22 April, 2014
Eat & Drink

Tabibito: Chilled out Japanese cuisine in Po Hing Fong

22 April, 2014
Just a few steps away from Soho is the latest restaurant in town, Tabibito. Tabibito has been receiving a lot of buzz for its fun and unpretentious food. “Tabibito” literally means “traveller” in Japanese, and is an ode to the chef who has travelled all over the world. Having decided to settle in Hong Kong to share his wonderful cooking, we were sure it would be a delight. If you’re looking for a place to chill out with a cold beer and plates and plates of food, Tabibito is the perfect place to hangout. What’s more – Tabibito is the only distributor of Hitachino beers in Hong Kong – so beer fans, come hither!

From the outside, Tabibito has that feeling of a cosy neighbourhood joint. Located on the corner of Po Hing Fong, if you manage to nab a seat outdoors, you’ll love lounging about and watching the guys play basketball on the courts in front of you. Tabibito is just the right mix of cool and down-to-earth, and this is similarly reflected in its food.

DSC00656 First up, the sweet corn tempura was pretty much exactly what you’d expect – I only wish they’d have done away with the mozzarella cheese sandwiched in the middle, and instead focused on showcasing the sweetness of the corn.

DSC00660 For uni lovers, you’ll be ordering the uni spiked tofu all for yourself! While the tofu with dashi sauce was smooth and light; once you sink your teeth into that uni, the dish becomes altogether smooth and rich. A tiny hint of wasabi adds that kick of heat to give you the shivers in each bite!

DSC00666 Next were the steamed razor clams, which were presented with eringi mushrooms and a Hitachino white ale foam. Perhaps it was the foam that was a little off putting, and the fact that the dish didn’t come out hot enough, but this wasn’t my favourite.

DSC00669 For something I would definitely come back for – the Hitachino fish and chips! They were just incredibly light and crunchy without the faintest hint of grease or oil. I can assure you that you won’t be able to get enough of the curry aioli sauce – I think these may be the perfect munchies!

DSC00671 The next thing that arrived was a cute little mound of mud crab okonomiyaki. Don’t be fooled by its tiny appearance – despite its small size, this Japanese egg pancake is extremely rich (from the thick and tangy batter and okonomiyaki sauce) and will fill you right up! More bonito flakes to add more of that fishy flavour would have made me a very happy girl.

DSC00674 Our final dish was the beef rib cooked in red-wine sauce. The meat just fell off the bone, and was extremely succulent and tender. The sad thing was I was already bursting at the seams by the time this arrived, so make sure you are hungry for this heavy tapas!

IMG_0334 Each tapas at Tabibito ranges between $100-$300, and portions aren’t particularly large so you’d definitely need to order at least a few per person. I’d recommend coming with a big group of friends for it to be more forgiving on your wallet and also for you to be able to sample more things on the menu! Tabibito is quite small, so if you do manage to rally your friends to come, be sure to make a reservation in advance. The uni spiked tofu and Hitachino fish and chips are must-orders, and will turn any bad day into a happy one! Tabibito, here we come!

Tabibito  G/F, 20 Po Hing Fong, Sheung Wan, Hong Kong
2547 2833  www.tabibito.com.hk

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