There are certain terms used to describe food that always ring alarm bells for me, for example "playful". What does this really mean? It could mean that the food will make you smile, it will invoke childhood memories, and will be supported by enjoyable flavours and textures. Or, it could mean a gastronomic disaster, translating to food that is more ridiculous than playful, more disjointed failure than culinary inspiration. When I learned that new opening Zenku was describing its cuisine as "...a convergence of old and new ideas; the two extremes of traditional and avant-garde don't meet in the middle but crash together to create dishes that take on a playful character," I knew I had to investigate further.  

The Wow Factor

The restaurant is trying to distinguish itself from the plethora of Japanese restaurants in Hong Kong through its approach to Japanese cuisine, so our first choice was the signature Cold Soba Noodle with Ponzu and Frozen Foie Gras. The foie gras was described to us as "guilt-free" and for a moment we thought the restaurant was sourcing its foie gras from a supplier that deals in geese that naturally gorge themselves, but what was meant was that the foie gras had been frozen and microplaned onto the edges of the plate. Pieces so thin they literally melted in the mouth and in total amounted to a very small portion of liver, hence the guilt-free comment. We did find that the foie gras melted quickly and soon stuck to the plate, becoming harder to eat and the whole point of it - being frozen - soon melts way. I wanted more...I felt the amount of foie was in danger of being an extravagant garnish and not a bright star of the dish.

Simultaneously light and rich, the dish was inspired and it proved hard to equal in terms of having a WOW factor with a taste to match. What also gave this dish top marks was the clever culinary pro-activism - instead of serving soba in a traditional broth that would soon become murky and unattractive when the foie gras became part of it the 'broth' part of the dish had been turned into a noodle, thanks to a little seaweed magic.

Sadly, the more traditional Japanese Tomato Salad with Yuzu Dressing and Soy was a disappointment. Regular readers of my reviews will know that one of my pet peeves is Hong Kong restaurants using tasteless, watery tomatoes, as was the case here. If the tomatoes are not fantastic on their own DO NOT base a dish around them, not even the fabulous and somewhat unusual dressing could save this dish, in fact clashing with the tomatoes that had a certain, lingering fishiness.

The Fresh Market Sashimi Selection (for two) resembled a summer garden with its vegetable butterflies, shiso flowers, touches of seaweed and delicate sea bounty of fish, shrimp, scallop, roe and uni. All of the seafood was enjoyable, standouts were the wonderfully creamy prawn, and the buttery scallop.

Tempura Two Ways

Co-owner and creative visionary behind the food, Christian Yang, is enthusiastically passionate about the dishes and so we were swayed by his excitement and mouth-watering explanations to have two tempura dishes - Vegetable Tempura with Miso Ice-Cream, and Braised Prime Short Rib Tempura.

The vegetable tempura dish was inspired by Yang's youth, when he liked to dip his fries in an ice cream sundae. At the same time the dish is an example of the prevailing trend of pairing a frozen (or cold) element with hot, and the presenting of items out of expected sequence, in this case ice cream as an appetiser. As tempura it was a letdown as the vegetables (beans, mushroom, carrot, potato) had not been drained properly and were oily, visibly so, and were a tad over-seasoned. However, as an experiment in texture and taste combining it was a success. Playful, to the point of almost being naughty, as if any moment a food fascist was going to come along and tell me to stop playing with my food. Alchemy was at work as the taste, and often the textural experience, of the vegetable changed when paired with the ice cream, which became stronger (and mysteriously sweeter) as it melted. For me the mushroom and miso were the best match, maybe because of the shared umami characteristics. A dish that you will either love like we did, or hate.

A guilty pleasure was the conclusion we reached about the short rib tempura. The braised ribs are deboned and wrapped in nori, followed by tempura batter and then deep fried; served with a soy caramel (which includes yuzu) and a little shichimi - providing sweet, spicy, salty, tart, or a combination of flavours in the mouth. Taking something this flavourful and rich and deep frying it is taking tempura to a more intense reading on the guilt scale. Not quite deep fried Mars bar but close (obviously I don't mean taste). If you wish to alleviate the guilt use the dipping sauce, which cuts through everything and does bring balance to the dish. 

Lacking Punch

One of our mains was aptly named Lazy Surf and Turf. I call it a lazy dish because for me there was no continuity between the surf and the turf, it was steak and fish on the same plate. It also lacked the punch of the preceding dishes. I wouldn't criticise this dish as two, as one it didn't work for me. What was superb about the dish was the melon 'roe' and cherry jus that sat with the sea bass, bringing fruity and tart counterpoints to the fish. The organic Black Angus tenderloin was competently cooked and served with a variety of vegetables including braised daikon.

The Pork Tonkatsu Mille-Feuille is described on the menu as "28 steps in the process to make this Zenku original tender...a play on the traditional...full of contrasts in textures and creamy flavours". A description like this, plus the explanation of the intricacies of the dish given to us by Yang had built high expectations. The dish (for me) didn't live up to them. I appreciate the work that had gone into creating the visually appealing layers of pork, gruyere, and spinach, that made up the 'mille-feuille', but overall it lacked flavour. It just wasn't very porky...I was eating the dish wishing that I had a little bit of crispy pork skin to slip into the mix to give it some flavour intensity. 

Part of me wished we had gone with the other dishes that appealed to us, the Iberian Asahi Pork Chop that is basted with beer while on the grill, or the Foie Loaded Quail, need I say more.

Growing Pains?

Sake Gelee, Strawberries, Pop Rocks, Lychee Snow and Yakult Sorbet is a good dessert idea, but we found it to be not quite there yet, a little disjointed and lacking refinement. 

Oven Roasted Banana in Soy Caramel, Soba Crumble and Miso Ice Cream however was fabulous - hot, cold, sweet, sour, salty...decadent, rich, indulgent. I ate it with the enthusiasm of a child.

Zenku does indeed serve playful food in the best senses of my culinary meaning and some dishes are a direct inspiration from Yang's childhood food memories. It also misses the mark at times. My leaning with this new opening is to equate it to a young child and I will adopt an adult view and encourage all that is good and hope that it grows out of all that isn't, while still keeping its playful nature as it matures. 

Ambience, Service, Price, Extras

The large room is given a sense of intimacy through the use of string curtains and soft fabrics and cushions. There is a hint of Japanese minimalism combined with stylish, modernism and warmth. There is modern art projected onto the back wall but we couldn't see it from our window-side table. There is also a lounge/bar area. The one thing that lets the design down for me is the large opening directly into the commercial building. 

Derek, the restaurant manager, oozes old-school charm and a sensibility that definitely added to the ambience and our experience. His team range from nervous to confident, but they were all trying and all smiling and for that I am grateful. I think the team would benefit from more food knowledge and a little of Yang's passion for the dishes. 

Prices for the dishes we had, as in above order: $160, $60, $480, $90, $120, $380, $300, $100 and $100.

The small wine list features some interesting boutique wines (four by-glass options), including an organic champagne and the fabulous Pegasus Bay 2008 Riesling, Canterbury, New Zealand. The wine list also recommends which wine pairs best with the dishes, which I liked. 

Yang, along with his partner, Judith, are also the team behind Bang Bang, Pan Pan.

The restaurant does a Set Lunch: three courses from $275 to $318, and Afternoon Tea priced at $168 or $318 for two for the "tea set" and $128 or $258 for the "sweet set".  

Image 1 author's own