Archive for the ‘omakase’ tag
[SHANGHAI] Sushi Naramoto 壽司奈良本
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Sushi Naramoto 壽司奈良本
Add: 1/F, 557 Yongjia Lu, near Yueyang Lu / 永嘉路557号1楼， 近岳阳路
Tel: 6230 0226
Hours: 5:30pm~late
Price: 1000 RMB/set
Visited on: 2012-07
I remember hearing about Sushi Naramoto when it opened last year and thinking: “Woa, really? More expensive than Sushi Oyama?” An omakase dinner set priced at a whopping 1000 RMB…curious, very curious. Let’s see what it involves.
Naramoto’s original sushi bar in Jing’An is currently being renovated, so we went to his second newly-opened location on Yongjia Lu, diagonally across from Surpass Court. The new Naramoto occupies the first floor of an old villa overlooking a tranquil garden, and I expected the setting to be very serene, but somehow the ambience was rather uneasy when I walked in. It was around 6:15pm so it was before the dinner rush, yet I was barely acknowledged when I entered, the waitresses were scurrying around to make seating arrangements, and no music in the air. Not a good first impression.
Here are the sushi chefs at work. Kenji Naramoto-san is the one in the center.
Appetizers: marinated mackerel and chopped tuna.
[SHANGHAI] Kappo Yu 割烹雄 (2)
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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 on: 2012-07
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 of course the 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.
[SHANGHAI] Kappo Yu 割烹雄
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Kappo Yu
Address: 33 Wuxing Lu, near Huaihai Lu / 吴兴路33号，近淮海路
Tel: 6466 7855
Hours: 6:00pm-11:00pm, closed Sunday
Price: 690 RMB/person, drinks extra
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.
Kappo Yu
Lacquered red bar
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.
Table setting
Table setting
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 change the menu for you.
[SHANGHAI] Sushi Oyama 大山鮨 [2]
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Sushi Oyama 大山鮨
Address: 2/F, 20 Donghu Lu, near Huaihai Lu /東湖路20號2樓, 近淮海路
Tel: 5404 7705
Hours: 6:30pm – 10:30pm (closed Sunday)
Price: 800 RMB/person, drinks extra
Once in a while I eat a meal so perfect that I can’t help but grin from ear to ear until long after the meal has finished. Such was the case after my dinner at Sushi Oyama, an omakase Japanese restaurant with menu that changes nightly. It’s a small but elegant place. The decor is simple, the air is filled with light-hearted jazz, and the focal point of the room is an open sushi bar where Oyama-san and a couple of helpers slice, scorch, press, fold, and roll with determined confidence.
I’m charmed by Sushi Oyama beyond remedy.
Sushi Oyama
Business card case
Work station with fresh ingredients
Oyama-san at work
Sushi Oyama serves only one 800 RMB seasonal set menu every evening. For those sitting at the counter, the menu becomes more of a reference – just tell Oyama-san your cravings, and he’ll do his best to satisfy.
[SHANGHAI] Sushi Oyama 大山鮨
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Address: 2/F, 20 Donghu Lu, near Huaihai Lu /東湖路20號2樓, 近淮海路
Tel: 5404 7705
Hours: 5:30pm – 10:30pm (closed Sunday)
Price: 800 RMB/person, drinks extra
Reservation required. Menu changes nightly.
Click here to see my more recent and comprehensive review of Sushi Oyama.
The opening of Sushi Oyama, a 14-seat Japanese restaurant upstairs of the popular el Willy, was an exciting affair. As far as I know, it is the first omakase restaurant in Shanghai, where you are at the mercy of the chef to serve you whatever he’s got based on what’s fresh in the market. Naturally, Sushi Oyama boasts authentic ingredients – seafood is imported directly from Japan, and the seasonal menu changes nightly. You don’t have to worry about what to order because you don’t. Just sit back, relax, and let the chef do his magic.
Hand-written menu, changes nightly
A selection of sake cups for you to choose from
We started off with sake and were presented with a selection of cups to choose from – a small detail that made the meal feel more personalized. Oyama also offers shochu, plum wine, beer, and access to the wines from Torres and el Willy downstairs.
Tonight’s Menu
1. First shot – clear broth of clams
2. Sashimi plate – sweet shrimp, Hokkaido scallop, medium-fatty tuna, yellowtail, and ???.
3. Vinegared seaweed with yam
Sashimi plate
4. Sushi: medium fatty tuna, mackerel, sea urchin, grunt with scorched skin
5. Cod fish with pomelo black pepper puree
6. Salad
Medium fatty tuna
Grunt with scorched skin
