The main dining room of Nadaman in the Island Shangri-la in Admiralty is beautiful with high ceilings, a soothing palate of blue and light gold tones and floor-to-ceiling windows. Behind traditional Japanese screen doors, there is also a sushi bar where one can observe the chefs at work. When booking, do request to be seated in the main dining room, as the private rooms can be business-like and impersonal.

Nadaman has been famous for its kaiseki menus since it first opened in Japan in 1830 and the branches here in Hong Kong are no different. There is the traditional Kiri kaiseki menu, as well as ones centred around steak, tempura, sushi and a monthly one that changes. On our visit, we opt for the monthly kaiseki menu which featured seasonal produce. We love our appetisers of deep-fried eggplant beancurd with crab meat sauce, a surprisingly meaty dish; and a refreshing cold fresh bean curd with sea urchin. The next few courses of seasonal sashimi (flounder and amberjack) and a simmered dish with broiled eel are both up to standard, but the meat course – a cold beef shabu roll with cucumber, radish sprout and green pepper – is a disappointment. The texture of the beef is dense and slightly chewy, an unexpected contrast to the fresh and crispy vegetables wrapped within. If ordering a la carte, seafood lovers must order the kaisen chirashi, a bowl of sushi rice mixed with such a generous amount of sea urchin that it is vibrantly orange in colour, and topped with extremely fresh chunks of sashimi including salmon, yellowtail and scallop and garnished with radish and spring onions. If it’s meat you’re after, you can’t go wrong with the wagyu sumibiyaki, or diced Japanese wagyu sirloin cooked on a charcoal grill. The cubes of buttery and melt-in-the-mouth wagyu requires little garnish but if pressed to choose, one could do worse than the homemade sesame paste offered alongside. To finish, the signature black sesame ice cream is excellent with the crunch of toasted sesame seeds lending a pleasant contrast in texture.

Wines by the glass are offered if so desired, but more likely it will be the sake list that will entice. Separated into different regions of Japan, the sake list is helpful in offering a sweet/dry scale to aid decision-making. Prices are reasonable and there is also a short list of shochu-sake available, including a Nadaman original malt version.

While service is generally attentive and efficient, it is worth noting that if seated in a private room, it can be hard to get the attention of staff as it is not unusual for there to be no waiters in the room for up to five minutes at a time.

Dinner for two with sake will cost about HK$2,000, but as with all Japanese restaurants, this is hugely dependent on the type of fish ordered. The quality of the ingredients and the ambient surroundings means that while still on the expensive side, an experience at Nadaman is worth the price tag.