Quick And Easy

Sushi Shion does have that feel of those sushi-ya in Ginza, situated inside a random commercial building on Wellington Street with the door right by the lift lobby. Craving for a proper sushi meal brought me here and I was lucky to get a booking for solo lunch at the counter one weekday.  

Given the discrete entrance, the spacious dining area was a surprise, with a single L-shaped wooden counter that could seat up to 10 at maximum. Two menus were available for lunch service, either one with sushi only, and one with more courses. I wanted something quick to fit my tight schedule and went for the former. Their head chef Adachi Seiji spent time at Sushi Shin at On Lan Street and before that, Sushi Ta-ke in Causeway Bay, both of which I enjoyed eating at, and that gave me a good idea what I should be expecting at his new gig. 

First course was a small bowl of chawanmushi, with the little piece of mochi inside being the interesting part. That’s followed by a mini-course of octopus served with sawara-no-ko (Spanish Mackerel roes) – the octopus was perfectly cooked with the most tender texture and well marinated, and the roes were just right in season with the almost creamy texture, working well as condiments. 

Chef Adachi-san stuck with the tradition in terms of serving order of the sushi pieces, and their preparation. Certainly something I appreciate. He started with the milder pieces, like Shimaji (striped jack) and Hada (Garoupa), then Kinmadei (Goldeneye Snapper) and Kohada (Gizzard Shad). The Kohada was great, with chef carefully combine two pieces into a “knot” and served on top of the mildly vinegared shari. It’s beautifully done. 

We then kicked up in flavor and fatty textures with Botan Ebi (spot prawns), buri (wild yellowtail) and the tuna duo – first the chu-toro (medium fatty tuna) and then akame-zuke (marinated lean tuna). Both were delicious, with the chutoro almost melted in my mouth with excellent oily fish texture. I always enjoy akagai (ark shell), and this version was very decent and well-prepared. 

The presentation of the uni (sea urchins) sushi reminded me of that at Sushi Shin, with tongues of sea urchins were marinated with konbu and served nigiri style with fresh kelp sandwiched in between. I personally would love the sea urchins with creamier texture and richer flavor, but this one was okay. And masu (trout) and negitoro maki (handroll with chopped tuna, pickles and scallions) wrapped up my 12-course omakase lunch, before the dessert of monaka ice-cream sandwich was served. 

Overall, solid execution and good value for a quick and easy lunch in the middle of town. 

When? March 7 2022
Where? Sushi Shion, Shop B UG/F, Winway Building, 50 Wellington Street, Hong Kong