The simple and contemporary decor of Imasa, the Japanese restaurant at The Peninsula in Tsim Sha Tsui, is minimalist in its approach - cherry woods with simple white accents are quietly elegant.

Imasa is one of the best in town for high-end Japanese dining. Serving up a range of dishes such as sashimi, hot pot, tempura, broiled dishes and more, it’s a goldmine for lovers of traditional Japanese cuisine. We start off the Imasa salad - a simple combination of a seasonal white fish (sea bream at the time of visit) served with smoked salmon and deep-fried chicken slices tossed with crunchy, fresh greens and drizzled with a simple dressing of soy sauce and sesame. Though looking fairly ordinary in presentation, the combination and mixture of textures and flavours are well thought out - one our favourite Japanese salads yet. You can tell a lot about a Japanese restaurant through the quality of its sushi and sashimi and Imasa doesn’t fail to impress - the assorted sashimi (HK$680) as well as the deluxe grilled sushi platter are both excellent. We order another house signature, the deep-fried lobster tempura. A light, flavourful batter covers the chunky piece of fresh lobster inside that is perfectly cooked, and comes with a green tea dipping salt, which brings the flavours together beautifully. For our main course, we order the Ishiyaki stone grill, where beef or seafood comes either cooked on a heated volcanic stone or ready for you to cook yourself. We opt for the heavenly and extremely premium Hida beef (HK$980). It comes to around 150 grams of thinly sliced bite-sized pieces, plus served with some grilled vegetables on the side, which may not seem much at first glance, but the intense marbling and rich flavour were enough to cap off an excellent meal.

The extensive Peninsula wine list ensures that you’ll have a selection of the best wines at your fingertips. Imasa itself also has a small but noteworthy selection of sakes, with some helpful tasting notes. Though no sommelier was on hand, the staff is comfortable making recommendations on proper pairings.

The service is impeccable - extremely attentive yet discreet, friendly and very knowledgeable about the menu and cuisine.

At about HK$1,000 per person with wine or sake for dinner, this is among the pricier Japanese restaurants in town, especially when ordering the most premium items on the menu, though the quality of the food makes it a good splurge.