The Japanese tasting menus you won’t want to miss in April

The right meal can take you on a journey around the world, though there is perhaps no location more desirable for many Hongkongers than Japan. From 1-30 April, Cathay members can journey to the Land of the Rising Sun without leaving the city, thanks to our exclusive tasting menus at selected Japanese restaurants across Hong Kong. 

Here, we share details just one of these Cathay member-exclusive tasting menus, and reveals where else you can indulge your love for Japanese cuisine – and enjoy accelerated Asia Miles earn rates – this month.  

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. 

Explore more exclusive tasting menus this month

Otetsu is not the only Japanese restaurant with an exclusive tasting menu this April. You’ll find more Cathay member-exclusive menus at selected Japanese restaurants such as Sushi N , Kani Kei , Toretore Hamayaki , and Tori Izakaya , along with the same accelerated Asia Miles earn rates.  

Sushi N’s omakase menu features smoked sashimi and wagyu, with highlights like grilled lobster from Ise and a wagyu and sea urchin roll. True to its namesake, Kani Kei serves Hokkaido hairy crab, as well as abalone isoyaki with Japanese oysters. Expect jet-fresh seafood like bluefin tuna collar and meats such as A5 wagyu beef steak grilled hamayaki-style at Toretore Hamayaki, with a focus on fresh ingredients. And Tori Izakaya brings authentic yakitori to diners, serving up specialities such as tsukune or minced chicken meatballs and cold Inaniwa udon with sea urchin. Book your table now by heading to our offers page here.