Osaka is known for its many street-side delicacies, but the opening of Jan Jan Kushikatsu represents the first time Hong Kong gets a taste of the city’s classic kushikatsu, less eloquently translated as fried food on skewers.
The 1,000 sq ft space may be tight, but comes across as cosy rather than crowded. We start with a round of veggie skewers, and immediately hit upon the surprise winners of the night. The pleasingly plump lotus root ($27) has a perfect crunch, and the fresh asparagus ($35) is packed with flavour and has just the right amount of snap. Next up, another underdog blows us away in the form of the humble rice cake ($23), which comes grilled and slathered with a savoury sauce and immediately melts in the mouth.
We then jump straight into the signature skewers, and choose the mouth-wateringly tender kiss fish ($32) and chicken and shiso maki ($24). Unfortunately, the latter becomes the only dish of the night that misses the mark, the chicken, worryingly, having a mystifyingly soppy texture like bad fish. Fortunately the kitchen immediately redeems itself with dessert, a refreshing yuzu sherbet ($27) with zesty pieces of yuzu hidden within.
With so many skewers on the menu, one or two misses hardly diminishes our overall impression. And the winners here are definitely on par with the best that Osaka has to offer — this place is the real deal. Jessica Li
Jan Jan Kushikatsu 2/F,
100 Queen’s Rd E, Wan Chai,
2157 1408. Dinner for two: $300.