Okra, the popular Sai Ying Pun izakaya, has just added five new plates of exciting Japanese bites to enrich its already mouthwatering menu. The new additions include the roasted dashi bacon ($110), which takes over two weeks to make in a process that sees the pork marinated and smoked over cherry blossom wood and then dried for ten days before being grilled and served on grated daikon.
Dashi bacon
Another dish sure to delight fans of Japanese fare – and especially vegetarians – is the eggplant nanbanzuke ($88). This dish is made with eggplant that has been aged using an old Japanese technique for fermenting fish. The result is that diners can enjoy all of the potency and texture of a fish dish, whilst consuming only plant-based ingredients.
Eggplant Nanbanzuke
In addition to these two appetising dishes, Okra will also be serving up scrumptious-looking Spanish ox and daikon croquettes ($180), and renkon katsu ($170), which comprises two takes on a lotus root patty: one that is mustard-based and edamame-studded, and one version packed with sweet shrimp, scallops and salted shiso. For dessert, the koji rice pudding ($80) is a must-try. Made with fermented koji (an ingredient which is used in the production of Japanese sake and gives it much of its flavour) sourced directly from the Masumi brewery in Nagano prefecture, the dish is prepared traditionally and served with seasonal, smoked peaches. A drizzle of oak-aged Rihakyu hon mirin is added to complete the dish.