[HK] Inaniwa Udon‧Nabe @ Elements
Tuesday, April 23, 2013
Inaniwa Udon Nabe Japanese restaurant provides Japan's exclusive handmade Sato Yosuke Udon (VII generation) which originated from Akita, Japan. It was regarded as an item of supremacy served only to nobles and the royal family before the middle of Meiji period. With an accreditation that good, it would be a sin to give it a miss!
Beef Shabu Shabu - Japanese Supreme Wagyu Beef ($1,180/-)
Cold Inaniwa Udon ($128/-)
The beautifully arranged udon were complemented with 3 separate dressings, from left Onsen Tamago Sauce, Duck Sauce and Tororo (Mountain Yam Sauce). Each was distinctly different from the other and flavoursome to say the least. The Onsen Tamago Sauce provided a layer of gluten from the egg yolk which helped enhanced the smoothness of the udon. The Duck Sauce was strong and 'meaty' in flavours while the Tororo Sauce was rich but the taste was rather indistinct.
The udon was cooked to a perfect al dente. Texture wise, it was very smooth and went down well with the diners' palates. On the downside, the noodles were sticking together pretty much and it took some effort to loosen them for the sauce dip.
Chicken wings stuffed with Mentaiko ($78/-)
This was an interesting rendition to the usual stuffed chicken wings. Mentaiko is the marinated roe of pollock and cod and it introduced a varied texture to the chicken wings. Wrapped delicately underneath the skin, the wings were grilled beautifully with a savoury marinade.
Japanese Minced Chicken with Yolk ($98/-)
The sauce was viscous and rich and dominating in flavour such as that of teriyaki marinade. The minced chicken was moist and juicy on the inside and the yolk dip was a divine combination.
Grilled Chicken - Salted ($52/-)
While we enjoyed the succulent, soft and moist chicken pieces, it was way too salty for our liking. The grill work was perfectly done, retaining sufficient moisture to ensure that the chicken chunks were juicy to the bite. It was good enough for us to order a second serving, but we told them to reduce the salt content and it was alot more palatable.
Squid Cake ($78/-)
The texture was slightly chewy with pieces of diced squids and shredded carrots. It had a beautiful grill tan on the surface which was crisp to the bite and pleasing to the eyes. On the inside, it was moist and you could almost taste the freshness of the minced squid.
Verdict: 7.5/10
Beef Shabu Shabu - Japanese Supreme Wagyu Beef ($1,180/-)
First up, the plate of Japanese Wagyu beef was served alongside the vegetables.
With the addition of the broth, let the Shabu Shabu experience begins!
The staffs approached us and asked if we wanted a top up of rice with some spring onions and yolk to make a separate rice dish with the broth from the Shabu Shabu.
With the adding of the broth, the server constantly stirred the cooked rice around with the yolk and spring onions until the broth became thick and viscous.
The end product was somewhat like risotto, but a softer and mashy version. Surprisingly, it tasted really good, absorbing the essence from the Wagyu beef and the various vegetables cooked.
Verdict: 8.0/10
The beautifully arranged udon were complemented with 3 separate dressings, from left Onsen Tamago Sauce, Duck Sauce and Tororo (Mountain Yam Sauce). Each was distinctly different from the other and flavoursome to say the least. The Onsen Tamago Sauce provided a layer of gluten from the egg yolk which helped enhanced the smoothness of the udon. The Duck Sauce was strong and 'meaty' in flavours while the Tororo Sauce was rich but the taste was rather indistinct.
The udon was cooked to a perfect al dente. Texture wise, it was very smooth and went down well with the diners' palates. On the downside, the noodles were sticking together pretty much and it took some effort to loosen them for the sauce dip.
Verdict: 8.5/10
Supreme Wagyu Beef Salad ($198/-)
A refreshing tang to the salad helped titillate one's taste buds. The salad was crisp and fresh and the thinly sliced Wagyu beef was well seasoned which gave the light salad its flavours.
Verdict: 7.5/10
This was an interesting rendition to the usual stuffed chicken wings. Mentaiko is the marinated roe of pollock and cod and it introduced a varied texture to the chicken wings. Wrapped delicately underneath the skin, the wings were grilled beautifully with a savoury marinade.
Verdict: 9.0/10
Verdict: 8.0/10
While we enjoyed the succulent, soft and moist chicken pieces, it was way too salty for our liking. The grill work was perfectly done, retaining sufficient moisture to ensure that the chicken chunks were juicy to the bite. It was good enough for us to order a second serving, but we told them to reduce the salt content and it was alot more palatable.
Verdict: 7.0/10
The texture was slightly chewy with pieces of diced squids and shredded carrots. It had a beautiful grill tan on the surface which was crisp to the bite and pleasing to the eyes. On the inside, it was moist and you could almost taste the freshness of the minced squid.
Verdict: 7.5/10
The quality of the dishes were good, but the waiting time was quite appalling. We had to wait quite a considerable period of time between the dishes. It might have been a bad day where they were short-handed on staff, but even the bill took a good 10 minutes or longer. It did not go too well with my schedule and patience cos we were rushing off for a movie!
Inaniwa Udon‧Nabe
Shop 2002, 2/F, Elements,
1 Austin Road West
Tsim Sha Tsui, Hong Kong
Tel: 2196 8989
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