New Furusato, the high-end Japanese restaurant at the Hotel Lisboa (as opposed to the more casual Edo restaurant also in the same hotel), is located on the second floor of the east wing, relatively far away from the casinos and the gambling crowds. That, along with the fact that a large area of the restaurant is sectioned off into private rooms, makes New Furusato an ideal spot to escape to when needing a break from the rest of Macau. Those who like watching their food prepared in front of them will appreciate the number of tempura, teppanyaki and sushi stations: in fact, even the private rooms can accommodate a party’s own chef for the ultimate private party.

New Furusato’s menu includes quite a large number of set menus, which allow diners to sample the full range of different Japanese cooking styles and techniques available at the restaurant. Sushi lovers will enjoy the sushi kaiseki set (MOP880) which includes generous portions of sashimi, a course of Edo-style sushi, a seasonal steamed dish followed by another round of seasonal Hokkaido sushi. While all the fish was jet-fresh, whether in sashimi or sushi form, our only quibble was with the relative lack of variety. We had specified no tuna or shellfish such as geoduck, scallop or ark shell, and so our sashimi platter contained salmon, yellowtail and red snapper. Our first sushi course contained another piece of salmon, along with salmon roe and a white fish. Our second Hokkaido sushi course had sea urchin, along with two other white fish that were not vastly different to the one before. We would have loved to have seen some other varieties, perhaps grilled sea eel, marinated gizzard shad, or an oily mackerel to give a more complete sushi experience. For teppanyaki lovers, there is no question that the “Suehira” deluxe Saga beef set is the way to go (MOP800). It starts with sashimi before moving onto two wonderfully cooked dishes of abalone and foie gras. Teppanyaki is usually unhealthy in that it uses vast amounts of both salt and fat, but New Furusato is an exception in that a number of dishes – such as the foie gras and the fried rice, in particular – were under-salted. The climax of the set is the portion of Saga sirloin steak, which is as buttery, succulent and properly seasoned as you could wish for.

As part of the Lisboa group, naturally New Furusato has access to the impressive Lisboa master list, which includes a good selection of sake in a variety of sizes, including vintage sake. It is not inexpensive, however, as the price ranges from MOP 1,215 for 720ml to MOP9,000 for a 2008 Jyuyondai Jummaidaiginyo Ryusen. On the food menu, there is also a selection of manager’s choice sakes, which are significantly more affordable (MOP98-150 for 300ml).

There are few things more disconcerting or discouraging than arriving at a restaurant to find that your reservation has been lost. Thankfully, the staff at New Furusato work hard to make up for this initial mishap with attentiveness, efficiency and lots of smiles. However, one aspect that could be improved is the timing of the dishes. For our teppanyaki set, the abalone, foie gras and beef arrived all at once, making it difficult to appreciate each dish at its proper temperature.

Two multi-course sets without wine or sake will come to about MOP1,600. Given the sheer amount of food, as well as the superior quality of the ingredients, this is not at all a bad deal.