Sushi lunch @ Itacho Sushi [Olympian City], Hong Kong

Whenever we need to get any shopping done for the kids - their clothes or shoes - we head to the mall at Olympic where the stuff are not as expensive as the mall under our apartment building. Sometimes, we head over there just to eat. In March and April, it was raining a lot in Hong Kong. We had weeks of non-stop rain, and one rainy Sunday, we got bored with the same-old indoor scene around our home, so we hopped on the MTR one stop over to Olympic for a change of scene. We had lunch at Itacho Sushi, which proved to be a pretty good choice for sushi and sashimi. Service was efficient, and ordering was done via a tablet, which was a novelty. Prices were quite reasonable for the quality that we received.

Sushi counter:

The menu and order form on the tablet:

The boy's favourite sushi: salmon roe (HK$26/pc):

Mini sushi egg rolls(HK$28):

Itacho's Kids Meal (HK$62). The kids ate only three pieces between themselves:

Jika Cold Udon (HK$26) - the 2-year-old loved this:

Pumpkin & Sweet Potato Tempura (HK$33) - a good way to get some veges in the kids' tummies:

Salmon roll (HK$32 for 3 pieces):

Hubby and I shared the 8-Assorted Sashimi (HK$320). There was botan-ebi (shrimp), scallops, sea bream, yellow tail, salmon, tuna:

The Assorted Tempura (HK$58) was also a popular one that everyone enjoyed:

Overall this was a pleasant experience, and would revisit next time we want good sushi that is nearby.

[Prices quoted above do not include the 10% service charge.]

Itacho Sushi
Shop G23, Ground Floor
Olympian City 3
1 Hoi Wang Road
Tai Kok Tsui, Hong Kong
Tel. +85 2 2793 3822

Revisit: Lunch @ Dondonya (Elements), Hong Kong

Although Dondonya is located in the mall downstairs, the last time we were there was before #2 was born. These days we avoid eating out with the kids because the toddler is a handful at the table, and these past few months she has taken to being a picky eater when dining out. Some people say it's good that she likes my cooking more than restaurant food, but it makes for a rather stressful eating environment with an energetic 2-year-old who refuses to eat or sit still. However there are days when I just don't want to cook or wash the dishes, and we turn to our favourites in the mall downstairs. I'm not sure why it had taken us two years to pay a revisit to this restaurant - perhaps its location on Level 2 makes it less visible - but revisiting Dondonya had us wanting more. The menu had completely changed since our previous visit, but the food quality was still good, and it's easy to see why Dondonya remains a popular choice.

Grilled Mini Purple Potatoes with Matcha Salt ($48) - simple but delicious, and hard to stop at just one or two:

Crispy Shrimps with Tofu ($58) - another moreish item for tofu fans:

The Egg Rolls with Eel ($78) is a specialty item at Dondonya, and it was tasty. It would be nicer with a higher eel to egg ratio, but that would drive up the price:

Deep-fried Layered Sangenton Pork Cutlet ($178). Hubby took the $25 upgrade to a set that included side dish (simmered soy beans), miso soup, and free refills of rice and cabbage. This was a nice choice to sample Sangenton pork, the cross-breed of three selected breeds for tenderness, juiciness, fattiness and marbling:

The Selected Seafood Rice Bowl ($208) had a few of my favourites in it - yellowtail, salmon, scallops, salmon roe, shrimps, squid and tuna. Happy to report all was fresh and the sushi rice bed was good too:

Thumbs up again for Dondonya.

[Prices above do not include the 10% service charge]

Dondonya (Elements)
Shop 2103-04
Level 2, Elements,
1 Austin Road West
Tsim Sha Tsui, Kowloon
Hong Kong
Tel. +85 2 2196 8589

Fine Japanese food @ Sakagura Japanese Restaurant, Kota Kinabalu (Malaysia)

Last month we were in East Malaysia for a weekend trip to attend a cousin's wedding. That weekend went by in the blink of an eye, and then we were back in Hong Kong. The kids got a chance to spend time with their grandparents and great-grandmother, as well as all their aunties and uncles and cousins, yet I'm already wondering when the kids will have such opportunity again to spend time with their extended relatives. During that weekend, my siblings and I (minus two sisters and their families who couldn't make it to the wedding) also took the chance to celebrate our mum's birthday. I think it was already a treat for my mum to see three of her five children (and respective grandkids) who all live in different cities, and to make it more special, we took her out to eat her favourite cuisine: Japanese! My brother's friend who is resident of Kota Kinabalu recommended Sakagura in the Oceanus Waterfront Mall, which is conveniently located opposite the apartment we were staying at. That friend said that the restaurant is very popular, so reservations were highly recommended, and she helped us make the booking. Sakagura was small, but the atmosphere was jovial and lively. There was a central kitchen space where the sushi chef worked, and those seating around the bar can watch him make sushi and cut sashimi. The main dining room also contained booths for small groups, and there were at least two rooms partitioned off for larger groups like ours. The menu was quite extensive, offering a wide range of Japanese dishes from sushi to teppanyaki to sukiyaki to donburi (rice bowl) dishes. Restaurants that serve such a wide range of food is unusual in Japan itself, where food establishments are highly specialised - sushi-ya serving only sushi and sashimi, udon-ya offering only udon dishes, and so on. The Japanese people pride themselves in providing only the best quality, hence the highly specialised establishments. I am happy to report that Sakagura's quality was excellent, paired with great service by the friendly staff. Sakagura's pricing is considered expensive by local standards, but it is clearly reflected by the restaurant's high standards. Everyone was happy with the food!

The lively atmosphere of the main dining area:

We had this space all to ourselves:

Kids shared a big bowl of Oyakodon:

Hubby got the Unaju, a type of unadon featuring freshwater eel. The set included miso soup, salad, chawanmushi, some pickles and a teapot full of dashi to add to the rice bowl for a bit of variation in eating the dish:

I ordered the Salmon Don - fresh salmon sashimi with a smattering of ikura (salmon roe) over sushi rice was just what I wanted:

The birthday girl got the Premium Sushi Set. We could tell she wanted that, but she said she would get one of the cheaper dishes. My sister and I had to convince her to just get it! She loved it:

My younger sister ordered the Sukiyaki Set, a hotpot dish with thin slices of fatty beef. She got her very own cook top with a hotpot full of ingredients...

... as well as rice, miso soup, raw egg, salad, a braised fish dish and grated yam:

Hubby was still hungry after eating his Unaju, so he ordered this appetiser to share - a Tamagoyaki (Japanese omelette) and Kani (crab flesh). Good choice, the sweet omelette complemented the sweet juicy crab meat:

Hubby also ordered the Hiroshima-style Okonomiyaki (Japanese pancake). The Hiroshima-style okonomiyaki is slightly different to the more prevalent Osaka-style, in that there are noodles too:

Our group ordered three Green Tea Shaved Ice Desserts - so refreshing, with a heap of sweet anko (adzuki beans) and some chewy shiratama dango (rice dumplings):

And my brother got the Mango Shaved Ice Dessert:

I heartily recommend Sakagura for good Japanese food in downtown Kota Kinabalu area!

Sakagura Japanese Restaurant
Shop G-23 & G-25
Ground Floor, Oceanus Waterfront Mall
Jalan Tun Fuad Stephen
88000, Kota Kinabalu
Sabah, Malaysia
+60 88-273 604

Jumbo sushi @ Fukuzushi, Furano (Hokkaido, Japan)

Japan is the land of delicious sushi, so it was only natural to enjoy delicious sushi during our ski/snowboard trip last month to Japan. The sushi at Fukuzushi goes one step further to offer the option of upgrading (for free) to 'jumbo size', though this just means extra sushi rice and the protein portion remains the same as the regular size. However, to the Japanese, sushi is all about the rice, so this sushi-ya is rather popular with both the Japanese and the foreigners for whom the word 'jumbo-sized sushi' (for free!) appears to be the draw. Hubby and I focus more on the quality rather than the quantity of food, and the sushi/sashimi at Fukuzushi are excellent. All the tables on the ground floor were fully reserved when we walked in, and we were shown to one of the tatami rooms upstairs. Service was as you would expect from Japanese people - polite and helpful - and Fukuzushi caters well to English-speaking foreigners by providing an English menu. As we communicated with staff in (broken) Japanese, I cannot comment on their English speaking ability, but I am sure there is at least one staff who can communicate in English well. We ordered our usual favourites, and enjoyed them all!

We were the first ones in this tatami room, but the other two tables were filled by the time we left:

Oyakodon (864yen) for the kids to share. Always a good choice for the young ones:

Unaju (1404yen), or unadon (eel rice bowl) served in a jubako (lacquered food boxes). We also ordered this for the kids but hubby ate most of it as unagi is one of his favourite Japanese food:

Hubby's Extra Special Sushi Set (3456yen), jumbo-sized. There was double the usual amount of rice, and the serving size of the toppings was generous too. Included ikura (salmon roe), uni (sea urchin), shrimp, hotate (scallop), kani (crab), akagai (ark shell clam), crunchy kazunoko (herring roe) and chuutoro (medium fatty tuna belly):

My Premium Chirashi (1944yen), with similar toppings to hubby's Extra Special Sushi Set but with salmon, tobiko (flying fish roe) and tamagoyaki (egg omelet). Delicious!

Green Tea Ice Cream (378yen), a safe choice for dessert:

Shiratama Zenzai (sweet rice balls with anko (red bean paste), 378yen). A delicious and light dessert:

Fukuzushi gets our thumbs ups!

Fukuzushi
1-24 Asahimachi,
Furano, Hokkaido
Japan 076-0026
Tel. +81 167-23-2617

Hidden sushi gem @ Sushi-Ya, Artarmon (NSW, Australia)

We stayed with my younger sister and brother-in-law when we visited Sydney in mid-October, and they live in Artarmon, a Lower North Shore suburb not too far north of the CBD. It is quite a nice little area, convenient with a couple of nearby train stations and some shops and restaurants near the train tracks. On one of the days, we met up with hubby's father and wife who had flown into Sydney from Brisbane for the day to meet up with us. We hung out at my sister's place while waiting for baby girl to wake from her morning nap, and then we headed out in search for lunch near Artarmon train station. On the main strip of shops, there are a couple of green grocers, a bakery, and several eating establishments, but on the other side of the track is a small avenue known as 'Little Japan' with a ramen shop, a Japanese grocer and a Japanese restaurant. I wasn't expecting much, but Sushi-Ya turned out to be a pleasant surprise, serving authentic and delicious Japanese cuisine. Japanese food is my favourite cuisine, and having lived and eaten in Japan for four years, I am pretty picky about the food quality, particularly with sushi and sashimi. This place meets my standard and gets our thumbs up.

There are two distinct dining areas of different styles, and I found out later that they were previously two separate restaurants sharing the same kitchen. Both sides has indoor and outdoor tables, and we chose to sit inside because of the slightly chilly weather. We visited on a weekday, and there was only one Japanese waitress working, but she held up well even after the place filled up with the lunch crowd. The chef was also Japanese, who knew how to make quality Japanese dishes. The menu was extensive and offered a wide variety of dishes, and we introduced a few Japanese dishes to my father-in-law and his wife, who loved everything.

Salmon Tataki - salmon simply seared, allowing the beautiful quality of the fish to shine:

Seaweed Salad with a Sesame Dressing - can't go wrong with crunchy seaweed. My father-in-law loved it so much that we ordered a second serving:

Ikura Sushi - salmon roe sushi is the 6-year-old boy's favourite sushi, and these were gone in a blink:

Sashimi, part of a set that included tempura, rice and miso soup (not pictured). Tuna, salmon, squid, scallops, octopus and flying fish roe - all fresh and excellent quality:

Father-in-law ordered a Sukiyaki Set, which was perfect for the chilly weather. Hearty beef with plenty of vegetables:

Hubby was keen to introduce Okonomiyaki (Japanese-style pancake) to his dad, and this did not disappoint:

For dessert, Taiyaki with sweet red bean paste filling and green tea (this was called a waffle pancake on the menu). I think this went down well, despite initial reservations from father-in-law about beans in a dessert:

The restaurant, as viewed coming from Artarmon train station:

There were more food than pictured here, and I must have been quite distracted with feeding the baby to notice that I missed taking photos of a few dishes. But never mind, just know that the food is good at Sushi-Ya.

Sushi-Ya
10 Wilkes Ave
Artarmon, NSW 2064
Australia
Tel. +61 2 9411 1377

Sushi lunch @ Tsukiji Sushi-sei (JR Kyoto Isetan Department Store), Japan

Sushi is one of my favourite food, and it makes me happy whenever we come across good sushi. It was easy to get good quality sushi when we were living in Japan, but in Hong Kong, the mid-priced sushi are honestly not that great. So sushi has become more of an indulgent treat since moving to HK - quite a big downgrade from sushi being a regular meal during our four years in the land of sushi. When we were in Japan a few months ago - our first time back there in almost four years - a sushi meal was inevitable. It was the first thing we ate shortly after getting off the shinkansen at Kyoto. There are a lot of good food to be found in the Kyoto Station Building, and Isetan Department Store is one such instance. In addition to the Food Floors that occupy the two basement levels, there are five floors of restaurants! We headed to the 11th floor, dubbed "Eat Paradise", and found long lines outside the two restaurants that interested us the most. We decided to put our names down at Tsukiji Sushi-sei and waited about 30 minutes in the queue. The sushi was worth the wait, and we enjoyed good quality Edomae-style sushi for lunch. Tsukiji Sushi-sei is a chain restaurant with its original shop in the midst of Tsukiji Fish Market in Tokyo (only a few minutes' walk from our old apartment!). We could choose counter seat or table, and service was typically Japanese: polite and efficient. The menu had nine or ten different sushi sets of varying costs depending on the items, and a-la-carte sushi was also possible.

The dining room with tables; counter seats with the sushi chefs were outside that doorway. The interior was simple but clean:

Hubby chose the Omakase set (3465 yen), or the Chef's Choice - chuu-toro (medium fatty tuna belly), tai (sea bream), akami (tuna), iwashi (sardine), tamagoyaki (Japanese omelette), kani (crab), uni (sea urchin), ikura (salmon roe) and kazunoko (herring roe on kelp). This set also included miso soup, anago (saltwater eel) sushi and three mini tuna makizushi (sushi rolls) served on a separate plate which I neglected to take a photo of, and dessert (picture below):

Hubby ordered an extra serving of chuu-toro (medium fatty tuna belly) sushi:

I got the March seasonal lunch special (1680 yen) which included seven nigirizushi, gobo maki (burdock root rolls), a mini rice bowl with fish topping, chawanmushi (steamed egg custard) and dessert. This was a good choice, and I enjoyed every single part of the plate, especially the shirasu (whitebait/baby anchovy) topping, which was quite different to the dried version I'm used to:

Good chawanmushi (egg custard), with such silky smooth texture and delicious savoury flavour:

The boy got the Regular Sushi Set (998 yen) which he chose mostly for the tamagozushi (egg sushi), but he enjoyed the anago, salmon and squid too:

Warabimochi dipped in matcha (green tea) powder and served with green tea ice cream. This was the dessert that came with hubby's Omakase Set, and it was so good. The dessert included in my set was similar, but without the ice cream:

That was a good sushi meal. Now I've got a hankering for sushi!

Tsukiji Sushi-sei (Isetan Department Store)
11th Floor
Isetan Department Store
JR Kyoto Station Building
Higashi-Shiokoji Shiokoji-Sagaru
Karasuma-dori
Shimogyou-ku, Kyoto
Japan 600-8555
Tel. +81 75 (352) 6223