Sushi Yonjugo review: Kishoku’s Milton Lau leads Hong Kong’s latest Japanese restaurant opening

While there are no official figures to be found, we wouldn’t be surprised if Hong Kong came up tops when it comes to the number of Japanese restaurants in any city outside of Japan. And the nine-seater omakase Sushi Yonjugo is the latest to join the fray. Tucked away at one end of Staunton Street, the restaurant specialises in Edomae-style sushi with the freshest ingredients flown in from Hokkaido, Kyushu, Okinawa and Kagoshima. Chef Milton Lau, who was previously with Kishoku in Causeway Bay, holds the reins in the kitchen.

The quality ingredients stood out at our media lunch, where chef Lau generously served guests a 19-course tasting meal. Whether it was the first dish of steamed egg with salmon roe or a simple sliced Okinawa snapper, the ark shell, triple shrimp sushi or the more complicated Ise’ green lip abalone by Haenyeo, every dish was marked by a chorus of “oohs” and “aahs” showing our appreciation.

The freshness was on display with seafood still twitching in the live shrimp sushi with its firm, super springy and sweet flesh.

The star of the day was blackthroat seaperch, a rare seasonal fish usually caught along the coast of the Sea of Japan. Lightly flamed with a butane torch, the fish was served in a glass dome filled with sakura smoke and topped with shiso flowers. The strong smoky flavour infused the fish slices, adding to fragrant mouthfuls of creamy flesh.

Other highlights included the rishiro-to uni and bafun uni sushi, which featured sea urchin from two different regions, as well as the green lip abalone served with vinegar rice and topped with abalone liver sauce and mayonnaise.

Sushi Yonjugo, G/F, 35B Staunton Street, Central, 3689 1045