Wan Chai Premium Japanese Sukiyaki Set

Celebrated a friend's birthday at Yama, a new restaurant located in Hopewell Centre, Wan Chai. To reach the restaurant, you first pass through a hidden pathway modeled after Tokyo's Asakusa Washi Shrine, featuring a giant lucky rake symbolizing good fortune. The restaurant's interior is uniquely designed. The main hall is inspired by the "Murakami Art Museum," showcasing various styles of artwork. Private rooms also have distinct themes. For instance, the "Crane" room displays rare century-old antiques like screens and paintings transported from the Tokyo flagship store. Another room, "Secret," requires advance booking and features a private omakase bar where chefs prepare dishes right in front of guests, allowing close-up views of their culinary skills. We ordered two set menus: the seven-course "Matsu" ($1298) and the six-course "Take" ($998). Both sets include the signature A5 Wagyu Sukiyaki, along with appetizers, sashimi/sushi, steamed or warm dishes, rice/udon, and desserts, offering a rich variety. Appetizers The "Matsu" set includes four seasonal appetizers, while the "Take" set has three. Each dish is thoughtfully crafted, such as refreshing plum wine jelly with Okinawan mozuku seaweed, tender and sweet white clams blanched in dashi, smoked octopus sashimi, crispy Wagyu beef balls with black truffle, and savory Parma ham cheese rolls. Sashimi/Sushi The "Matsu" set features a trio of sashimi: sweet and fresh Hyogo Golden Samurai oysters, creamy Hokkaido sea urchin, and tuna. The "Take" set offers three types of Wagyu sushi: foie gras A5 Wagyu sushi made with slow-roasted shoulder cut, blending rich beef and foie gras flavors; sea urchin A5 Wagyu chirashi sushi combining finely diced sirloin with creamy sea urchin for a layered texture; and caviar Wagyu rolls using ribeye, where the caviar enhances the beef's flavor profile. Steamed/Warm Dishes The "Matsu" set includes sake-steamed snow crab, with crab legs that are sweet and infused with a subtle sake aroma. The "Take" set features abalone, tiger prawn, radish, and white maitake mushrooms cooked in green seaweed sauce. Vinegared Dish The "Matsu" set also includes a vinegared dish with ark shell and tiger prawn paired with yuzu jelly and vegetables, serving as a palate cleanser before the sukiyaki. Sukiyaki For the main course, the sukiyaki is prepared live by the chef. Both the "Matsu" ribeye and "Take" sirloin are incredibly tender, with the beef's oil and aroma perfectly balanced. The sukiyaki is accompanied by five types of vegetables: Japanese leek, tofu, vermicelli, shiitake mushrooms, snow peas, and onions. The chef serves the vegetables alongside the Wagyu, and dipping them in egg sauce enhances the flavor. You can choose rice or hot/cold udon with the meal. We opted for one hot and one cold udon. The udon is flat Inaniwa udon, offering a chewy texture. Desserts The meal concludes with desserts featuring Shizuoka melon, Okinawan golden pineapple, and yuzu sorbet. The fruits are fresh and sweet, while the sorbet is fragrant with yuzu, providing a refreshing sweet-and-sour finish. Yama (Wan Chai) Shop 416, 4/F, Hopewell Centre, 15 Kennedy Road, Wan Chai.