Given Hong Kong diners’ obsession with Japanese cuisine and hotpot, it is surprising that there aren’t more restaurants dedicated to just sukiyaki – or shabu-shabu. With the opening of Sukiyaki Isekuma in bustling Minden Avenue in Tsim Sha Tsui, there will be one more choice for sukiyaki lovers to explore.
A Review of Sukiyaki Isekuma
Sukiyaki is probably one of the best ways of enjoying Wagyu beef. The thinness of the cuts takes away much of the fatty richness of the marbled meat, which can put people off with thicker cuts. Not all sukiyaki places serve just Wagyu, of course.
For starters, the cost is relatively higher than other nice cuts like the ribeye or sirloin. Sukiyaki Isekuma, however, prides itself on a Wagyu omakase set with Head Chef Koichi Kuga bringing in the premium Olive-gyu from Kawaga and Kyoto Himegyu for his menu.
Sukiyaki Isekuma, which gets its name from the first sukiyaki restaurant in Japan which opened in 1862, offers an affordable six-course set for $680 and a nine-course one for $1,380, the latter including more appetisers, sashimi and special dishes. You can also choose to add other meats, including pork and chicken.
We opted for the nine-course which features five seasonal appetisers: soramame tofu with Hokkaido salmon roe, sakura shrimp and sansai tempura, Matsukaze-style grilled chicken, stewed shrimp and simmered Toyama firefly squid.
It sounds like a lot for one course but the bite-size morsels just helped whet the appetite for more. This was followed by sashimi and a chef’s recommendation of steamed yam before we started with the Wagyu. The first was just served simply with Chef Kuga’s special sukiyaki sauce with sprigs of fresh vegetables.
The sukiyaki sauce at traditional sukiyaki restaurants in Japan can be overpoweringly sweet. Chef Kuga’s original sauce hit the right balance of sweet-savoury that sukiyaki is supposed to achieve, allowing the natural flavours of the beef to shine.
We were served some sweet steamed clams before the next servings of beef came. Perhaps it was to help off-set the richness of the previous Wagyu, although it seemed more of a distraction. The next beef course was served with two special egg dips featuring eggs from Yamaguchi.
The new experience was the fluffy egg meringue dip, which should appeal to those who don’t like the slippery texture of raw eggs. There were also four condiments – Shima togarashi (Okinawan chilli pepper), yuzu, wasabi and black truffle from Italy – as well as grilled seaweed to add to the dipping fun even though the Wagyu didn’t need the extra flavours.
Vegetables form an important part of the sukiyaki meal and ours at Sukiyaki Isekuma was no different. The Amela tomato from Shizuoka was sweet and juicy, and the chives, cabbage, tofu and bak choy were a refreshing respite before we took on the next wagyu served with a generous scoop of sea urchin.
The requisite steamed egg and konbu rice, and a simple dessert of ice cream and fresh melon, ended a filling and fulfilling sukiyaki experience.
Cuisine
Japanese
We Recommend
If meat is what you’re after, we would recommend the smaller menu and add on the other different meats you want to try. If you choose to go for the long menu, make sure you pre-order two days in advance!
The Vibe
The 800 sq ft premises seats 22, with 14 at the counter and the others in 3 booths. While the booths offer more privacy, the show is at the counter where chef Kuga and sous chef Ayumi Matsuda do the food prep and cooking. It was a very local crowd when we were there although the experience was authentically Japanese, especially since the chefs speak in Japanese. Service felt a bit rushed with overzealous staff taking away plates before we finished food. It’s still early days; maybe they need a little time to run in .
Quick Notes
Price for two:
Six courses – $1,400
Nine courses – $2,800
Address:
G13, Harbour Pinnacle, 8 Minden Avenue,
Tsim Sha Tsui, Kowloon, Hong Kong
Tel. 2109-1155
Opening Hours:
Lunch – 12.00nn – 2.30pm
Dinner – 6pm – 10.30pm
Winnie Chung is an experienced lifestyle journalist who has covered everything from showbiz and Hong Kong films, to food, and all things luxury. After being grounded by the pandemic, she found a renewed appreciation for Hong Kong's vibrant and diverse dining scene.
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