[Shanghai] Kappo Yu 割烹雄 (2)

Categories restaurant
[Shanghai] Kappo Yu 割烹雄 (2)

Kappo Yu 割烹雄

Add: 33 Wuxing Lu, near Huaihai Lu / 吴兴路33号，近淮海路
Tel: 6466 7855
Hours: 6:00pm-11:00pm, closed on Sunday
Price: 690 RMB/person, drinks extra
Visited: Jul 2012

My first visit to Kappo Yu was not as stellar as expected, but after hearing a few more good words about it (some claiming it to be as good as or even better than my favorite Sushi Oyama), I came back again to give it another try.

The atmosphere at this tiny restaurant is toned down yet light-hearted, with soft jazz floating through air. Patrons sit across its beautiful lacquered red bar, which only accommodates around 14 people. A private room is available, but bar seats are my preferred choice.

Kappo Yu serves a 10-course seasonal menu (690 RMB/set) that changes monthly. Here’s this month’s menu, available in Japanese, English, and Chinese, and scrolls of drinks lists for guests to choose from (if you order sake, you will also have a chance to pick your own sake cup).

To my surprise, Terada Yohei – the man behind the bar – remembers me even though my last visit was over a year ago. What an amazing memory. He is a friendly guy who will happily engage you in conversations if he senses your interest, the only drawback is that he doesn’t speak English and Chinese as well as Oyama-san does.

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[Shanghai] Kappo Yu 割烹雄

Categories restaurant
[Shanghai] Kappo Yu 割烹雄

Kappo Yu 割烹雄

Add: 33 Wuxing Lu, near Huaihai Lu 吴兴路33号，近淮海路
Tel: 6466 7855
Hours: 6-11pm (closed Sunday)
Price: 690 RMB/person, drinks extra
Visited: Jun 2011

I can’t say enough good things about Sushi Oyama, so naturally I had high expectations for its sister restaurant Kappo Yu. Unfortunately I went to Kappo Yu right before my Euro trip and wasn’t able to get the post up before I left, so a lot of details are lost in time….but let’s take a look at what’s still resonating in my head.

What does “sister restaurant” mean, anyway? From what I heard that evening, the two restaurants are under the same management. Oyama-san oversees/advises the menu at Kappo Yu, and the food is prepared by Yohei Terada, a young chef who was previously at Tokyo’s Nobu.

While Sushi Oyama serves – you’ve guessed it – sushi, Kappo Yu is more kaiseki-style. The 10-course seasonal menu (690 RMB/set) changes monthly, but if you visit Kappo Yu more than once in a month, the chef would be happy to modify the menu for you.

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[Shanghai] Uo Kura 魚藏

Categories restaurant
[Shanghai] Uo Kura 魚藏

Uo Kura 魚藏 (Hong Mei store 虹梅店)

Add: No. 30, Lane 3717, Hongmei Lu, near Ya’an Xi Lu 虹梅路3717弄30号, 近延安西路
Tel: 6446 0252
Hours: 5:30pm-11pm
Price: 500 RMB
Visited: Jun 2011

I arrived at Uo Kura famished and flustered after a hectic Friday at work, and was counting on the food to brighten up my day. My expectations were high – Uo Kura is said to be on par with Sushi Oyama, so far my favorite Japanese restaurant in Shanghai. Hungry and eager, we made things simple by ordering two kaiseki sets (495 RMB) and complemented that with some a la carte dishes that looked particularly interesting.

The set started with a pleasant 冷制香菇羹 chilled mushroom soup as cold appetizer.

Next came a pot of 鴨丸京蔥土瓶蒸 soup with duck meat ball and scallion, which was way too salty, but the tender duck meat balls themselves were quite delightful.

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[Tokyo] Ichiyuu 一遊

Categories tokyo
[Tokyo] Ichiyuu 一遊

Ichiyuu 一遊

Add: 神奈川県足柄下郡箱根町仙石原837
Tel: 0120-016-213
Price: approx. ¥8,000/set
Website: viala.harvestclub.com/restaurant/index.html
Visited: Jan 2011

Side tripping to Hakone, a famous onsen (hot spring) town about 1 hour away from Tokyo. With the help of a friend, we were able to stay at a membership-based onsen resort called Tokyu Harvest Club Viala 箱根翡翠, which not only offers a most relaxing venue for onsen, but also amazing cuisine.

Not wanting to over-stuff ourselves after a nice onsen bath, we chose the small 7-course kaiseiki set. Here’s the menu:

Choose your own sake cup.

The appetizer was a trio of tidbits. My favorite with the Botan shrimp with caviar, a decadent combination of plump sweet shrimp with caviar. The intensely flavorful dried mullet roe was also quite memorable, and the circular disk made from paper-thin daikon slices was especially impressive.

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