dbHK eats: Okra

Tucked away in the revamped Sai Ying Pun neighbourhood at the western end of Hong Kong Island, Okra, a Japanese-influenced restaurant, despite its name is a seafood-focused outpost that straddles two floors, offering casual izakaya style sharing plates on the ground floor and a (more expensive) creative fine dining experience upstairs.

Nigari Sai farmhouse tofu

Opened in 2016 in Hong Kong by chef Max Levy, a New Orleans native trained in New York and Tokyo before arriving in Beijing over 10 years ago, the restaurant is an upgraded version of its much acclaimed Okra 1949 in Beijing (now defunct) that earned him the ‘Time Out Beijing’s Chef of the Year 2009-2011’ title.

The ground floor Okra Kitchen, which we reviewed this time, takes its cues from traditional Japanese kappou, or kitchen-bars that serve fine cuisine and quality saké. The open kitchen on the ground floor gave diners a front seat view of the action with chef Levy usually behind the table preparing and giving the finishing touch to each dish while participating in friendly banter with guests.

The sleek and minimalistic design features a muted grey tone and warm lighting. It creates a strangely calm and inviting environment that sets it aside from the often-raucous and flamboyant dining circus one sees in Central. Granted, design is not everything and grandiosity, in most cases, often fails to impress. But when it’s done right as is the case with Okra, it commands your attention and wakes you up to the tastes and smells of the food.

Don’t expect to be overwhelmed by pronounced and exuberant flavours. Like any respecting Japanese restaurant, the flavours here are subtle yet lingering.

The menu is compact and divided into small and larger plates called A-sides and B-sides with interesting scribbles and caricatures that one might find in a children’s playbook, belying the sophistication of the creative cuisine here.

Chicken-fried Hamachi

Tofu, especially raw tofu, has never been a favourite until we tried the Nigari Sai farmhouse tofu dish. The often bland tofu was elevated with the saltiness of the soy beans and the restaurant’s own black pigeon sauce. The fresh and juicy cherry tomatoes added a nice dose of acidity to lift the flavours as well.

The wild Sicilian seaweed salad meanwhile was a more tangy and savoury option to the simple summer season greens. Dressed in sesame seed oil and garnished with sesame seeds and spring onions, the dish was light and refreshing.

Moving on, the sashimi style yazu yellowtail and house-made yuba with garlic and ponzu sauce was satisfactory but not awe-inspiring. The yellowtail, according to bartender Sven Selbak, was sourced from northern China and Japan.

What really caught our attention was the ‘Chicken-fried Hamachi’ that actually has no chicken in it. It was in fact made from wild yellowtail, but cooked with a thin coat of batter to mimic  the “fried chicken” look. It was delicately fried, crispy without being overtly greasy. Served in crystal hot sauce, the dish was given an extra layer of flavour with freshly grated daikon that added a fluffy lightness to the dish.

The smoked baby back ribs packed plenty of flavour and the yuzu jam helped cut through the richness. It’s a finger and lip smacking kind of good. The only downside was that even though this came from the larger plate side of the menu, we were left wanting for more. [Ed: ‘Twas ever thus]

This would not have been a complete Japanese experience without the Unagi, the Japanese freshwater eel, served with steamed rice. In this case, we had the best of both in a dish called ‘Unagi Fun’, reminiscent of Unadon except the rice was fried sushi rice instead of steamed rice. The glaze-grilled unagi was exceptionally refined and tender and formed a perfect contrast with the crispy fried sushi rice.

Unagi Fun

And of course, consistent with the Japanese-influenced theme, saké is ubiquitous on Okra’s drinks menu.

Chef Levy and bartender Selbak take their saké very seriously, offering more than 20 exclusive and rare sake brands by the glass and by the bottle. The ‘Monk’s Tears’ by Takacho, brewed from 60% Hino Hikari rice, is a stunning example of the purity of saké. ‘The Monkey’, a collaboration between famed Hong Kong film director Hark Tsui and the restaurant, is a crowd-pleaser because of its incredibly smooth taste with toasted coconut and butter notes on the palate.

Other highlights include the earthy and complex Wakatakeya ‘Debut’ Nama Muroka Genshu Junmai from Fukuoka, as well as the fresh and aromatic Kaze no Mori Akitsuho Junmai, made from Nara’s prized Akitsuho rice.

For dessert, we recommend the roasted green tea and red bean cookie with smoked cream and lemon salt. The texture reminded us more of a soufflé than a cookie, and the touch of lemon salt just elevated the flavour and held everything together – the fragrant green tea, the sweetness of red beans and the luscious cream doused on top. For pairing, bartender Selbak poured us a glass of plum saké, a perfect complement to the experience.

A few of the sakés on offer at Okra

If you are looking for fine-dining Japanese sushi bar, the upstairs Okra Bar falls right into your alley. Featuring a minimalist eight-seater bar, guests will get to enjoy Levy’s take on premium sushi paired with natural wines and sakés.

Currently only available for the dinner service, from Wednesday to Saturday, booking and advanced payment are required through www.okra.bar, powered by Tock, the premium F&B booking system by world renowned chef Grant Achatz (Alinea/ Next). Charge is HK$1,200 for the ‘omakase’ menu and an optional HK$600 for drinks pairing.

Overall, the service was attentive and staff were eager to please. But this is the kind of restaurant where you should visit with a moderate appetite and a resilient lower back as all the stools have no back support. Not exactly the kind of seating plan that invites you to dwell and linger.