What I Got: Tataki Kyuri,  Seaweed Salad, Tuna Tataki, Brussels Sprouts, Tamago Yaki, Kani Cream Croquette, Sanzoku Onigiri, Daiginjo Matcha Tiramisu, Tea

Price: $$$

Location: NYC

Review:

Hi-Collar’s dinner menu includes a variety of small plates to share.  I love getting to order a bunch of different foods to taste.  Everything is fresh and packed with amazing Japanese flavors!

Tataki Kyuri – The Tataki Kyuri includes fresh cucumber, oba, ume, kombu, and ginger.   The sliced cucumbers are slightly crushed to release their refreshing juices.  The ume adds its deliciously unique salty and sour flavor while the kombu adds its rich umami flavor.  The oba provides a subtle, mint-like flavor.  My favorite part is the hint of bright, spicy ginger in each bite.  This is an incredibly refreshing and light dish to eat between the other warm, rich foods!

 Seaweed Salad – The Seaweed Salad includes a blend of three of seaweeds with sesame dressing.  The chilled seaweed is crunchy and fresh.  I enjoyed the blend of each unique flavor and texture of seaweed.  It makes the salad more flavorful and exciting.  The sesame dressing has an amazing nutty flavor that compliments the seaweed and brings the salad together.   I love seaweed salad, and this is one of the freshest, most flavorful seaweed salads I’ve yet to have.

Tuna Tataki – The tuna tataki includes seared tuna slices, onion slices, kaiware, crispy garlic chips, and spicy garlic sauce.  This was an excellent, traditional tuna tataki.  The tuna was fresh and melts in your mouth.  It has a nice, light sear on the outside with nutty sesame seeds to give it flavor.  The onion and garlic chips add umami flavor, and the kaiware (radish sprouts) add a nice, fresh crunch.  The spicy garlic sauce is the perfect salty and savory sauce to dip the tuna in.  Seared tuna is one of my favorite dishes, and I was very pleased with this tuna tataki!

Brussels Sprouts – The Brussels Sprouts include sauteed brussels sprouts, king oyster mushrooms, cashews, parmesan cheese, balsamic vinegar, and parsley.  These are some of the most flavorful, delicious brussels sprouts you can get!  The brussels sprouts themselves are tender on the inside with a nice crispy outside.  The king oyster mushrooms provide an amazing umami flavor alongside their satisfying chewy texture.  The cashews add a gorgeous nutty, subtly sweet crunch.  The best part (obviously) is the sharp, rich parmesan cheese that brings together the ingredients and makes the dish rich and satisfying.  The balsamic vinegar cuts through the rich mushrooms and cheese while the parsley adds its herby goodness.  Hi-Collar takes parmesan brussels sprouts to the next level!  You won’t want to pass on these!

Tamago Yaki – The Tamagoyaki is a dashi egg omelet served with grated daikon radish.  The tender, rolled omelet has a wonderful yolky, rich egg flavor that melds with the sweet, savory flavor of the dashi stock mixed in with the egg before it is cooked.  The grated radish is refreshing and light and brings out the subtle sweetness of the omelet.   I love eggs, and this tamagoyaki is a wonderful, satisfying egg dish!

Kani Cream Croquette – The Kani Cream Croquette includes a crab and parmesan cheese croquette over tomato sauce.  This croquette is simply delectable!  The luxurious mixture of sweet crab and melty, creamy parmesan are encased in a gorgeously crispy fried exterior.  The bright tomato sauce balances out the incredibly rich croquette.  If you like the sound of creamy, cheesy crab, you must get the Kani Cream Croquette!

Sanzoku Onigiri – The Sanzoku Onigiri includes umeboshi, takana, and kombu wrapped in a full sheet of nori.  This was an incredible rice ball of a very generous size!  It is so big it comes cut in half!  The rice was beautifully fresh and fluffy.  Umeboshi (pickled plum) has a very unique salty, sour flavor that I find to be so delicious alongside rice!  The umeboshi was perfectly juicy and flavorful.  The takana (pickled mustard greens) were crunchy and subtly spicy.  The kombu was tender and cut through the salty and spicy flavors with its subtle sweetness.  This was an amazing rice ball I will certainly want to get again!

Daiginjo Matcha Tiramisu – The Daiginjo Matcha Tiramisu includes mascarpone with Junmai Daiginjo sake and matcha soaked lady fingers.  The mascarpone is incredibly velvety and rich.  It envelopes the ladyfingers soaked in subtly sweet, earthy matcha.  The blend of the sweet, luxurious mascarpone and earthy matcha is delectable.  The sake adds a hint of satisfying bitterness to the otherwise sweet dessert.  If you love matcha and mascarpone, you cannot go wrong with this dessert!

Tea – Hi-Collar has a variety of excellent hot teas.  Here are my three favorites:

1. Moon Walk –  This is a floral green tea with rose petals and calendula embodying a sweet muscat scent.  This green tea is unique and flavorful.  It has the perfect blend of earthy green tea flavor, floral rose, and a hint of juicy muscat grapes.
2. Camellia Flower Tea – This is a black tea made with aromatic camellia flowers and a hint of tropical fruits.  It is the most floral of the three teas.  The camellia flowers add a unique and delicious floral flavor balanced out by a light, fruity flavor.
3. Red Papaya Black Tea – This tea is a black tea made with rose and sweet, rich flavors of papaya.  It is the most fruity of the three teas.  It has a sweet, fruit forward flavor with a hint of fragrant rose.