Chef Terufumi Mihara melds authenticity with creativity at his new teppanyaki temple, Teppanyaki Mihara GOTEN in Causeway Bay
At Teppanyaki Mihara GOTEN by PONG Group, Chef Terufumi Mihara showcases his passion for kappo cuisine, a Japanese culinary art form where dishes are crafted and plated right before diners’ eyes, emphasising the diners’ close connection with the chef. This spirit of intimacy is echoed in the venue itself, a snazzy, dimly lit counter space seating a dozen guests where the vast semicircular teppan takes centre stage.
It was at the start of his career in Osaka that Chef Mihara developed a penchant for Italian cuisine, and over the next several decades, from his time spent as the executive chef at the Japanese Consulate in Chicago to his more recent restaurant endeavours in Hong Kong, the chef honed his unique culinary style, merging Western ingredients and techniques with Japanese cuisine. This “wa modern” philosophy continues at Teppanyaki Mihara GOTEN (with “GOTEN” translating to “castle” or “palace” in English), where diners can witness Chef Mihara’s inventive culinary style first-hand.
The multi-course kappo teppanyaki tasting menus are priced from just HK$1,580 per diner, reasonable when considering the premium seasonal ingredients and innovative cooking techniques utilised. Also available are lunch sets (from HK$480/person) and an à-la-carte menu.
Setting the tone of the meal to follow, we were first presented with an appetiser of persimmon namasu and Japanese pumpkin somen. Deeply savoury yet refreshing, the vibrant yuzu-pepper soup packs a wallop.
The simmered dish of our tasting was this gleaming egg custard with truffle sauce. Both comforting and luxurious, the chawanmushi is steamed on the teppan with bonito, imparting a creamier texture and umami flavour. The French black truffle gilds the lily.
This grilled fish maw in creamy chicken soup was the surprising favourite dish of our meal, specifically the silky, delicate texture of the collagen-rich fish maw, which is uniquely grilled on the teppan.
Again, we have an underrated fave in the form of this broiled Ezo abalone and Hokkaido sea urchin. The abalone is grilled on top of a rock-salt block, both tenderising the mollusc and amping up its flavour, which is usually quite bland. It’s then crowned with an indulgent mound of blowtorched uni. Chef Mihara has a way with sauces, and he incorporates Chinese, French and Italian elements in order to elevate the teppanyaki experience. Here, the abalone-liver sauce is rich and intense.
The grilled Australian lobster with rich hollandaise sauce is as sweet and succulent as anticipated, but it’s the lobster tomalley in the hollandaise sauce and the tartare sauce made with tangy pickled vegetables that truly make the dish stand out.
For our main, we chose the thick-cut A4 Miyazaki Wagyu sirloin, which is lusciously well marbled. We enjoyed mixing and matching our forkfuls with the various accoutrements, particularly the combo of garlic chips and wasabi.
The savoury portion of the tasting menu ends with a choice of donabe (we went for the grilled Japanese eel, but there are also options of foie gras teriyaki, grilled sea bream and snow crab with salmon roe), red miso soup with lobster head and Japanese pickles – a traditional Japanese finale with a twist. The rice itself is extremely moreish (we could have done with a few more crispy bits).
The remaining dishes on the tasting menu – including a grilled king crab crêpe (golden, crispy vermicelli noodles encasing supremely juicy Russian emperor crabmeat with a crab-miso sauce) and grilled rockfish, or kinki, with an Italian-influenced clam-butter sauce laced with capers and dill – are equally faultless, displaying Chef Mihara’s diverse culinary background and open-minded, creative approach to the art of teppanyaki.
It’s unusual to have desserts cooked on the teppan, and Chef Mihara’s background in pastry and desserts shines through here. Our winner was the “fire and ice” dessert of strawberry soup topped with a scoop of homemade vanilla ice cream; the contrast between hot and cold is heavenly. We also devoured the autumnal caramelised apple crêpe with salted caramel ice cream.
Verdict
Chef Mihara beautifully reinvents kappo cuisine on the grill at Teppanyaki Mihara GOTEN. His innovation and refined use of Western elements make this teppanyaki eatery stand out from the pack.
Bonus: if you have time for a drink pre- or post-dinner, we recommend stopping by Takumi on the same floor for a expertly crafted tipple or two (we loved our kicked-up Bloody Mary accented with sansho pepper and wasabi). A snug, sexy Japanese cocktail bar also by PONG Group, Takumi showcases the mixology skills of Chief Group Bartender Rayven Leung, who crafts off-menu, bespoke drinks based on guests’ flavour-profile preferences and the seasonal fruits he has on hand.
Where: 3/F, Cubus, 1 Hoi Ping Road, Causeway Bay
For reservations: WhatsApp 5394 3689 or book online
This write-up is based on a complimentary media tasting provided in exchange for an honest review and no monetary compensation. The opinions expressed here represent the author’s.
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