Australia (A bit light with some acidity and spicy finish)

Consomme with Rice and Snapper - The clean taste consomme was essentially a double-boiled chicken stock (cooked with many different kinds of veggies). Though not my favorite, I had to say that the clear and aromatic consomme mixed well with the fish

Gyokuro - A fine Kyoto green tea, usually harvested in 2-3 weeks only. The young leaves were 'boiled' at low temperature (about 50 C). Somehow, I like it a lot - smooth and full-body. Again, this tea is applicable in both meals

Granita of Grapefruit served with Chartreuse jelly - The shaved ice granita was delicate. It produced a mixtures of bitter, sour and fresh taste

Ghin Cheesecake - Waku Ghin's signature dessert. Like other Japanese cheesecake, this was light and fluffy. There was a hint of sourness from the lemon curd that enhanced the overall experience. Probably the best cheesecake I've ever had ..

2nd meal - Dec '11

"Like Oysters" Scallop served with Ginger and Rice vinegar - Smooth scallop prepared like an oyster. The inside was vegetables with some yuzu - a light dish for an opening

Grilled Anago served Foie Gras and Zucchini - The salt-water eel was distinctively sweet while the duck liver was rich as expected. Both have soft textures, the flavors were reduced via fresh wasabi and zucchini confit

White Truffle Pasta - The al dente pasta was really good. The alba truffle would have been more effective had they been more pungent and got stronger flavor

Australian Abalone served with Fregola and Tomato - Italian-influence dish. The charred 3-year old abalone was firm yet not rubbery, with subtle sweetness. The basil-laced fregola was delicate and worked well with tomato's acidity. Love the refreshing 'soup' - this dish was better than the abalone with polenta version

The first few dishes are accompanied by: 2009 Goldloch Diel Riesling Grosses - Nahe, Germany

Braised Canadian Lobster served with Couscous and Tagine spice - This dish has Moroccan's flavor. Lobster's claw was a bit too soft while its tail was perfectly cooked. The couscous was good, but the 'stock' (lobster's juice, long pepper and paprika cream) was somewhat very tense. It's hard to go wrong with lobster, but I prefer the one with Tarragon

Somen served with Myoga and Junsai - The Japanese version of "la mian" made of wheat. The soup was chilled with light taste from the ginger and shiso.

Pan-seared Squab served with sauteed mushrooms and spinach - A bonus dish from the chef. The bird was slowly cooked, it's tender & tasty with some gamey flavor. The sauce was salty, but reduced by the chanterelle and spinach. Surprisingly good, I don't often eat good squab/pigeon - of course Passard's version is still the best

Accompanied by: 2007 John Duval Entity Shiraz - Barossa Valley, Australia

Cold Tomato Pasta - No non-sense here. Simply a tasty spaghetti enhanced by vibrant cherry tomato and basil - clean and fresh

Blueberry cheesecake - The sorbet was light and smooth with fresh and rich blueberries. Easy to savor

Chocolate Mousse Cake - A rich, intense and decadent dessert made of exceptional Valrhona chocolate. The texture was silky with some raspberry inside. Almost as good as the lemon curd cheesecake

The dining room is elegant with minimalist decor - some combination of wooden panel and cold steel; guests are seated at bar stools. The restaurants can seat about 25 guests per seating with 2 shifts daily. During both visits on the earlier slot, I noticed fewer than 15 diners eating here. The service was professional but not personal; the staffs would be around you without being noticed/intrusive but as soon as you need something, they would attend your need immediately. A couple of the Tetsuya's maitre d' move and work at Waku Ghin. After settling the bill and just before I left the restaurant, most of the staffs (5-7 of those) were waiting at the entrance door and bowed to you - Japanese hospitality. I was fortunate enough that during my 2nd visit, I had the chance to meet Chef Tetsuya Wakuda himself. Although he was busy and looked tired (just arriving to Singapore), he still took time to meet and talk with me - appreciate that. Chef Wakuda is a humble and approachable gentleman. I even heard that he still cooks in the kitchen, but not on the Teppan rooms, otherwise everybody would ask for him. I was served by Kaz Yagawa, a Japanese chef working for Tetsuya's Sydney, twice. He's nice and very passionate about food. He always listened to my feedback and tried his best to make me happy. He showed concerned when I mentioned my top 5 restaurants in the world and Waku Ghin was not one of them - typical Japanese chef, always strive for perfection. By the way, the restaurant keeps whatever dishes you've eaten - either you want to repeat any of them or chance the whole menu completely.

Overall, I am very pleased with great experiences at Waku Ghin. The food and service have been consistently very good. The cooking is a Japanese-inspired (kaiseki style) influenced by French technique. In short, it's light, clean and simple; chefs focused mostly on the luxurious and fresh ingredients available - many of the seafood were in fact still alive. Sometimes, with the price tag the restaurant charges, diners would expect for more sophisticated dishes. For me, as long as it's delicious in the palate, I will be happy. Is it worth it? Well, kinda yes subjectively. It's simply impossible to find "L'Arpege" or "Ledoyen" in Singapore, thus Waku Ghin, followed by Gunther's, is my favorite place to eat in this island thus far. Please click the following link for the dishes' pictures,
https://picasaweb.google.com/118237905546308956881/WakuGhinSingapore

Food (and Wine): 94 pts

Service (and Ambiance): 93 pts

Overall: 94/100