Hiro Nishida is president of Food Scope America Inc, the parent company of hip Japanese restaurant Megu.

Megu New York opened in 2004 and Megu Midtown opened in 2006. Both New York restaurants have developed a loyal following and have received favourable reviews from food critics. Megu Hong Kong recently opened and is expected to be a hit with lovers of modern Japanese.

I caught up with Hiro to learn more about the Megu cuisine philosophy and his plans for Hong Kong. 

Why did you choose to open a Megu in Hong Kong? 
The biggest financial markets are in New York, London and Hong Kong and these markets are the key places for us to open a restaurant. We are opening in London next year.

Also as a Japanese company we wanted to expand in Asia and Hong Kong is the most sophisticated Asian location. Diners in Hong Kong are open to international cuisine.

Many Hong Kong foodies don’t like to venture too far from Central, do you think being located in Kowloon will be a disadvantage?
No. People will travel to eat at Megu.

And, while this is still a developing area, over time it will become a happening place. Also there are two luxury hotels scheduled to open, which will draw an international clientèle to the restaurant.

Tell me about Megu and the philosophy behind the cuisine.
Three types of Japanese cuisine exists in the market. Traditional places that are often small, fusion places like Nobu, and modern Japanese.

Megu is modern Japanese, which means authentic cuisine and cooking styles together with unique presentation. For Megu it also means using Japanese ceramicware, Yuzen kimono fabric, Edo-kriko cut glass, and a modern interior that incorporates traditional styles.

Regarding the food, the parent company has over 40 Japanese restaurants in Tokyo and consequently we have excellent connections when it comes to sourcing ingredients.

The great thing about being located in Hong Kong is that we have same day delivery from the fish market and so the food is of the same quality as if you were eating in Japan. In essence the diner will be travelling to Japan through the cuisine. I am so excited by the ingredient possibilities afford by being in Hong Kong.

Are there any differences between the menu items in Hong Kong and New York?
Yes, each market is different and therefore the layout of the menu and items included are slightly different. For example New York diners are crazy for handrolls and cooked items, while in Hong Kong they love sashimi and so we have added more sashimi to the menu.

We are still in the process of refining the menu and the full menu will be available from mid-November.

How is Megu different from Nobu and Zuma?
As I mentioned Nobu is fusion. For example the latest menu has incorporated traditional Chinese ingredients into dishes, and it already uses non-Japanese ingredients such as jalapeno peppers.

Zuma, which is a fantastic concept, serves a fashionable version of izakaya in a creative environment, and the kitchen team is mostly non-Japanese.

In addition to serving authentic cuisine, Megu has a lot of staff (kitchen and front of house) that are Japanese. This is important. For example when a diner goes to an Italian restaurant they want to see an Italian in the kitchen, well it is the same for Megu, it is a Japanese restaurant led by Japanese. It is very important to the overall authenticity of the experience.

Also, one of our strengths is our use of expensive ingredients sourced directly from the producer and we are very particular about our suppliers. They need to be as passionate about the pursuit of excellence in quality as we are. For example we only use fresh wasabi. In New York we go through up to 30 pounds of fresh wasabi every month.

We will also be introducing new things to the market, which are currently not available in any other restaurant in Hong Kong. For example, Kanzuri, a pepper that when naturally fermented under snow intensifies in spiciness. Smelt from Hokkaido is another example.

In addition to London there are also plans to open a Megu in Dubai, Las Vegas and Miami; are you concerned about a reduction in quality that has impacted other named restaurants that have expanded globally?
Megu is a luxury brand and we are being very careful about it not becoming a franchise of itself. We are a private group and don’t work with outside partners.

We only plan to open seven Megu restaurants at the most in order to maintain the quality, luxury and consistency.

The parent company will continue to expand, but this will be in other areas, for example hotels or concierge services.

Do you use organic produce?
Yes, where possible. We are not into sacrificing quality for profit and organic tastes better. Getting your ingredients right is 70% of a restaurant’s success.

What are some of the signature touches or dishes?
Two signature touches are the grating of fresh waisabi over salmon at the table and also the flambéing of wagyu beef that is served on a hot stone. This performance aspect gets the diner talking about the dish as well as enjoying it and adds to the total dining experience.

Signature dishes include Sweet Shrimp in Kanzuri Spicy Cream, Wagyu Steak ‘Kagerou Yaki’ – Hennessy Flambé Stone Grill, and Grilled Smelt Shishamo with Roe from Hokkaido. New dishes will be introduced to the menu every six weeks.

Ultimately, diners will experience luxury, which is Megu’s essence.

by Vicki Williams
vicki@www.womguide.com

Megu is located at R002-003 Elements, 1 Austin Road West, Kowloon. 3743 1421.