Cathay x Otetsu tasting menu

The tasting menu at teppanyaki restaurant Otetsu begins with a smoked salmon and apple salad, served with the diner’s choice of three salad sauces – yuzu, wasabi, or garlic and tomato vinaigrette. The salad, which pairs with the garlic and tomato vinaigrette, is equal parts tangy and sweet, bringing with it a slight heat from the garlic in the vinaigrette.

The next course is a small sashimi platter, consisting of two kinds of sashimi prepared in-house. Lightly dressed in lemon juice, the Hokkaido scallop is sweet and sour, while the prawn is buttery and smooth on the palate.

A Canadian black cod and onion soup follows. The fish, which is de-skinned and lightly fried to maintain its natural freshness and soft textural integrity, is cooked in a skipjack broth, and accompanied by caramelised onions, which lend it a mild sweetness.

Next: the Australian abalone. This is the highlight of the first few courses, it’s large size easily dwarfing the previous course. Meant for two diners, it’s steamed and fried in butter to bring out its oceanic flavours and smooth richness. Served alongside is a creamed seaweed sauce, which further accentuates the complexity of the dish.

For the main course, diners can choose from the smoked Hungarian Mangalica cut of pork or an Australian tenderloin. The teppanyaki-cooked tenderloin, which, as the name suggests, is melt-in-the-mouth tender, and served with an assortment of fried vegetables. The highlight of the dish is the bamboo charcoal salt - when combined with the richness of the meat, it results in a flavour combination greater than the sum of its parts.

The second soup on the menu is a sake steamed clam soup, which uses the same skipjack broth as the onion soup. With the addition of kombu, fresh vegetables and the sake steamed clams, the taste is incredibly fresh, with subtle undertones of brine and alcohol.

The penultimate dish on the menu, the sea urchin omelette fried rice, is served with a delicate seafood sauce. The sea urchin gives a kick of umami, while the carrots and grilled onions in the rice deliver a welcome contrast. An apple sorbet dessert presented inside a hollowed-out frozen apple caps off the meal: it is exceptionally light and fruity, with a hint of acidity.

Interested in trying it for yourself? There’s an extra perk for members who stop by to dine, as the Cathay x Otetsu tasting menu comes with an accelerated earn rate of HKD4 = 3 – simply show your Cathay membership QR code when paying the bill. Moreover, if you have a Standard Chartered Cathay Mastercard® you can earn up to HKD4 = 4, bringing you closer towards your dream holiday.