Jin loves to eat and I arrived in Hong Kong on the same day last December. I arrived in the afternoon while she arrived at night. She wanted me to wait for her to have dinner together. At 9:00 pm!!! After my last meal at Carpaccio hours before I was hungry.
I suggested Ginza Bairin since I heard the franchise is coming to Manila and I wanted to try it out.
Jin arrived at K11 a few minutes before me and she had a hard time finding the restaurant in the basement 1 of the mall. She kept looking at the map and still couldn’t find it. We later learned you had to take the elevator outside the mall to access the restaurant which was the only one in that hidden location.
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specialties (click to enlarge)
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me and Jin
They had the usual sauces including an additional wasabi dressing which I really liked. They didn’t have the ground sesame seeds like Yabu.
It’s always fun eating with a food blogger since they are patient with the long task of picture taking before eating.
I couldn’t help but compare their menu with Yabu, a totally local restaurant. Their menus were practically the same but Yabu served unlimited shredded cabbage.
rosu katsu set (black pork) HK$168
When the waiter placed the tray of fried pork I could smell the strong almost rancid oil. It wasn’t a good sign. The pork was very, very bland and boring and not even a lot of tonkatsu sauce could save it. We shared this order and yet didn’t finish it. I’m not a tonkatsu expert but Jin said many other restaurants in Hong Kong serve much better tonkatsu. We both agreed Yabu did a better job too.
I think I enjoyed the side order of curry sauce the most.
curry sauce HK$20
assorted seafood katsu set HK$178
The fried fish fillet, oysters and prawns fared better than the pork. This we finished.
fried oyster
I hope the local franchisee of Ginza Bairin do a better job when they open in Manila. Thanks for treating me to dinner Jin!!
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Ginza Bairin menu (click to enlarge)
Ginza Bairin
Shop 24 Basement 1, K11 Mall, 18 Hanoi Road, Tsim Sha Tsui
telephone: +852-3122-4128
Opening hours: 12:00~23:00 (LO: 22:30)
website
other locations in Hong Kong here
Shoot First Eat Later 
Leslie, it wonderful you and Jin together in Hongkong. I see it good bloggers comparing places they know for best food and deal.
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Happy New Year Betty. Haven’t heard from you in a while.
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I thought they offered unlimited shredded cabbage?! I know Saboten and Tonkichi do.
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They didn’t offer. Maybe we should have asked? Jin ate my cabbage ;D
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When in HK, Saboten & Tonkichi are better bets than Ginza Bairin.
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So I’ve learned. Have to try those next. Thanks!
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Hi, it’s me again 🙂 This is off topic but I almost forgot to tell you that Parisian boulangerie Maison Kayser is now in HK http://www.maison-kayser.com.hk/ (as well as Laduree of course 🙂
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Happy New Year Leslie,I thought is was kind of unusual to go all the way to Hong Kong and have Japanese food. Just like my father invited a friend from Taiwan to have dinner in a Chinese restaurant in San Francisco instead of fine American steak houses all over.
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Thanks for letting me know!!!!
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I saw this resto at K11 and found the place and menu interesting. Now I’m glad I didn’t try it. My go to Tonkatsu place is Saboten ( usually at the airport ). Saboten has a branch in Causeway Bay.
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I should have known this yesterday when I was still in HK. I love the croissants of Maison Kayser at the depachika of Takashimaya TImes Square in Tokyo.
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