現附上英文版原文：
Sushi Saito in the future
Saito san opened his Malaysian branch, Taka by Sushi Saito, over two years but the first overseas branch that granted the official name of Sushi Saito just opened in Four Seasons Hotel Hong Kong on March 25, 2018. I was very fortunate to be able to visit on the grand opening day when Saito san and the head chef of Sushi Saito HK shop Kobyashi (Koba) san were both present. Koba san had been working at Sushi Saito for over 7 years and has been helping in otsumami preparation for such a long time, I expect him to ace it without any difficulties.
Will Sushi Saito allow you to experience Sushi Saito Tokyo in Hong Kong? For me it could not. Removing the fact that the omakase is not performed by Saito san meaning the cutting of the fish, the intricate attributes of nigiri etc cannot be the same, there were too many tangible factors that also got changed in the HK shop. For instance, when I ate the nigiri I noticed right away the rice grain texture and even shape was not the same as the Tokyo shop. After verification with the HK shop and with Saito san in Tokyo, he told us that because the rice in Tokyo now is from Fukushima and it was not allowed to be imported to Hk, so they have to change to a rice from Akita. The water filter system is not the same in HK as well, and in fact this was the variant that Saito san said he worried the most. Together with the longer and harder rice grain, resulting shari as a whole was slightly drier and missing the same level of “roundness” 圓潤感.
The tamago at Sushi Saito in Tokyo had changed from powder sugar to wasanbon for around two years now which gave a more delicate sweetness but a dull color. When I had the tamago at the HK shop, I could detect the more cloying sweetness even from the first bite and Saito san confirmed that they use powder sugar which made it very close to the old version that they did in Tokyo. It is the difference between using white sugar vs rock sugar for Chinese sweet soup, most people may not notice a difference but people who understand the subtlety of sugar and sushi will for sure notice the difference.
In every future branch of Sushi Saito overseas, I forsee there will be some factors that cannot be replicate completely. Sushi Saito in other cities will allow you to experience the form and structure of Sushi Saito, but it is not a substitute of the original. That said, my friend expressed it very well, as he said he will still go, because for many people this is the only option.
When I was at Sushi Saito in December 2017, Saito san celebrated his 45th birthday with us with free flow champagne which he loved and drank a lot even while he was working. Amazingly no matter how much he drank and his face all red, he could get back to make nigiri with the highest level of concentration as if he was another person. He enthusiastically brought out all the sous chefs in kitchen and introduced them to us one by one. Many came from different countries including Hong Kong, Korea etc and Saito san said 2 years later they may become the head chefs of the oversea branches. His current vision includes Sushi Saito in Hong Kong (already opened), Macao, Seoul, Bangkok and Paris as he mentioned. There will also be a second Sushi Saito in Tokyo, and the head chef will be the current head chef at Malaysian branch which will soon be closed.
Thinking about the changes from the current state made me realize the changes are all planned moves - especially on training the young chefs to take the responsibility in future Sushi Saito shops.
In a recent interview of Sushi Saito by Michelin Guide in HK and Macau, he talked about his relationship with his parents. The moments when they ate his sushis, his mother broke into tears. While his father did not show the noticeable facial reaction, Saito san could feel he was being touched which drove Saito san almost in tears. To him his achievement is the way to thank his parents and his sense of achievement comes partly from being a global brand. He thought, wouldn’t it be nice that when he is 60 years old that when people think of sushi, they immediately think of Sushi Saito?
In the video he said in the past he wanted to open a sushi school to train and pass on the art and skills of sushi making to younger generation. Now he looks into the kitchen of Sushi Saito and there are 10 young and passionate chefs learning the craft every day. It is in a sense a sushi school within Sushi Saito. And when they graduate they will be able to utilize what they have learnt at branches of Sushi Saito all over the world
Doesn’t everything seem to work together in such a brilliant scheme? This year Saito san is also expecting his first baby, a baby boy! I asked him if he would want him to be a sushi chef, he smiled and said he does not know. Of course it is too early to say, and even for Saito san himself, many changes may have come in a way he did not expect at the beginning.
One thing I am very sure, Saito san’s existence cannot be replaced by another chef or sous chef. He is the only one and even if you give the same rice and fish to another chef, no one can make the same sushi like him. Throughout the years I have tried many more sushi shops and in the end, I have decided I rather come back to Sushi Saito every month because so many places I tried do not provide the same level of nigiri, especially on the skills and the consistency of shari, and many even charge higher price as they use more premium seafood, which sometimes I consider as a way to compensate on the lesser skills.
Despite all the changes, I have not changed my respect to Saito san since the first day I came. I think it is a mutual relationship. When I feel that I am being treated with respect I certainly have a stronger affinity to the chef and the restaurant. I am very loyal when it comes to friends and relationships and over the 7 years I tried to be the best I can to maintain this relationship. I end my long trip every time the day before Saito reservation just so I can attend my monthly obligated visit to Sushi Saito. I don’t change date nor time and never cancel. A reservation is a commitment, I cannot break trust and promise.
A seven year relationship with a restaurant may not be the longest but it is still a persistent commitment from both side. I still see my monthly visit to Sushi Saito as a my pilgrimage to sushi heaven. It is a good interval and I feel excited to go every time even after all these years. Will I change this routine? Who knows. But for now I try to be as consistent as Saito san, following my heart and where I find familiarity, respect and warmth every time.