I was feeling a bit lazy after great day in Tokyo so decided to give one of the hotel restaurants a try. The Japanese was full, next up was Karin, the hotel’s Chinese Restaurant. And I am glad I did! The cuisine is Cantonese that takes advantage of the local fresh produce.
My food choice for the night was Chef Takeshi Okubo, the head chef of Karin Chinese Restaurant, dégustation menu. Definitely a good option.
First Course
Seasonal colourful assorted appetizers
Each bite was tasty, my favourites were the fish and pork belly.
Second Course
Two kinds of fresh fish, Red bream fritters and Stir fried coral grouper
Both were very good, the grouper (sans the asparagus) was my pick
Third Course
Bird’s nest and dried scallops in egg white sauce with scallops
A tasty soup…
Fourth Course
Peking duck and grilled duck salad
Excellent duck, probably one of the best Peking ducks I have had. Really enjoying this meal so far. Each course is at least as good as the one before, I hope I have enough room to get to the end.
Fifth Course
Steamed live lobster and shrimp dumplings in superb broth with garlic flavour
There is not much else to say about this other than EXCELLENT.. Going to be hard to top this course.
Sixth Course
Wagyu beef fillet with honey and black pepper in clay pot fried rice
The beef was tender and tasty, a good dish, but not as good as the lobster.
Seventh Course
Cherry blossom flavoured almond milk jelly with red beans and green tea tapioca milk with seasonal fruits beans, seasonal fruits
The final course was a mixture of deserts and fruits, a nice end to a very good meal.
Wine
2019 Noble Vines Collection 337, Lodi, California, USA, Cabernet Sauvignon
| Appearance: | Deep youthful crimson |
| Nose: | An ok combination of cherry, blackberry, plum and a hint of chocolate aromas |
| Palate: | Firm, dry tannins |
| Finish: | Medium length |
| Oz’s Wine Rating | 2.5 out of 5 Improved with air, an ok quaffer |
Karin Chinese Restaurant
If you are ever in need of a great restaurant when near the ANA Intercontinental in Tokyo I would strongly recommend Karin Chinese Restaurant and especially Chef Takeshi Okubo’s menu. There is a fair bit of food to get through, it is worth effort. In addition to the food being very good, the service is excellent, attentive, but not overly attentive. The only downside is the lack of a decent wine list, the food more than makes up for that.
When I am back in town, I would not have an issue with returning.
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