Two-Michelin-starred Zeniya makes a limited-time appearance in Hong Kong with a two-day pop-up at Felix at The Peninsula this 24–25 May 2018. Hailing from the city of Kanazawa, Chef Shinichiro Takagi brings a very exclusive six-course menu with sake pairings from artisanal brewer Kagatobi ($3,488 per person) to Hong Kong diners.
Felix, The Peninsula’s iconic 28th-floor restaurant, offers the backdrop for this pop-up against stunning views of Victoria Harbour. We recently tasted the menu during a press preview and were thoroughly impressed with the intricacy of each dish.
Our tasting began with a trio of cold appetisers, ranging from an irresistibly creamy sesame tofu topped with briny caviar, to a refreshingly light melange of greens, carrot, radish and prawns, to a medallion of fried monkfish liver bursting with umami notes. A light and fruity Kagatobi Junmai Daiginjo Ai sake helped to wash down the delicious starters.
The steamed nodoguro (black-throat sea perch) was subtle and refined, with the delicate flavours of the white fish further enhanced by dashi, ginger and spring onion. We especially enjoyed the floral, stringent pops of red peppercorn that accentuated the subtle flavours of the fish. According to Chef Takagi, the best kelp for dashi comes from Hokkaido, and he uses a particular variety that has been aged for over three years to accumulate intense flavour. A delicate, smooth-drinking Kagatobi Junmai Ginjo sake paired beautifully with the fish.
A refreshing composition of yellowfin tuna, sea urchin and lobster sashimi arrived dotted with delicate shiso blossoms that added beauty as well as zingy flavour. The zesty chirizu sauce highlighted the sweetness of the seafood. A slightly more acidic Kagatobi Yamahai Junmai Cho Karakuchi sake paired well with the sauce.
A signature dish at Zeniya since 2008, the beef jibuni wasabi is a twist on a Kanazawa classic, dating back to the Edo period. Traditionally, the dish is a stew made from poultry, but Chef Takagi’s version uses buttery, marbled beef that is slow-cooked in a luscious, sticky sauce. Topped with wasabi, tempura mushrooms and peppery rocket, this was our favourite dish of the menu. Paired with the full-flavoured dish was an equally robust Kagatobi Sennichi Kakoi Junmai Daiginjo sake, aged for 1,000 days and made using Yamada Nishiki rice.
A warm chirashi sushi selection of unagi (eel), cooked prawn and shredded tamago completed the savoury section of the menu. Served on a very warm plate, Chef Takagi told us that this particular kind of sushi had been steamed, a variation on the popular cold chirashi.
A delicate matcha mousse with red bean sorbet and yoghurt sponge cake concluded the menu.
28/F, The Peninsula Hong Kong, Salisbury Road, TST, 2696 6778
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