YuensheGinjo makes sake and fish lovers sing
Print Edition
HIDDEN away amongst the exclusive villas of Tai’an Road’s Lane 115 is YuensheGinjo, a veritable treasure trove of Japanese cuisine. While the obfuscated location may initially be off-putting to some, YG’s food and cocktails are entirely worth the trip. Packing a powerful punch of high-quality, fresh ingredients and preparation methods emphasizing traditional Japanese attention to detail, YG’s offerings will sate the appetites of even the most discriminating palates.
YG is owned by Candy Ren, Managing Director for PR company Stars Group by day, and sushi and saki enthusiast by night. Ren and her husband got into the restaurant business several years ago when they opened a classic 8-seat Japanese sushi bar. With YG, they decided to shift gears and create a combined cocktail lounge and dining area, YuensheGinjo, and pair it with a second sushi bar, Aoki Annex. The space is outfitted with marble-topped surfaces and has a divider between the bar and dining area that is comprised of halves of birdcages, but also involves very modern elements like light fixtures made of Japanese chopsticks. Of course, this updated speakeasy was designed by none other than Ren’s husband. As for the rest of the establishment, guests can enter the 6-seat traditionally-styled sushi bar from the cocktail area or from a second entrance through YG’s terrace, which is perfect for garden parties and the like.
The restaurant does offer a la carte options, but their biggest draw are their omakase sets.
We began with several small appetizers, including a trio of dried fish, calamari, and deliciously salty dried mullet roe served with apple, radish, and cream cheese. This was followed by two sashimi platters. Next were several warm dishes including a light, crispy shrimp and vegetable tempura and a whole fried kinki rockfish. The rockfish was decadently fatty, and flaked at the merest brush of a chopstick; according to Candy, this particular fish is rare, even in Japan — and yet, here it was, the fresh catch of the day at YG.
The final part of our meal included a trip to the sushi bar, where Sushi Chef Aoki prepared a trio of nigiri for us. First, a helping of sea brim, followed by fatty tuna, and finished with uni. We all lapsed into reflective silence as we enjoyed the rich, decadent flavors enfolding our taste buds. Our dinner finished with a bowl of the house-made miso soup.
After dinner, we retired to the bar area once more, where we sampled YG’s signature cocktails. Throughout the meal we had tasted several of YG’s over-200 kinds of saki. Candy, a lover of the rice-based spirit, avidly shared details about each specific bottle; she hopes to cultivate a love of saki amongst the Chinese people, who traditionally opt for beer or a Chinese spirit, and invites saki factories to conduct tastings at YG. As for the other beverages, the pours were liberal, and all were styled with beautiful attention to detail.
YuensheGinjo was, in a word, flawless. Chef Aoki’s gracefully prepared sushi, the restaurant’s rare offerings of fresh fish, and their abundant saki offerings enmesh into a melodious symphony of culinary excellence that will make any fish lover’s heart sing.
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