Okinawa Dining Bridges

Okinawa Dining Bridges opened recently in the new Cubus building on Hoi Ping Road in Causeway Bay. Also part of the En Group, Bridges brings in Okinawan fine dining to Hong Kong (the other En restaurants are more on the casual side or are izakayas). They also have a small store specializing in Okinawan products just at the entrance of the restaurant - this is a collaboration with the Okinawan government and the Antenna Group in Okinawa.

Bridges has set lunches ranging from $150 - $280. Set lunches such as Goya Champuru (Stir-fried Pork and Bitter Gourd) and Okinawa Soba Noodles are at the $150 mark, whereas a sashimi rice bowl set lunch and a sashimi set lunch are priced at $260 and $280 respectively. The other sets feature tempura, pork cutlet, sushi, beef, grilled cod, etc, and are priced in between. They also have a Shokado Bento (Lunch Box set) at $280 (limited to 15 sets a day) and a Grilled Fish set for $180 (limited to 5 sets a day). I ordered the Shokado set. 

After a light salad with sesame dressing, they brought the lunch box out.

Clockwise from top left: Sea Grapes and Mozuku (a type of seaweed native to Okinawa) in Vinegar Sauce, Stewed Okinawa Aged Pork, Grilled Okinawa Motobu Wagyu Beef with Miso and Goya Champuru, Deep-fried Prawn and Shallots (Tempura).

Just a few more close-ups

If I had to pick a favorite amongst the four dishes, it would have to be the Motobu wagyu beef. It was so tender and delicious, and sweet with the miso. In reality, this is actually 5 dishes, since there's some champuru underneath the beef. I really liked the vinegared mozuku seaweed too - it's clean and refreshing, and the half scallop was fresh and sweet. The tempura was light and crunchy. Aside from the shrimp, there was also tempura yam, bitter gourd, squid, and shallots. The piece of tofu next to the pork was surprisingly good too! It had a clumpy texture, like rough tofu, and the soy bean taste was there (which you don't find in the mass produced stuff). The pork itself was okay.

Clockwise from top left: Steamed Egg, Sashimi, Clear Soup, Okinawa Rice (Takikomi Gohan, steamed rice with mushrooms, vegetables and meat), pickles in the middle

And a few more close-ups.

The sashimi was super fresh! There was a piece of salmon, a piece of octopus, and two pieces of snapper. It was great that instead of plain white rice they served the takikomi steamed rice. The egg was like silk in your mouth, with bits of chicken, mushroom, and a ginko on the bottom.

The set comes with tea/coffee and dessert. 

Today's dessert was a yuzu sorbet and a frozen orange jelly.

Even though this was described as a bento (or lunch box) on the menu, this was more like a tasting menu with samplings of Okinawan cuisine. I love how this one set lunch puts forward all the food highlights I had in Okinawa (the seaweed, the champuru, the pork and the beef). Presentation was beautiful and delicate, following the Japanese tradition.

If you plan to eat this whole bento, come hungry! Like a tasting menu, the fullness creeps up on you.

Okinawa Dining Bridges
6/F Cubus, 1 Hoi Ping Road, Causeway Bay, 3428-2131