(1) Opt for the Omasake menu for some surprises
(2) Kikyo’s amuse for the evening is Kikyo’s own unique Tomato soup
(3) Tamagoyaki is served in a man-made bird nest
(4) Fatty ootoro and lean akami that has been peeled and sliced and prepped for ultimate tenderness.
(5) 2 month wagyu rump that is sliced over freshly baked brioche
(6) The shiizakana was delicious and it had that tangy feel with its decadent juiciness
(7) The chef grills my meat over flaming straw with precision and prowess
(8) Warayaki Grill which is a dry-aged tenderloin steak served with mushroom sauce and celery puree
(9) Kikyo’s Japanese sweet potato cake which was fluffy and creamy.
The Food
Kikyo offers a wide range of japanese delicacies that would appeal to casual diners as well as connoisseurs alike, ranging from shio koji (japanese condiment) spring chicken to agedashi nasu (fried and soaked tofu) bathed in dashi shoyu (seasoned soy sauce). For a special treat of specialty items that may not be available on a regular menu, opt for the dinner course meal set which was my pick for the night to experience true omakase where meals are curated by the chef by surprise for the diners.
The amuse bouche, which is typically small, bite-sized hors d’oeuvre served to welcome guests, came in a creamy tomato soup infused with Japanese ingredients cloaked in gumbo (strong flavored stock) foam. The gumbo foam is concocted with a delicate dashi (stocks) broth which makes it quite an exquisite combination. The mouth-watering delicacy is a mixture of a veritable treasure trove of filings consisting of seaweed, prawns and Japanese tomatoes. The tomato soup came in piping hot which was a treasure worth seeking!
The taste is a mixture of a veritable treasure trove of filings that was out of this world.
The Tamagoyaki (Japanese omelette) was served with uni, lobster gravy as well as caviar and wasabi (Japanese horseradish) cream in a flocculent egg composite. It had an excellent umami (delicious savory taste) taste and a balanced of sweetness. The spread of fluffy egg, sumptuous roe and sea urchin that comes out from the scoop was nothing short of spectacular – a well-crafted meal.
The Warayaki Sashimi (means raw meat) was served with 2 ootoro (tuna) fillets – Fatty ootoro and lean akami (spine of tuna) that have been peeled, sliced and prepped for ultimate tenderness. Coming from someone who was never a fan of tuna, the tunas were excellent as they had a hint of smokiness and a delicious distinct flavor, cooked like a true traditional warayaki.
Next is the shiizakana (means a hot dish served during a traditional Japanese multi-course dinner) which is served with a 2-month wagyu rump, sliced over freshly baked brioche, garnished in sabayon egg yolk. It is akin to a slider. The shiizakana was delicious as it had a butter-soft texture, creamy marbling, non-greasy, and mellow-sweet with rich in flavor.
Next came the Warayaki Grill which is a dry-aged tenderloin steak served with mushroom sauce and celery puree. A lot of care and love was put into the meat as it was grilled over the flaming straw with precision and prowess. The meat was flavorful when its eaten with the mushroom sauce and celery puree. This perfectly sliced slab of flame-kissed meat made a strong impression on the palate.
The donabe (claypot-cooked) rice which consists of japanese rice served with kenkori (farmed in a Japanese way) egg that is drizzled with house-blended shoyu sauce. Pair the donabi rice with the warayaki grill meat would make this an instant classic. The donabe method of cooking dates back to the Endo period during the rule of the Tokugawa shogunate between 1603 and 1868, a method that is exclusively experienced at Kikyo.
Dessert was simply enchanting as today’s dessert was a rendition of Kikyo’s Japanese sweet potato cake which I thought was fluffy and creamy. The sweet potato cake had a buttery chestnut taste to it which was excellent. It was also much more earthier and nuttier and full of rich flavor than other sweet potatoes I have eaten.
