Hana Sakazuki Japanese Restaurant 花盃日本料理 (Hong Kong, CHINA) ★★★★☆

The pandemic has really taken its toll on friendships. It's been more than a year since my buddy V and I got together for a meal. A fortnight ago, I finally got a ping from him and we talked about having dinner together before Chinese New Year. I got curious and went back to my archive to check when we last met up and it turned out, it was September 2021 for his birthday. That's 16 months in between!

I always love dining with V cuz he would come up with these places that I've never been to before. And that was the case again tonight – Hana Sakazuki Japanese Restaurant (花盃日本料理).

I arrived at our dinner venue slightly ahead of schedule and thought I was smart to set myself up at the sushi counter. But as I later found out V, got everything all sorted out already. 

The restaurant manager escorted me slowly towards the end of the hallway until we finally reached our private room. Speaking of privacy, I think only the cleaning lady would hear us behind those doors. 😊

This is not a recording but V got everything sorted out for us already. First up, a small green salad with cherry tomato to kick off an epic dinner.

Sashimi platter was next. I haven't had such good quality of chu-toro and clams for years.

Hokkaido scallops with a bit of dashi. Very nice.

Prawns from the teppanyaki sprinkled with the roes on top. So good (and addictive)!

Thin slices of beef from Miyazaki finished from the grill. Just perfect texture.

Super tender.

The two of us managed to finish two bottles of sake with V leading the charge of course. It was an incredible night of great food, fun and laughter. As it was getting a little late, I signaled V to split the bill but like everything before this, V said he already got everything all sorted out, the bill included. 

Many thanks to my buddy for taking care of everything tonight. Looking back, I really missed our heart-to-heart talks over the last 16 months. Hopefully, we don't have to wait another 16 months for the next gathering.

Food Rating: 6.5/10

Price: $$$$

Address: 2/F, China Tai Ping Tower, Phase II, 8 Sunning Road, Causeway Bay, Hong Kong

Closest Metro Station: Causeway Bay

Tel: +852 2577-9799

Opening Hours: 12:00pm - 3:00pm, 6:00pm - 11:00pm daily