Sushi Kado

Some call it a secret restaurant. No, it's not inside a cave. It's actually located in a discreet corner on Elgin Street. A line of pots holding young bamboo plants and a turquoise blue banner hanging above the door will welcome you to this mysterious place. Upon entering, you will be surprised that it's just like any other Japanese restaurant with low key interiors. The decors were of course furnished in pale wood and shades of grey giving a Zen-like mood. However, what makes Sushi Kado special compared to other Japanese restos is their small space - accommodating only up to 25 guests - gives a feeling of respite from the busy SoHo.

Nine seats are conveniently placed at the sushi bar so you can watch the chef do what he does as he prepares your orders. The other tables in the room can accommodate 12-16 guests. The main sushi counter features two chefs at a time. Hearsays state that one of the chefs (who is Chef Jason Tong Lai-ching) used to work at Sushi Sase on Hollywood Road. That's actually a good thing since Sushi Sase chefs are known to be trained well.

Once you sit, an attentive waiter will immediately offer hot tea, towels, and of course, the menu. Speaking of menu, Sushi Kado's menu is quite limited. Nevertheless, they offer a complete meal. An a la carte selection of appetizers, grilled and pan-fried dishes (yakimono), simmered dishes (nimono), and some desserts are at your disposal. For lunch meals, they offer more than 15 sets, some of which are the grilled fish set (HKD180), the seasonal sushi set (HKD480), and the Kado gozen set (HKD680). The most valued set is the Kado gozen which is comprised of one appetizer, sashimi, stewed item, six pieces of sushi and a hot soup.

Going specific, their appetizers options are: smoked salmon with Hokkaido cream cheese, fresh bean curd sheet (yuba) with jelly and shrimp, and intense grilled sweet potato. As for sashimi and sushi, you'll notice that Sushi Kado chefs use only a pinch of seasoning because they want customers to enjoy the simple taste of the meat itself. There are only a few occasions wherein the chef would advise you to add wasabi or soy. Here's a quick round-up of sushi they offer: needlefish sushi, kaname snapper sushi, deep sea-fish sushi, eel-fry sushi, and crab sushi. Among these, the crab sushi is the best. It offers a unique crunchy texture because of the seaweed and a rich concentrated flavor of crabmeat paste on the top.

While sushi is kept in its simplest form, their sashimi, on the other hand are served with the most refreshing ingredients to balance off the rich oiliness of the fish. For example, their Bonito sashimi is served with pickled ginger, finely minced garlic, and chopped spring onions. Pacific saury (sanma), which is a lighter fish, is also topped with ginger and spring onion. Little sandwiches of fatty tuna (toro) are also compressed with shiso leaf and seaweed (nori). You'll be surprised that it doesn't feel oily at all.

Other than Japanese specialties which are obviously raw meat, Sushi Kado also serves hot dishes such as grilled ox tongue, grilled teppanyaki, seafood egg custard with black truffle, Salmon Roe (served in a martini glass) and Hokkaido sea urchin. They also have the usual grilled stuff such as tender sweet scallop, squid, shrimp, and abalone. Do take note that if you're still not happy with their offerings, you can also request a specific meal from the chefs.

Gobble everything with the help of a miso soup. You can never go wrong with a miso soup but Sushi Kado's version is definitely noteworthy too. Darker than the usual miso soup you see somewhere else, their Miso soup is not too sweet but the miso flavor is very strong in a positive way. Cap off your meal with a tea pudding. (There's not much of a choice for dessert anyway).

The waiters are always at their best so you won't have any problems in terms of service. Eating here will cost one person around HKD 1,300 without the service charge. Sushi Kado is open during Mondays to Saturdays from 12noon-3pm, and 6pm-11pm.

Address: G/F, 7 Elgin Street, SoHo Central

Contact: +852 2982 1099