"不過目前仍在初步的階段，尚無確定日期"

Meaning they are still in the early stages (of planning) with no set date. And I don't see this changing within the next few months unless they make some solid announcement...

The craze for Maggi sauce fried duck jaws started maybe 2 ish years ago and was heavily touted by those food expert DJs on 1450AM Chinese radio for the version offered at Tai Wu in Daly City a year back. I have not tried this yet anywhere but sounds interesting. At night markets in Taiwan, a popular item is Shandong style duck heads (grilled I believe), so you get a lot more than just the jaw.

This is a dish that is meant to go with Tsing Tao beer.

You could in theory request this style of frying/stir frying (and using Maggi specifically) on other dishes, and I'm sure they could accommodate if within reason. Probably works also with stir fry beef filets. There's a chance the duck jaws are all pre-marinated (which is entirely possible).

Also, Martin Yan on Saturday did a cooking demo on Larkin Street at the Asian Heritage Celebration street fair and brought along members of his M.Y. China crew for hand pulled noodle demonstrations, then. Guess where he ate dinner that night? :-)

Hoi Law 海螺 I think is the correct name for it (sea whelk).

King of Won Ton Noodle on Irving in San Francisco, I saw a poster for it. Call before you go.

Pretty simple, an older (in age) chicken has more flavor when stewed or boiled/double boiled in Cantonese soups, although the meat could be tougher. And it has to be a whole chicken for the flavor to be preserved and captured. The younger chickens as Cary has already mentioned are better for other and more immediate applications (stewing, braising, frying, steaming etc).

Or you can experiment with a variant that Spring Deer in Tsim Tsa Tsui does...which is a claypot (sa guo) chicken soup with shark fin...(although many these days request without it)...also has napa cabbage and fresh wontons in it. The lid must be kept on during the entire cooking process.

That's true...no ability to reverse engineer on that one :-o

I wouldn't consider shark fin soup a category of noodle soup.
Unless we're talking about the street food snack imitation shark fin soup, where bean thread vermicelli noodles are used instead of fin, but they try to replicate the broth and add more ingredients to it (like woodwear and maybe bamboo shoots).

Shark fin soup has been part of Cantonese (and some non Cantonese Chinese) banquet dining for quite some time, but even in Hong Kong, people and restaurants are more conscious about not wanting to eat the stuff for a number of reasons similar to the opposition you are receiving. But if a customer chooses to partake, most restaurants that have it won't bat an eye. But there have been youtube videos equivalent to "leave my Britney alone" madness by PETA types in Hong Kong protesting shark fin, (but probably have no qualms with imitation harmful products from the North).

So the argument about shark fin as a status symbol for those who are making it, isn't quite the same anymore. It was the definitely the case during the economic boom in the 1970s and early 80s when the noveau riche were poked fun of who liked to mix "shark fin with rice" and eat it as a snack (and drink VSOP / XO for breakfast, but that was more of a jab towards the Northerners). Those with tons of expendable income in Hong Kong these days that want high end dining, have tons of other options beyond shark fin quite frankly, like a US$680 meal at 2 Michelin star branch of Sushi Yoshitake or 3 Michelin star French and Italian, or even Sun Tung Lok (which has shark fin but that is far from their best dish).

Talking about eating something "unethical" and watching the responses is almost as fun as debating whether something is authentic or not....

But I agree, the texture is an acquired taste, and the soul lies in the stock (mature chicken, Chinese ham, dried scallops) and it is the interaction of the stock with the fin that makes it special.

It also sounds like you don't have a definitive answer to your original question, and all I can say is whether you choose to bring back a bag of the stuff, just proceed with caution and be prepared for the risks if something happens. I doubt you'll have any luck getting a restaurant locally to prepare the stuff for you (unless you have a solid trusting relationship with the chef and manager to keep it discreet). If you prepare it at home, you'll have to prep your own home brew broth...a rich enhanced chicken stock (smoked Virginia ham/ham hock, whole chicken, chicken feet for the collagen, pork bone) will do the trick....then some cornstarch to thicken as needed. Then there's the gamble of whether the fin you purchased in HK is good enough to use even after soaking for a while and cooking (you don't want it to melt, but you also don't want it end up tasting like it has rocks or grinded bones in it).

For what it's worth, I gave up shark fin soup a while ago and can live without it. Though I feel much less guilty eating a piece of pristine bluefin tuna.

Even easier is google translate, type in "Sanuki Udon" and set output to Japanese, and out comes 讃岐うどん. It's been great for me because when I email my sushi chef that I would like to request some マグロ漬け be made, he understood.

I did hear a Japanese female once say that for miso soup, which is miso shiru, she asks for it by Omisoshiru, the "O" is added on there I'm guessing due to keigo, but in her perspective and upbringing (part of which E Eto already explained regarding the status hierarchy ), she didn't want to sound like she came from a lower class family.

Would help if I actually added the pic...

I am facebook friends with "Gigi" whose family runs and manages Ser Wong Fun. She just posted this photo of marinated goose liver at the cooked food stall center in Sheung Wan Leun Hing
上環熟食街市聯興潮州飯店. That area is literally Chiu Chow haven for cheap quality eats.

Costco already has organic udon packs where you just cook them, but you provide your own condiments and broth. They are just noodle packs.

This Nongshim Korean brand is just basically selling a prepackaged bowl or container of udon where you just add hot water and heat it up, but the noodles I'm guessing are not dehydrated like instant ramen or instant udon. Probably just filling a niche in the market for quick easy cheap affordable meals vs the old frozen TV dinner....and judging from the packaging, this is marketed specifically for the USA and maybe Canada.

Speaking of hanjuku tamago... been reading Hong Kong based blog posts where you can get that at a local 7-Elevens now, or buy one and take it home...apply some heat, and bam, instant golden runny egg. They have this, and we have Nongshim Udon....

One thing I've learned about reading/following the Top 100 lists by MB is to always take it with a grain of salt. It's an interesting and entertaining guide, but MB always has his reasons for picking some of his own tried and true favorites.

Much like these top 10 best articles in the LA weekly being discussed on the CH board, nothing more than fodder for controversy or discussion. The same goes for the Chinese Sing Tao Newspaper freelance food and wine critic (former HK expat and film/TV actor, Ronald Mar) who also reviews western food, wine, and Chinese food, who might be close to Bauer in age and preference in some areas....(RM might know his Chinese food, but apparently his taste in wine could be debatable).

As far as the "ethnic" thing goes, there's not much point comparing Northern vs Southern California. In some cases, it is what it is. I actually have not spent that much time in SGV, but based on the little I know, there is a very high density of variety and depth. Certainly worth a visit, but if one is situated in Northern California, we have delicious regional Chinese too that at least is very acceptable. In terms of quality (SoCal), that's anyone's guess, but for regional Chinese food fans, it's definitely a heaven.

But if we are talking about regional Cantonese and Cantonese I still think we have it better here. All I can say is that SGV had a stellar Hakka Cantonese chef who also knows how to prepare poon choy, yet his restaurant folded. Not gourmet by any means, but neither are many regional rustic Chinese cuisines either.

The problem is that the SGV is littered with HK cafes who compete against each other with variety and price, with not that much inbetween. Then on a larger scale you have dim sum seafood restaurants, many of which are trying to also outcompete with each other. The mid tier type of dining maybe available, but not significant enough for discussion, let alone a drive for quality. The typical LA Cantonese food CH discussion focuses on pretty much a short segment of the Cantonese food spectrum, maybe a few discussions on Canto BBQ/deli, but other than dim sum and seafood once in a while, that appears to be about it.

In SF Bay Area, we have a comprehensive / almost all inclusive restaurant like Cooking Papa that replicates the Hong Kong dining experience, from the low end rice plates/congee/noodles stir fry, to dai pai dong style no nonsense stir fry, and upper end style banquet. Almost 85% of the menu is really solid. But there's probably nothing like it in SGV, and those HK cafes down there do not count since they don't have the quality to match. So to say Koi Palace, which is in some ways a canteen for the wealthy, is the "best" Cantonese we have in SF Bay Area that surpasses LA, is kind of a farce when nothing else has been considered in between.

Wakuriya is more of a California style modern kaiseki.

There is also Mitsunobu in Menlo Park that replaced Kaygetsu (new owners, executive chef from Kaygetsu stayed on). This is the other Cali/kaiseki restaurant in SF Bay Area, but I have not been yet.

For some slightly downscale Kyoto style cuisine, namely kappo ryori 割烹料理, but still done at a very high level (and can confuse those not too familiar with kaiseki), there are a few other choices

Kappou Gomi (already mentioned)
Kappo Nami Nami (Mountain View)
Hachi Ju Hatchi (Saratoga. The chef there Suzuki-san is a trained kaiseki chef)

There are also a number of other trained kaiseki chefs in SF Bay Area, or who have worked in the kitchens of countryside inns in Japan (ryokan), but aren't pushing their craft much due to the business they are in...I can think of Jun-san at Sakae in Burlingame, the owner of Sushi Kuni, and Kaneko-san at Jin Sho Palo Alto.

The Japanese way at the izakayas is low heat simmering/braising in a mixture of soy sauce, kelp (konbu), and daikon. Cannot tell you the duration. After cooking they are refrigerated and served as cold appetizers / food to be consumed with alcohol.

http://sake-katana.blogspot.com/2011/11/blog-post_2511.html

http://grand-court.blog.so-net.ne.jp/...

The simmering does soften them up a little bit, but the end result still yields a good bite and chew (not crunchy, not hard). Then again I've never had them raw, so I don't know how chewy or hard they are to begin with to compare.

This is not a difficult explanation, nigiri sushi is arguably the most famous Japanese food symbol for export, and has become the signature representative worldwide.

In contrast Hong Kong general public's appreciation for classical kaiseki, kappo ryori, and hybrid/modern kaiseki (like Ryugin) isn't as wide and deep as sushi. The average person from the street will probably pick farmed Norwegian salmon sashimi over Ryugin if cost is a consideration!

Ryugin and kaiseki are worshipped by those who really love food and in tune with Japanese food culture, but in terms of popularity and bragging rights, nothing seems to top sushi and sashimi for the Hong Kong high end Japanese scene (and quite frankly, Ginza style high end nigiri is the rage right now). I did speak with a well to do couple who sat next to me at Ta-Ke in Causeway Bay, who did go to Tenku Ryugin and didn't like it, and to them the tables were too close to each other which was a no no for a high end restaurant, and thought the only good seats in the house were near the window. But they also felt Sushi Yoshitake was no different than Sase or Ta-Ke, it could also be lack of appreciation or understanding, or just a matter of poorly perceived value in relation, but nonetheless considered one of the best in HK.

It could also be a test by the Yoshitake Hong Kong folks to see what the market is like, and if those prices could be sustained for such a brand name export (and if so, expect future clones or copycats).

I remember an old thread where Ginza Kyubey had a branch in Hong Kong, but under a slightly different name (Qubey?) where omakase was HK$10,000 a person. Naturally that place didn't last very long. Then again, there were no Michelin star awarded where egoes and bragging rights were at stake.

The other angle is that this is the price of doing business in Hong Kong. Whether it be Da Domenico, Sushi Yoshitake, or Keller guest chef at Mandarin.

Add to the fact that Sushi Yoshitake Tokyo has 3 Michelin stars, and the Hong Kong branch received two stars within 6 months, plus anchored inside a hotel, make it easy for corporate (and the hotel) to charge skyrocketing prices (and rent), even knowing that spendy locals are willing to pay the price of admission (for their own specific reasons). If this were not a brand name, they would not charge as much. Ta-Ke in Causeway Bay is the sister restaurant of another Ginza sushi place that supposedly also had a star or well regarded...and while it is not a cheap place, but it is not skyrocketing silly.

Yoshitake is not the only restaurant shipping ingredients from Japan, there are many other local places that do the same and even receive daily shipments. As high quality as their fish may be above others, the cost factor shouldn't be that big of a difference in transporting the goods over, given the proximity between HK and Japan (vs Japan to Beverly Hills for Urasawa, I'm guessing cheaper rent than Sheung Wan Mercer Hotel).

I take that back...the babylons in Hong Kong in Chinese indeed translate to "whelks"...so small whelks. Big whelks are generally sliced thin and either dehydrated/rehydrated or double boiled with soup (the "in" thing is with melon/fruit for sweetness, like at Ser Wong Fun).

The smaller babylons I also had simmered (with shell on), and served cold. 梅貝煮 was the name given by the izakaya restaurant (Ishiyama in Hong Kong), but in Japanese I think is called baigai. After simmering the small whelk flesh was just tender delicious after the sauce went all the way through. Perfect excuse to drink Japanese alcohol with it.

Ipse is right. Fresh abalone on the shell can be braised to make them softer. Had it a few times a few years ago in Cantonese restaurants that had fresh abalone (braised) as part of a Chinese New Year menu (substitute for what used to be shark fin of a set). Part of the trick by the kitchen is to make criss cross cuts on top, like what Chinese restaurants do with squid/cuttlefish (or even pork kidneys in Chinese and Taiwanese cuisine) to give them a better bite (or what Japanese sushi chefs do with aji, kohada, iwashi/sardines).

I've also recently had fresh wild small abalone caught off the coastal waters of Southern Hong Kong, purchased it from a market and had the cooked food vendors/stalls steam them (clear steam or with dried citrus peel, a fisherman's receipe), and the flesh was quite tender.

Dried abalone, rehydrated and braised, does not need criss cross cuts on top. Slow heat simmering, technique, and time will soften it.

Whelk...hmmm haven't had it braised. In Hong Kong people eat sea snails/babylons and even after boiling them (or steaming), they are softer but still have a good bite. The larger conch are more suited for soups.

http://www.sushiyoshitake.com/?page_i...

Don't forget 10% service charge added to the bill so top of the line course is pretty much $5000 or US$680 ish with almost half the amount of nigiri than an Urasawa meal!

Is it true either (or both) types of fish are forbidden to be exported? Somehow some make it out frozen/fresh on ice to other Asian cities where people who have a taste for these things will pay for it on the black or grey market.

Hahaha! The indignation of getting a run of the mill fish and swapped with a super upgrade! Kind of amusing to see the bill where there are 2 orders of Xiao long bao and an astronomically priced fish to balance it out.

The customer should have been lucky that the restaurant didn't end up upselling them a "unforgettable 忘不了" Empurau river fish, which is apparently more expensive than the Sultan fish!

http://ieatishootipost.sg/2013/01/maj...

Steamed wild humpback grouper (that can go upwards of US$2000 at a high end restaurant in Hong Kong)

A variety of conch in Hong Kong where it can go upwards of a hundred dollars or more per slice at Teochew/Chiu Chow restaurants...

Braised Japanese abalone (dried), the ultra insanely expensive variety in Hong Kong

Bluefin tuna from Oma Prefecture Japan (line caught wild), particularly the cheek meat, and the flesh near the fins, and those exotic specific cuts of toro unheard of outside of Japan.

Japanese ise ebi (spiny lobster)

Japanese Mishima beef

Japanese wild torafugu

Sorry I don't. I'm not even brave enough to even try whatever is in the tank at restaurants like The Manor....at least my wallet is not). But I'll gladly venture into Sushi Ta-Ke, Sushi Sa-se and spend 10% of that humpback grouper trust fund on a dinner!

Yum runs his own restaurant, it's a bistro, not part of a corporate or conglomerate that can invest $$$$ in sea livestock. So the majority of the fish likely come from smaller channels (I know the crab/lobsters usually come from Oakland Chinatown area, because you know there's nothing beyond 99 Ranch in Fremont). This is in stark contrast to Koi Palace who has a giant war chest to purchase what they think their high paying customers want.

The market for high end expensive fish for Cantonese style steaming is not that great in SF Bay Area, and is harder when there isn't anything local or within North America west/nw coast that warrants that high price tag with the kind of quality to match. SF Bay Area Canto and Southern Chinese expats in general prefer anything seasonal, fresh/alive, local, and more importantly quality for the price. There simply isn't a whole lot of variety for Cantonese restaurants to work with beyond the run of the mill, and even some seasonal fish cannot be kept for long, like red dragon 紅龍 (channel rockfish/spiney thornhead/red codfish/red rockfish) which seems to like to fall into a coma a lot in the restaurant tanks (meaning they have low survival rate once scooped up from the sea) ...but has a big ugly yet delicious head, and supple flesh for steaming.

Also, even if you see "coral grouper" "mouse grouper" "tiger grouper" in Chinese on some white board in some Northern California Cantonese restaurant, I'm 99% sure it's not even a remote equivalent to the kinds in HK, let alone a long lost distant cousin (or a deadbeat pretending to be a relative)

Vancouver and Toronto, that is a different ballpark and demographic altogether.

Eeeek, $20k!

Some think that the "best" fish is those rare or high end deep sea specimens, and that is totally understandable. But there is also a category called 雜魚 (mixed fish) that has equal passion by some locals and foodies, I suppose you can say is peasant style seafood (or fishermen food), that can be equally as enjoyable, though I am sure some don't really taste that good. The trick is to really dive in and explore. The best source of information is actually talking to the seafood market vendors and the fishermen themselves, they know the best and most efficient way to prep certain cheaper lower end of the spectrum fish or the restaurants that provide them. Might not be everyone's cup of tea, but despite some looking very cheap and unworthy, or filled with bones, can be pretty intense in flavor.

Lai Mang (rabbitfish) 泥鯭 falls in this category, but due to depleting wild supplies, this is not easy to find. Great with congee or if really fresh, just steam it with saltwater and oil.

紅壇魚 Trypauchen - This looks like a bloody red worm, another fugly looker...but some fishermen like to steam this with black bean sauce. But it can also be good in soup.

石九公 (rockfish) - we call it Cabazon in the SF Bay Area but that's $20 to $30 a pound. It's cheaper in HK, and sometimes used as a substitute (or sold as a counterfeit) to 石祟魚 (smallmouth scorpionfish), both of these are fish local to southern HK waters. Fishermen like rockfish steamed with scallion and ginger, and just like in SF Bay Area, also great to use in fish soups.

牛鰍魚 (Crocodile Flathead) - another species native to southern HK waters. This one likes to burrow itself under the ocean floor or in muddy areas. Thick flesh, large bones. More ideal if made into a soup.

This is just scratching the surface....there are too many lesser known varieties of these not so famous not so interesting but are wild nonetheless fish.

Here are a few things to keep in mind about seafood in Hong Kong.

If you have money, you can likely eat whatever you want. Expensive high end seafood restaurants will have maybe a few exotic deep sea fish available in their tanks. If you are really lucky, there will be a wild deep sea humpback grouper at the Forum....but unless you are a CEO/VP executive or celebrity, won big at the horse race or jackpotted the Mark 6/lottery top prize, it is out of reach for most people just based on the price tag. You might find slightly cheaper varieties of grouper at the less expensive seafood restaurants, but even then you are subject entirely to restaurant pricing.

Other places to eat seafood in Hong Kong are Lau Fau Shan (NW of Yuen Long, about 30 mins by public transport) which is a great place to visit even for locals. Lei Yu Moon is another. Sai Kung is more foreign visitor friendly, but a tad touristy.

Aberdeen Wholesale Fish Market Canteen is probably the best of the lot, particularly the value, the variety...but unless you have connections and are a regular at the canteent, it is difficult even to get into the wholesale area to select the fish you want. A very small setback, since everything is fresh and in season.

There is definitely a lot of information about HK seafood, but it really does help to know what is local and in season (vs imported seafood, or those caught off South China Seas), and knowing what is wild vs farmed, as well as best methods to prep.

For something more pedestrian, right across the other side of the island (a short sampan ride away) is Ap Lei Chau. There is a wet market building owned by the city government, and maybe upwards of 6 to 8 seafood vendors selling fish (on ice), live and kicking seafood of many varieties. Buy what you want, and you can take it upstairs to the cooked food center, where you can have a few vendors of your choice (depending on their operating hours) cook the seafood for you, any way you want (or have them suggest). While the chances of finding a premium or secondary grade specimen of a sought after deep sea fish is smaller, one can still enjoy a feast of epic proportions at a very affordable price.

For southern Hong Kong (and seafood caught off those coastal waters), there at least:

- 8 to 10 varieties of prawns/shrimp. Certain ones are more in season that others. Japanese King Prawn / 九節蝦 is more commonly found in Lau Fau Shan area, but sometimes shows up in Aberdeen/Ap Lei Chau. Each has a unique flavor and taste, but many are insanely naturally sweet and delicious after steaming or boiling.

- local lobster (maybe 2 to 3 kinds) no claws. There are two kinds of shellfish that are downright fugly and are shaped like giant insects, for some reason categorized as lobsters.

- at least 7 kinds of local crabs. The more common ones are "flower" crab 花蟹 (sometimes called blue crab but that's not their color), of which the large ones are pretty expensive (over US$100 easy at restaurants) and a favorite of this board for the most intense flavor. Perfect for Chiu Chow cold style prep, or egg white steamed with huadiao liquor. Small mud crabs 奄仔蟹 are more often found in Lau Fau Shan, but sometimes are caught off southern HK waters...when in season their rich roe is a much cheaper alternative to Shanghai hairy/mitten crab. Cholestrol city too of course.

Clams/shellfish category: Too many too list, sooo many good ones to try. There are probably upwards of 4 ish varieties of abalone (but may not be all available at once). Either way doesn't matter...just try fresh ones. Either steamed, steamed with citrus peel, or salt and pepper fried (which is actually steamed first before deep frying), but the S&P version only a few vendors can do very well...stick with Aberdeen Wholesale Market Canteen. Definitely try Spiral Babylon 東風螺 (some say conch, some say sea snail which it resembles more). A true delight. 花蛤 ("Common Basket Lucina") or "Sea Melon-seed" is a type of clam with light orange flesh and a red valve. Steamed with saltwater, ginger, scallion, and bean thread vermicelli, is my absolute favorite way to go at Ap Lei Chau. Baby geoduck, razor clams are all quite awesome.

Fish: Devastingly overwhelming but in a good way. From the cheap to the ridiculous (but affordable). It will take several meals to try everything

Bombay duck (九肚魚/nine stomach fish) - salt and pepper fried is the easiest way to go here. Downright fugly looking fish. But delicious

大眼雞 (Big eye) - this is a smaller fish with big red eyes. A favorite of Chiu Chow restaurants to cook then serve cold. Or better yet, just have it pan fried with ginger and scallion, then boiled into a quick soup. Super delicious. Easier to find on ice at Ap Lei Chau market than swimming though.

There is a hybrid breed of fish called 沙巴龍躉 (Sa ba Long Dung) which I have not had, but have seen it alive at the markets. Apparently bred with a male 花尾躉 (flower tail "sturgeon?")and a female 老虎斑 ("tiger grouper").

Definitely don't miss the saltwater steamed prep Fourfinger threadfin 馬友 (Ma Yau) that Charles already mentioned.

Garoupas/Groupers....this is the short list of what's somewhat local or available (depending on supply and season)

黃皮老虎斑 brown marbled grouper
老鼠斑 Humpback Grouper (mostly farmed, deep sea wild ones are rare and very very expensive)
蘇鼠斑 Coral Grouper (So Shue Ban) - a cousin of humpback grouper, maybe 2 catties max. Good for steaming
金錢斑 Honeycomb grouper
東星斑 Leopard Coral Trout (not a local fish, but could be from Philippines or Malaysia, sold in the fish markets wholesale and retail at times)
瓜子斑 Melon seed grouper. There is a red variant of this fish too, 紅瓜子斑 or Melon Seed Red Grouper.
海油斑 Comet Grouper
藍星斑 - Blue Dot Grouper

You're going to Hong Kong soon right? If you are talking about purchasing shark fin, fish maw, sea cucumber, dried abalone to bring back, I honestly cannot see them confiscating it, because nowhere does it say in the customs forms that is not allowed. Only meats (dried or preserved), and fresh fruits/vegetables are no no. From the HK side they will also stop you from bringing bottled drinks you purchased post security on the plane...but feel free to board with a roast goose, cheung fun (no sauce probably), beef chow fun, tonkatsu rice, or Maxim's pastries all you want.

Howard of Kitsho retired and sold the place in March. Same name, different ownership and I have not been. Howard too served kibinago with su-miso sauce that overpowered the natural taste of the fish.

Consider going outside of the range.

Tokyo Fish Market (Berkeley) http://www.tokyofish.net/

Suruki Supermarket (San Mateo

Berkeley Bowl might be another option, but I don't know.

These places will sell by the pound, carved to order.

Tim at Ichi Sushi goes to a wholesaler at ABS per SF Eater article

http://www.absseafood.com/newsite/

You can call and ask if you can buy a minimum amount (hopefully not more than what you can consume) without opening an account, and see if that will work.

I do not recommend 99 Ranch at all. Crabs, lobster, fish on ice, or the run of the mill farmed sealife from the tanks...yes....but not sashimi.

To be honest I've only been to Sawa twice years ago, before he completed redesigned his menu for broader Michelin-esque appeal (vs appealing mostly to his Porsche racing dot com paper millionaires and Silicon Valley CEO/VP executives).

Sawa's fish can be of impeccable top quality (heard he even imported Bluefin from Oma prefecture too...), but what he does with his inventory, is absolutely not my style, and I would not recommend any LA sushi hounds to go there if they are even remotely considering (spend that $ at Meadowood, L'Atelier Crenn, heck even Benu, French Laundry, or Manresa instead, really!). With the $ you spend there on the most expensive $350 course (no drinks included), you might as well eat at Kuruma in NY (or Brushstroke), or if in LA stick with Yamakase, Urasawa, Mori, or heck even Go's Mart in Canoga Park if you like gold flakes on your Wagyu (holy cow) and truffle oil on white fish.

Some people who are really open minded like his approach.

For me I prefer a delightful spectrum across the board, kobachi/sashimi/nigiri/makimono/tea, dessert and jovial banter with the chef and patrons nearby, and not plate after plate of thick untextured cuts of blocks of fish (butsugiri) with French style saucing over. Perhaps the regulars get something better but without a referral of a regular, it can be a mixed bag. I'd rather go back to Sushi Zo than Sawa...

Awesome in depth detailed report! Thanks very much.

Definitely a big jump over the assembly line, pre-sliced fish days at Studio City! I assume the "Today's Special: Trust Me" sign is gone :-)?

It is definitely the season for kibinago. Had some in Northern California just recently. Chef took several splats and wrapped them around the top of the shari. An awesome hikarimono to have if marinated gently with the right kind of vinegar... (Sushi Sam's in San Mateo likes to douse su-miso or a different kind of sauce on top which overpowers, unless the fish quality in question wasn't that good to begin with...)

Don't know the answer to your question, but this place is certainly not cheap when it comes to the dried seafood/abalone.

My uncle enjoyed a dim sum lunch year a year or two ago, although shark fin soup dumpling ran HK$240, which is astronomical by our standards since Koi Palace didn't go above US$7 for theirs (now that shark fin is banned they replaced with fish maw, smoked ham, mushrooms, dried scallops etc).

I heard the coffee chicken is pretty interesting at The Forum. For those not wanting to splurge so much on abalone but want a taste of it, goose webbed feet braised with abalone sauce, is a much more affordable alternative.

You might also want to look at Ah Yat's other restaurant that recently opened that I believe has 2 Michelin stars

Ah Yat Harbour View Restaurant 阿一海景飯店

http://www.openrice.com/english/resta...

The Forum Causeway Bay's lease is due to expire in the next few short months, the landlord is going to charge them way more for rent, and they may relocate, or move above ground. And while I'm at it, Ho Hung Kee on Sharp Street's last day is sometime this month, and will close...but all remaining operations will continue at the Hysan Place branch. (Yes I know the food is downhill, and they stopped offering Yu Kwen Yick chili sauce, but thought I mention it anyway).