Holly Morgan learns the art of Japanese cuisine from Koi’s executive chef Sang Lee.
Long gone are the days when we used to pull sour faces at the idea of raw fish and pungent Asian flavour combinations. It’s now trendy to snack on slick-styled dishes served with unusual sauces and delicate zests. Even the most basic of Japanese dishes, including tempura and teriyaki, are exotic and attractive. TOAD sits down with the executive chef at Koi, Sang Lee, to learn more about the various Japanese food trends currently favoured by the top chefs, and the best ways to enjoy them.
Born in Korea, Sang always knew he wanted to follow a career in food. He attended Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts in Chicago and went on to work at Le Meridian California and Morimoto, a world-renowned contemporary Japanese restaurant.
While delicately using pincers to manoeuvre the garnish on the psychedelic plate, Sang says that Japanese food only started gaining popularity four or five years ago. His approach to his work ethic suggests why he wants introduce Abu Dhabi to something new and exciting. It is his ambition to take Japanese food up a notch while remaining comfortable and simple. ‘Most people stereotype Japanese food as soy sauce and miso, and I hate to admit it, but those are the two most vital ingredients in the cuisine,’ he says, going on to explain that he is personally more motivated to use ingredients such as Toro (Bluefin tuna belly) and sea urchin.
It comes as a complete surprise when Sang explains the preparation process of the Japanese produce.
He says, ‘We get our fish supplied from all over the world; some of it is flown from Japan and some is from Europe. It is important to keep the fish fresh, and so high quality.’ He explains that it is his responsibility to fillet the fish, fabricate it, cure it and then air dry each kind according to its texture, before it can be served up as a meal.
The food concoctions that Sang Lee tosses together look like flawless works of art. ‘What I love about Japanese food is that it’s so light and mixable,’ he says. A worthy contender for your attention would be the soft shell crab served with pickled daikon, asparagus, coconut cream and a beetroot puree. If you’re not a fan of crab, his grilled sea bass coated in a honey-balsamic glaze with shiso-pea coulis is a front-runner too.
As we are about to pile on the wasabi and ginger and indulge in our Koi dragon roll, featuring shrimp tempura, eel and baked crab, he points out that we are eating it the wrong way. ‘First, spread the wasabi over the sushi, then dip it in the soy sauce, chew it, swallow it.
Then you can eat the ginger.’ It is important that the flavours of the wasabi and soy don’t overpower the fresh fish, so be careful not to drench the sushi. As Sang says, enjoy the pickled ginger in between bites – it is there to refresh the palate, not to compliment the taste.
If you’re anything like us – useless with chopsticks – it is acceptable to eat sushi with your fingers, as long as you use the troublesome tools to handle sashimi. The best thing about sushi is that you don’t always have to restrict yourself to a menu. It is acceptable to ask your waiter if there are any other seasonal options available.
Seriously good food is not the only thing Koi can rustle up. In an exclusive menu, Japanese enthusiasts can choose from an assortment of Asian-inspired mixed beverages including the Spicy Samurai featuring jalapeño pepper and the Koi Fling containing mango puree.
Despite being raw and sometimes slightly strange to our tastebuds, Sang describes the Japanese fare at Koi as ‘comfort food’. Sang is incredibly detailed and passionate when describing the arts of Japanese food, but in the end, his goals are simple: ‘I just want to make food that the guests will like,’ he says.
Koi, The Collection at The St Regis Saadiyat Island Resort, www.koirestaurant.ae Saadiyat Island (02 678 3334).
