IZAKAYA BY K, a classy izakaya modelled after Tokyo’s legendary ‘after work’ social hubs, has opened with a fashionable refined twist at The Parkside in Tseung Kwan O.
The vibrant new hotspot is promising a lively izakaya vibe for local residents of the ‘new town’ with a menu of premium specialties and prized Japanese whiskies, sakes, gins, beers and shochu. IZAKAYA BY K is also set to put Tseung Kwan O on the destination dining map with Michelin-trained Japanese chef Yusuke Kitade at the helm, presenting an extensive menu of over 100 classic traditional izakaya favourites in fashionable ‘re-imagined’ fusion style, from appetisers and skewers to sushi, sashimi, tempura, udon, oden and jet-fresh seafood.
Headline specialties are also a cut above familiar izakaya comfort food. Japanese Wagyu Clay Pot Rice (HK$380) showcases top-grade A4 Miyazaki Wagyu, famed in Japan above better-known Kobe and Matsuza Wagyu as top prize winner in the ‘Wagyu Olympics’ for the past 15 years. With melt-in-your-mouth texture from fine ‘snowflake’ marbling, the signature is served with Madeira sauce for a French twist, sumptuously topped with raw egg yolk.
Elegant instaworthy presentation is also a hallmark of Chef Kitade’s Michelin style. Fatty Tuna Tartare with Avocado Paste and Marinated Egg Yolk (HK$210), from tuna flown jet-fresh daily from Tokyo’s largest seafood market in the world with a history dating back over a century, is extravagantly topped with caviar to enhance umami of the tuna.
Japanese chicken meatballs Chicken Tsukune (HK$45), mixed with yam, are grilled and glazed with a sweet and savoury tare. Chicken Wing “Karaage” (HK$48) is tender, succulent and juicy from a traditional Japanese cooking technique, tastily seasoned with ginger, garlic, soy sauce and dashi
Skewers are a novel upgrade of humble izakaya fare – such as skewer of Sliced Kurobuta Pork Roll with Soft Boiled Egg (HK$45), showcasing delicate culinary skill and technique, from Japan’s most
celebrated premium pork. Juicy and tender skewers, marinated in the chef’s secret recipe and grilled according to tradition dating back hundreds of years to the Edo shogun era, extend to Pork Belly (HK$36), Ox Tongue (HK$45) and Premium Chicken Thigh (HK$38), from free-range farms in pristine Kagoshima. A full range of decadent chicken ‘yakitori’ skewers presents choices including chicken thigh, skin, neck, liver, tail and heart.
Sushi priced from HK$28 is also a specialty, curated with a novel twist by a fellow veteran of Michelin-starred restaurants, Sushi Chef Yuki Kai. Fusing the beauty and simplicity of freshest ingredients of Japanese sushi making, his signatures include Iwashi (Sardine) (HK$36), presented complete with its skin, and unique house signature Unagi Inari Sushi (Deep-fried Tofu Sushi with Eel) (HK$68) in a secret sauce, paying homage to the traditional vegetarian sushi at Japan’s Inari shrines, where the fox is revered as a symbol of good harvest and prosperity in business.
Among unusual appetisers, Japanese Fruit-Tomato Salad (HK$65), served with tuna and shiso, is notably rich in flavour, full bodied and sweet from Japan’s nutritious, vitamin-rich Amera tomatoes of Shizuoka. Another signature izakaya favourite, Dashimaki Tamago (HK$58), is a savoury twist on the sweet traditional version, with dashi complementing the sociable izakaya ambience, freshly made daily.
Desserts are sweet masterpieces. Hojicha Crème Brulee (HK$55) is smoky flavoured from roasted, unusual red-brown hojicha green tea from famous Kyoto tea shop Ryuuouenchaho, married with a variation of France’s iconic crème brulee, and incorporating orange peel and Earl Grey tea for an elegant touch. Eminently instaworthy Raindrop Cake (HK$48), known as “Mizu Shingen Mochi” in Japan, is a classic summer jelly-like treat of vegan, calorie-free agar powder and Japanese mineral 
water that originated in Yamanashi and resembles a giant raindrop, sprinkled with soy bean powder.
Set lunch menus are exquisite yet affordable. The ‘Teishoku’ set with miso soup, salad, Japanese pickles and rice comes with over 10 main course options, priced from HK$98 to HK$168; ‘Japanese Curry Set’ with salad is priced HK$118; and ‘Donburi Set’ with miso soup and Japanese pickles offers 10 main course options, priced HK$98 to HK$288; along with Beef Udon (HK$88) and Kitsune-udon (HK$78).
In the jolly izakaya spirit, Sapporo Beer is on draft (HK$88) or bottle (HK$58) and the restaurant manager is also sake sommelier, working with chefs on sake and dish pairing, and introducing diners to hidden sake, shochu, premium whisky and liqueur gems from Japan. Craft gins infused with fresh, natural botanicals pair especially well the flavoursome izakaya fare; while sakes are hand-selected to appeal to various preferences, from feminine and floral to mature and sophisticated, crispy and refreshing, and rich complex. The Japanese whisky selection highlights MARS HOMBO, from a distillery in Miyada dating back over 100 years.
A fox statue and playful interior décor of 150 fox figurines and paintings pay homage to IZAKAYA BY K’s design, inspired by Japan’s 30,000 Inari shrines where the fox ‘kitsune’ is revered as messenger of the mythological god and symbol of prosperity and success.
The 2,600-square feet, 125-seat restaurant is also divided into various zones and semi-private dining areas for a cosy social vibe, perfect for various gatherings, from family dinners and small celebrations to social gatherings and dinner dates.
Chef Yusuke Kitade is a protégé of Michelin-star chef Shohei Shimono at à nu retrouvez-vous Tokyo – who was also chosen to open a Hong Kong branch. “I am proud to introduce Tseung Kwan O to a top-class yet affordable izakaya experience that residents of Hong Kong’s ‘new towns’ could normally only find in classy but pricey districts in downtown Hong Kong,” he said.
IZAKAYA BY K opens alongside sister restaurant TEPPANYAKI MIHARA next door at Shop G07, The Parkside, 18 Tong Chun Street, Tseung Kwan O, New Territories, Hong Kong.
IZAKAYA BY K opens daily from 12 noon–3pm and 6pm–midnight. For enquiries or reservations, please call (852) 3618-8211 or email izakayabyk@ponghk.com.
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