60-Minute Feasts: Sukiyaki Isekuma, Traditional Japanese Goes Contemporary

Restaurant snapshot: Sukiyaki Isekuma takes traditional Japanese sukiyaki into a whole other level. Using premium wagyu curated every day and served with a special warishita broth, Chef Koichi Kuga transforms family-favourite hot-pot into an artful, contemporary culinary masterpiece. Sukiyaki here is served in a multi-course omakase-style, which adds excitement into the whole dining experience. 

Vibe and venue: It felt like stepping into a miniature and cosy Japanese home. Pale wood walls and floors create a warm and inviting ambiance, and Japanese minimalist décor makes for a calm atmosphere. The restaurant can cater for up to 22 people, and diners can choose to sit at the dining counter, where chefs can directly cook and serve customers, or comfortably stay aside at the small booths.

Value for time & money: A lunch set menu here varies from around HK$300 pax on weekdays to high prices at HK$800 pax for an 8-course omakase meal. Dishes are served fresh off the stove. It’s worth the try for a high-quality lunch and dinner dates.

Menu highlights: Sukiyaki Isekuma embraces both variations of seasoning of the Warishita Broth, including the subtler Kansai style and the stronger flavours from the Kanto region. They offer a wide range of omakase sets and weekday lunch menus, which consist of an innovative twist of refreshing appetizers and dips such as pickled vegetables, candied yuzu, truffle sauce, and seasoned Kombu. And of course, the hero of the menu would be the premium selected wagyu by the chef. 

What we tasted: We ordered the 5-course A4 Wagyu Sukiyaki lunch Set (HK$480) and the Pork Sukiyaki Lunch Set (HK$380). Both sets offered two appetizers, steamed egg custard, sukiyaki with seasonal vegetables, miso soup, pickled vegetables, rice, and dessert.

For the Wagyu set, there were two cuts of premium Japanese beef, from Kyoto and Shizuoka respectively, hand-picked by the culinary team. For the pork sukiyaki set, it was the Hokkaido Yongenton Pork, famed as a melt-in-the-mouth, snow pork.

Hits & misses: We were impressed with the chicken skin salad, as the acidity of the sauce awakened our taste buds. The sukiyaki tofu was a standout dish, the tofu from Japan had a rich bean flavour that perfectly blended with the sukiyaki sauce. However, the sukiyaki vegetables could have had a more subtle flavour, as the cabbages absorbed too much of the sauce, making it a bit too heavy for our taste.

The midday must-have: The chef’s selection of the Kyoto A4 Wagyu was the takeaway of the menu. The ratio of fat was perfect, making the meat melt into our mouths without being too oily. And dipping it in the egg wash sealed in the flavours of the beef, enriching the whole experience.

Final verdict: Overall, the whole dining experience at Sukiyaki Isekuma was appealing, the close interaction with the chefs makes the omakase experience extraordinary. With perfect cuts of beefs and a little innovative twist on the traditional sukiyaki dishes, it is worth a visit for families, couples, or for a lunch date.

Location: Sukiyaki Isekuma, G13, Harbour Pinnacle, 8 Minden Avenue, Tsim Sha Tsui, Kowloon

Contact details: +852 2109 1155

This food review is based on a complimentary media tasting provided by Sukiyaki Isekuma in exchange for a truthful review and no compensation. The opinions expressed within represent the views of the author.   

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