Beijing Boyce

I haven’t made it to Japanese spot Shiro Matsu in the Legation Quarter yet, but regular contributor 8 Songs had dinner there on Sunday and here is his take:

“This place reeks of opulence. A huge electronic mural dominates the side wall. Tables and chairs were arranged with decent spacing between them and set for parties of various sizes. Swirls of timber and sombre lighting create a semi-romantic mood.

“The service was quietly efficient, thoughtful, and generally impressive.

“The menu is downright scary. The first item on the sushi list is priced at RMB468. Others were priced at RMB200-400. We hunted for something more within budget and found some premium sushi at RMB200, some California rolls for RMB60, and some tempura for RMB160. Two cocktails and a 10-percent service charge took the bill to well over RMB700.

“The sushi was quite OK, with some interesting fillings, such as goose liver, but I for one can’t justify spending so much on it, no matter how well made it is, when I can eat the same or better at places like Haiku or Hatsune.

“One thing that wasn’t quite right was the arrangement of the sushi chefs. As with most sushi restaurants, the chefs were behind a counter where we could watch them preparing our dinner. But the mood lighting must have made it difficult for them to see what they were doing. Their work space was dimly lit - too dark from what I could see.

“At first we were the only two diners there, until a familiar face entered. No doubt there to check out the competition, Alan Wong of Haiku and Hatsune fame seemed to enjoy his dinner. With prices like those at this place, I hope he doesn’t get any ideas.

“My rating - take an important client and a fat expense account, or better yet, be the important client.