It wasn’t our original plan to visit 稻菊 Inagiku, but after a major stuff up with booking a nearby restaurant for its Brunch, we were scrambling about for a 2nd alternative and my dining companion asked me whether I have tried any of the HK Inagiku branches of Tokyo’s famous restaurant, just as we were walking pass the Regal hotel. The conversation made me recall reading that Kowloon Inagiku has now hired a female Teppanyaki Chef, Miss Masami Inoue from Tokyo. We proceeded upstairs to initially enquire about the possibility of a table, but one of us eager foodies walked right in without even bothering to check out the menu !
Too exciting, not only to have a Japanese chef cook for you, but also a lady from Tokyo. And that wasn’t the end of the surprise, as you will see later…
Chef Inoue – Speaks very fluently in English and Japanese,and is picking up on Cantonese!
The Enclosed Teppanyaki Section only sits 8 persons,
and there is only one chef Miss Inoue looking after here.
It’s a good thing, as even the seasonal menu is named after her own creations..
Wonder why there is a French saucière sitting on the Teppan ?
That’s the surprise in store for us today, read below…
Green Tea
Inagiku symbol paper weight..
Tomato Salad -
A little cliché but refreshing
先付: Black Sesame Mochi Dumpling with Minced Pork -
This arrived after the salad. It was good albeit boring, and from this we hopped straight onto the main courses. I thought it needed something more to tie it all together somewhat…
Chef Inoue is preparing our 1st Seafood Course, using the ステーキカバー lid to bake the ingredients slightly. She’s also cooking the sauce for this dish on a mini sauce pot, directly on the Teppan, HINT: aka L’Atelier de Joel Robuchon style…
Scallop with Garlic and Basil Butter Sauce, on a medley of Mixed Mushrooms -
Chef has not only trained in Tokyo as a Teppanyaki master for 15 years, but prior to that she was trained as a French chef. This dish was executed very well, scallops perfectly grilled then baked, the mushrooms even carries taste for once – sauce complimented it in a French-Japanese way with a feminine touch ~ 9/10
Chef onto making our 2nd Seasonal Course, look at how she does everything in front of you,
including cooking the sauces.. and as the final finishing touch, she proceeded to bend her waist down ever so slightly, so she could position herself better for slicing across the pork meat diagonally on the Teppan itself. How elegant…
Kurobuta Pork Chuck Steak, with Miso Sauce, Nagaimo and French Young Vegetable -
This was cooked very well. Juicy and tender,
the crunchy nagaimo absorbing the pork juice and miso,
as well as a bit of alcoholic aroma ~ 10/10
A seasonal new vegetable,
looking like a hybrid between a mini Savoy Cabbage and Brussels Sprout. Very lovely!
Now onto the 3rd Course..
Sesame & Vinegar Sauce for beef..
American Beef Steak Atsu-Yaki (Back Loin),
with Shishitou Pepper, Pumpkin and Garlic Chips -
This is from the sirloin part. It has a good beefiness taste, but despite the visual marbling, seemed a bit lean after cooking. I also think it was under-salted. The side veggies were good, as I am sick of eating bean sprouts for teppanyaki! Have you noticed how every dish here is also plated beautifully with layering? That’s Chef Inoue’s personal signature touch ~ 8/10
Ordered Medium Rare hoping its rarer than well done,
and it came out perfect to our wishes ! Superb control of timing.
The Rice Course.
Chef Inoue cooks her Chahan Fried Rice with a twist. She first cooks the egg then inverts it into something resembling an Omurice, before breaking up the egg omelette and mixing it into the rice.
Salmon Flakes Fried Rice -
This is meant to come with Miso Soup and Pickles, but obviously someone forgot to give it to us. 
I don’t normally like cooked salmon as it can be quite fishy, but my dining companion said it was just fine ~ may be it’s only me, but when eaten raw or in ocha-zuke salmon is usually fine, but I find cooked salmon like this version slightly fishy. Nevertheless, this fried rice was done very well and even having that wok chi from the teppan but without being over browned.. ~8/10
Seasonal Fruits -
Very sweet pineapple and Japanese melon.
But no desserts included in this course… boring!
If anything, the Mains were cooked to a superb standard and one of the best we’ve eaten in Hong Kong, and with a French and feminine twist to it all. The slightly uninteresting supporting dishes and our few missing items, made me deducted half-a-point in the end from the final score…
Price: Lunch $480 + 10% Per Person
Lunch Score: ★★★★☆☆
Address: 尖沙咀麼地道69號帝苑酒店1樓
1/F, The Royal Garden, 69 Mody Road, Tsim Sha Tsui
Ph: 2733 2933
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