Many crave for sushi or sashimi regularly, I crave for both at least once every two weeks. Sushi Hiro is one of the few Japanese places which I would return regularly when I feel like indulging myself in the land of sashimi without using any brain power in regards to ordering. Why? They offer plenty of set diners and most of them are multi-courses as well. My friend and I each ordered a set and our dishes were basically mixed up since we were sharing so please considered the following items to be the combined sets.
Following the little dish of d'oeuvre and a small glass of sweet wine, it was time to get down to business! Bring out the sashimi please! I believe that food does not require to be in volume when it is of high quality. Here was the case where quality trumped quantity. (the color looked a bit fake though right? HAHA)
Next ... sushi please! Sometimes I find it quite difficult to describe sushi or how good it taste. A few key elements in my opinion for a good sushi are the freshness of the fish (or other toppings which can be cooked) and the quality of the cooked vinegared rice (and how well the chef pressed them). Based on my knowledge, it usually takes a traditional sushi chef years and I mean over 7 years or more (some even more perhaps) to master the skill. One has to work from the lowest of the hierarchy within a resto and slowly move up department by department. It may take years to be awarded an official apprenticeship form the chef. One may have to spend literally years in the dish washing role or rice washing role before they can touch the knife! Pressing rice would take another few years perhaps. (it somewhat explains why many famous sushi chefs in Japan (even nowadays) are over the age of 50. Then again, that was the traditional Japanese way and I assume the training scene (or apprenticeship) has changed and no longer the case. Anyone know how much it has changed over the last 20 so years?
More sushi please! (I actually forgot the order of which the sushi was being served but oh well) ... the cooked vinegar rice being served were firmly packed, just enough to avoid falling apart when picked up by chopsticks (or by hand which I like to do). With hints of rice vinegar, the sweetness and freshness of the fish remained. There is actually properly sushi eating etiquette when it comes to using your hand / fingers, but I will not go into that this time and will leave it til next time when I will attempt with proper illustration (aka pictures and my pretty fingers haha). One thing I do want to mention is the use of wasabi. Honestly, one can use it however you like but usually and accordingly to some sources, the traditional way is not to put them or mix them into the soy sauce like most people do it Hong Kong. It should be applied separately as one desires. I do wonder how this trend started, this slightly incorrect approach.
One of my all time favorites was the Tea Pot soup! Isn't it cool to pour soup from a tea pot and drink it from a tea cup? It was basically clear broth of various ingredient such as chicken, mushroom, fish and shrimps with a touch of lime to give it a slightly citrus flavors. A perfect serving after some sushi and sashimi.
One was the tea pot soup and the other one was the fish miso soup. Very well balanced flavors with plenty of fish pieces inside.
The presentation of the beef rolls were very ordinary and so was the taste. With slight sweetness to its sauce, the dish get you ready for more savory items that follow.
Not quite certain what the following dish was called but it was seared steak, medium rare. That was all I really cared. :) ... Very tender and beefy, not to the point that it melt in your mouth but more than decent enough!
More sushi! woohoo!
The meal ended with fruits, Japanese pear. The major differences in my opinion = more crisp, juicy and sweet.
Likes:
- Fresh ingredients
- Tea pot soup! Fun and flavors well balanced!
- fixed set of sushi items, can ask to replace certain fish if you dislike but don't expect a huge selection
Sushi Hiro
7/F Toy House
100 Canton Road, TST, Hong Kong
Tel: +852 23779877
http://www.sushihiro.com.hk/
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8 comments:
I had horrible experience with Sushi Hiro 2 years ago on my birthday. They tried to scam us by over-charging our bill by 30%! I'll NEVER go back again no matter how good their food is!~
i miss eating sashimi like craaaazyyy
I'm glad you posted this, since I'm going to have lunch there with girlfriends soon, and I haven't been before.
I think the best sushi in town is at Unkai at the Sheraton in TST. Expensive but good. That's where we got for special meals like anniversaries.
I find Sushi Hiro good (value) for dinner but less so for lunch. Honestly think that Sen-ryo (yes, the chain -- but particularly the branch in Cityplaza whose manager, Amanda, is great) is better at dinner than Sushi Hiro for lunch. At the least, it definitely has more variety of sushi!
@Joyce: Do let me know how it went! yeah! Unkai is very good and it is one of the few places in Hong Kong that offers .... Osechi Ryori ... if I am correct in naming it, a meal that is consumed on New Year's day only.
@Gi: perhaps worth a second try? keke
@Rita: soon soon! very soon you can go crazy on that!
@YTSL: Sen-ryo is a very decent place for casual sushi and I often visit when I have sudden cravings as well. I usually visit the TST or the IFC one :)
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