Contemporary kaiseki cuisine restaurant – with tempura, traditional steaming & robatayaki specialties.
March 28th, 2016
Update September 2016: GIN SAI has closed for refurbishment & new concept
Located in a quiet Wanchai neighbourhood Gin Sai is an upscale Japanese restaurant serving kaiseki-style cuisine – multicourse menus of seasonally fresh ingredients cooked with various traditional preparations. Seasonal tasting menus, plus set lunch and dinner menus showcase a wide variety of cooking styles that include tempura, sashimi, robatayaki, oden, and the Gin Sai house- specialty – seiro-mushi (bamboo steamed dishes). Set within a generously proportioned space, Gin Sai exudes a contemporary Japanese aesthetic – a restrained decor of natural timbers and stone surfaces blends harmoniously with traditional Kyoto-inspired design elements. A spacious layout seats guests at either the marble robatayaki counter, dining room tables, or in a series of private rooms. Heading up the Gin Sai culinary team, head chef Ogawa brings his extensive experience at celebrated restaurants in Kyoto and Hong Kong to ensure authentic kaiseki culinary experiences.
Design Flanked by glass-enclosed wine cellars, entry to Gin Sai reveals a voluminous, softly lighted interior. Beyond the well-stocked bar, dining tables are generously spaced in the main dining room, while further inside the centrepiece marble robata counter and open kitchen are prominent features. Adjacent to the entrance a few stairs lead to several private rooms, while at the rear of the restaurant, sliding doors decorated with traditional embroidered silk, open to reveal a luxurious private room seating up to 26 diners.
Cuisine Consistent with the traditional seasonality focus of kaiseki-style menus, the chefs at Gin Sai meticulously select premium seasonal ingredients, and prepare dishes with various cooking techniques. Seasonal set menus offer the best way to experience the Gin Sai chefs’ contemporary interpretations of kaiseki cuisine, while the expansive main menu offers a wide selection of dishes across the various cooking styles. Table-cooked seiro steamed dishes – exemplified by the Japanese Wagyu and Assorted Seafood with Seasonal Vegetables – are flavorful specialties not-to-be-missed.
Drinks In addition to an impressive wine cellar that showcases an extensive assemblage of European and well-priced New World wines, Gin Sai have recently introduced a list of House Cocktails designed to pair with the cuisine. Classic cocktails are reinterpreted with Japanese flavor inflections – for example the Shochuroni is a twist on the negroni – a well-balanced combination of shochu, Campari, and Mancino Vermouth Rosso.
Gin Sai opens Monday to Saturday for both lunch and dinner. Seasonal menu updates and promotion packages – including the recently introduced Tempura & Cocktail promotion – are listed on the Facebook Page.
