The opening of Roka Hong Kong follows the opening of Roka in Macau, Scottsdale, and the first and award-winning restaurant in London. Roka is owned by the same team behind Zuma.

The restaurant is a welcome addition to the tired Pacific Place dining scene and is already proving popular with ladies who lunch, shopping divas, and ordinary folk looking for decent Japanese food.

A Fresh Start
We began the evening with a melon shochutini, which was refreshing and far too easy to drink. The menu is extensive and includes all that you expect to find in a quality Japanese restaurant.

From the sashimi selection we ordered seabream, salmon and scallop; we had intended to order uni but that and the sweet shrimp were sold out. The seafood is flown in daily from Japan so when it runs out, it runs out. Other selections included squid and bluefin tuna. Both fish were as good as expected but it was the scallop that stood out – one large, sliced scallop with lemon slices in between, served on shiso leaves resting in a scallop shell. The sweet scallop was sublime, so tender it melted in the mouth, yet it still had bite.



Soft Shell Crab Maki was next. A rich combination of crab, cucumber, spicy pickled cabbage and chilli mayonnaise. We both enjoyed this dish and would definitely order it again. The pickled ginger that it was served with was uber fresh and was packed with zing that complemented the maki.

Playful Creations
We also ordered the popular Tiger Prawn Tempura. Other choices include fried squid and chilli salt, and curiously onion rings with BBQ sauce! The tempura batter was not as light as it could have been and was too oily, which I also found with the tempura at Roka in Macau. The prawns themselves were excellent, and were served with two dipping sauces – a delicious spicy sauce featuring shichimi, with big citrus notes from yuzu; and a soy/sesame/ginger sauce.   

For contrast we also ordered a salad, Spinach Leaves with Sesame Dressing. The whimsical plating was cute, with spinach leaves layered one upon the other to form a stack, with a circle of tiny pieces of orange burdock and drizzles of the peanut, sesame seed oil and miso dressing. We found the nuttiness of the sauce to be a little cloying after a while; the burdock the saving ingredient balancing the dressing, but the sauce remained the overriding flavour.  



From the playful presentation with its visible prawn tail, to the taste, a  big winner on the night was the Prawn and Black Cod dumplings from the Gyoza section. The dumplings had a perfect balance of flavours and all the hominess of a fried dumpling. It tasted so good that my Japanese dining companion said, it was taking something already good and making it even better.



Star of the Show
The restaurant's main focus is its Robata grill, using Japanese charcoal to impart that particular smoky flavour. We order Asparagus with Sweet Soy and Sesame, Beef Tenderloin with Spicy Sauce, and the signature Black Cod Skewer with Gingered Saikyo Miso.

Unfortunately the steak was not cooked medium as ordered, instead it was well done, and therefore not great. 



On the other hand, the cod is a must try. While many restaurants do a similar dish this was the best I have had in Hong Kong and wanted more before I had finished. The super-succulent fish combined with wonderfully smoky low notes of honey and miso, and high notes of ginger, was a match made in culinary heaven. It was garnished with small orange pieces of what turned out to be ginger but looked like roe. A “wow” dish far beyond the other robata items we tried.

We were asked if we would like to try the Confit Duck, Kimuchi, Baby Spinach, Spring Onion Udon. Perhaps because we had just finished the impressive cod we agreed although after we wished we hadn't. It was in such contrast to the clean and sophisticated flavours we had recently enjoyed. My companion described it as “heavy-on-the-garlic, fusion bachelor cuisine” – throwing what is ever in the fridge in one dish and hoping for the best. To be fair there was nothing wrong with this noodle dish, it was comforting, and I am sure that pickled cabbage fans will love it, but for us it didn't complement the preceding dishes.



Our sweet ending came in the form of an exotic and colourful Seasonal Fruit Platter and the fantastic signature dessert Strawberry, Jasmin Sundae with Yuzu Granite. The yuzu  ice was excellent and the flavours worked equally as well separately and together.
    
In the Know, Service, Wine & Ambience
Those in the know choose to sit at the robata counter as staff are known to offer off-the-menu items to diners. We were served a cold edamame soup with mirin foam that was delicious. The delicate mirin leading into the sweet edamame leading into rich bacon; the farmyard element a delightful surprise.

The restaurant has a hip, city vibe with lots of organic materials, burnt wood and a dramatic charcoal pillar. The four elements, earth, fire, water and air, are the inspiration behind the interior design.



The staff were all efficient, friendly and armed with lots of knowledge about the menu. The executive sous chef, Patrick Zepho, is formerly of Roka London and Roka Macau.

The wine, shochu and sake list is extensive. The wines are grouped under characteristics, such as fresh and crisp, or earthy and structured, which allows the diner to easily match wine and food. Or you can let the staff make suggestions, which we did. We enjoyed the easy-to-drink house sake (chilled), a bottle of the Egon Muller Riesling, and with dessert a bottle of sparkling sake.  

by Vicki Williams
September 2008

Roka
Pacific Place, Level LG1, Shop 002
88 Queensway,
Hong Kong
3960 5988