I was invited to the authentic Hama Steak House @ Ginza by an old friend of mine for dinner. This cozy old-establishment with a team of all-male servers, started in 1971 & prides themselves using the best quality of beef roast & fillet to provide the best steak in front of customers. I was waltzed into a rich-wood, high-society atmosphere, with an experience of style, fine delicacies & serenity. I later learnt that the restaurant entertains celebrities & diplomats when they’re in town.
I was looking forward to enjoying the art of grilling, teppanyaki style. I was pleased to be presented the recommended Chef’s Course, as it embraced all my favourite food. Best part, I don’t have to crack my head, deciding which to pick.
Special of the Day was Chilled Pumpkin Soup. Wonder if it’s the trend now. Everywhere I go, even in Singapore, I seemed to be getting this Pumpkin Soup. Not that I’m complaining, the soup is delicious….. but is it a fad? The appetizer was nothing peculiar. Maybe I wasn’t interested at all as I was distracted by the Chef bringing out the fresh Foie Gras. I was getting impatient & I tried hard not to show my excitement. I can never get enough of this precious ‘jewel’.
The moment has finally arrived. The Chef politely greeted us & started preparing MY Foie Gras. It was a joy watching him treating the gourmet with such tender, loving care. It’s Foie-gras-licious, one of the tastiest Teppan Foie Gras I’ve ever eaten. It was well pan-fried to perfection so much so that I was afraid the exquisite foie gras convergence may never happen again.
The next dish, Sauteed seafood – King Crabmeat, was also another brilliant selection. I don’t need any sauce at all to go with this fresh, juicy crabmeat. Gosh, it was so tasty!
Good food just kept coming. I could see the fresh Abalone wriggled as the Chef put it onto the grill. Suddenly, my Japanese friend alerted me when a young, sexy blonde hostess flashed passed us, together with a middle-age man. The couple was ushered into a private room. Oops! I meant a VIP dining area. My friend explained, couple of night clubs share the same building. So it’s not an unusual sight to see rich men taking the karaoke hostesses or “mama-san” to dine here. But I wasn’t really bothered as they were quite discreet. Besides, one or two doesn’t spoil the lovely ambience I was having.
The commotion was interrupted by the Chef. Yes, my Abalone was ready. At the suggestion of the Chef, I dipped the pieces of Abalone into a home-made sauce. Wow! The combination of both titillated my tastebuds & I was flushing with gratitude.
The Chef had beautifully lined the garlic together with the Sauteed Asparagus on the grill. It was truly a gastronomic work of art that pleases both eye & palate.
The Chef presented us our premium beef & proudly invited me to snap a picture, which I did. I chose to have the Tenderloin while my friend preferred Sirloin.
The Chef explained it’s the finest Japanese black cattle beef (A-5) & certainly it was. The beef melted in my mouth without me having to chew. I may have exaggerated a little but it’s true. At medium-well, the cut was tender & juicy & it was so appetizing.
Good times must come to an end. The meal concluded with the usual Garlic Rice & Miso with Clams. We were then ushered to a separate lounge area to have our desserts & coffee/tea.
Dinner was gorgeous & needless to say, service was flawless. Then came the gift. I was given a box of cookies by the restaurant manager. I felt so pampered & thankful & I didn’t want to leave the restaurant.
A top-notch Chef Course @ ¥18,900 or US$200 per person, which includes some of the world’s finest gems, plus diligent Chefs & excellant servers, it’s not an unreasonable price to call for especially in an expensive country like Japan. I was satisfied & speechless.
Pls visit http://luxuryhaven.blogspot.com/2009/04/travel-fine-dining-ginza-tokyo.html for photos & menu. Sorry, I just can’t seemed to get pix posted here. Wonder what’s wrong?
