【飲食籽：追源尋味】
連續八年獲東京米芝蓮三星的齋藤孝司，在香港開了第一間分店，哄動食壇。香港飲食作家little meg小瑪姬因為熱愛壽司移居日本，由2011年迄今已光顧過鮨さいとう48次，她會一連五天用文字描寫這位新一代壽司之神。
我第一次光顧齋藤孝司時，鮨さいとう（Sushi Saito）座落赤坂一個停車場裏頭，隱蔽得叫食客摸不着頭腦，卻又有種尋找聖殿的朝聖感。等你終於站在店前，猶如在漆黑中發現曙光，一切魔法由此而起。
在我眼中，齋藤先生不是開創者，反而是將一門手藝發揚光大的執行者。他的壽司典範多年來貫徹始終，形狀和弧度絲毫不變，連排序也跟十年、八年前相差無幾。他不用黑松露或魚子醬，認為做出來的算不上壽司。他眼中的完美壽司簡單直接——醋飯和魚生中庸配合，食材配搭天衣無縫。如果你是他的熟客，必能體會這種穩定性和一致性，我認為大部份壽司師傅也未必能夠不斷保持如此最佳狀態。
不過，Sushi Saito這七年來也非一成不變。位於停車場裏的壽司店溫馨親切，散發着江戶前的藝術氣氛。當年的燈光顏色也不同，屬於偏藍的冷色調，隱隱流露廚師與顧客之間的階級有別。
Sushi Saito新店位於剛建成的六本木大廈裏，光猛闊落的餐廳象徵自己踏入新世代，微黃的燈光讓客人悠然自得，淡灰色的碟子時尚有型，不像以前的碟子土泥色帶沉實。新店鮮明蓬勃，更切合齋藤師傅的個性。齋藤師傅有種令人無法抗拒的魅力。他總是笑意盈盈，有時跟食客聊得開懷大笑。他跟食客打交道時，仍能精準利落地切魚生和握壽司，真教我嘆為觀止。他跟食客打成一片，從來不擺架子，更讓大家對這位壽司師傅愛慕不已。
六本木新店跟老店的另一分別在於齋藤師傅款客的主食堂隔壁有個房間，最初為了讓早到的客人等候，好讓齋藤先生先完成第一輪晚飯。這兩年來，這個房間變成另一徒弟握壽司的個室，以跟主食堂一樣的食材款客，象徵Sushi Saito準備開拓版圖，當年不算顯眼，如今想來便覺順理成章，我會在下一篇文詳談。
齋藤先生雖然不愛自創新派壽司，但他的壽司多年來也非一成不變，因為食材不停進化，連人們對壽司的看法也有不同。他要回應環境和海鮮狀況的不同而改變，從而將壽司提升至中庸平衡境界。Sushi Saito的鮑魚和章魚以前同在第二道前菜出現，但隨着鮑魚的供應和價格極不穩定，這些食材也有時缺席。鰹魚以前配葱和薑作漬物，深紅肉的光澤與銀魚皮的閃爍讓人食指大動，如今鰹魚改為炙燒，外層烤好之後，寶石紅的魚肉與焦脆的魚皮間藏一環雪白的嫩肉。
我的Susi Saito最愛之一是鯖棒壽司，又厚又肥的鯖魚鋪上昆布，捲上小量米飯和紫蘇葉，最後灑點芝麻，以前跟兩片腌蘿蔔一同端上，如今裹在香脆紫菜內以手遞來。齋藤師傅間中自創新款前菜，夏天時用沙丁魚取代鯖魚做鯖棒壽司，他第一次做時我正在客席，他問我味道如何時，應該從我一臉滿足的笑容猜到答案，但我還是跟他說：「到沙丁魚季節時，拜託將它列上定番餐單。」從此整個夏天都有這款美味壽司。
兩年前開始他以和三盆糖取代白砂糖來做玉子燒，雖然顏色較淡但味道更細膩。他最近也做了幾款新菜式，像鋪上青海苔的燒北寄貝今年推出兩次，這些新菜式並不恒常，我想他是為了應付海鮮市場某些食材價格失衡才做，畢竟齋藤先生的哲學正是中庸之道。
齋藤先生對食客的口味瞭如指掌，從他推出太卷可想而知。他以前的食客主要是壽司控，只吃正正宗宗的握壽司已心滿意足，但今天慕名而來吃壽司的人來自五湖四海。我以前不太欣賞太卷，覺得它只以大堆頭作招徠，嚐過幾遍後才明白那才是齋藤先生廚藝精髓的縮影：七種食材既互不爭鋒又互相輝映。我對這道太卷愛不釋手，只恨換了店內其他主廚來做，味道就不一樣了。
今年二、三月的餐單變化更大，連醋飯這個壽司靈魂也改了。我4月2日光顧齋藤先生時，他說沿用的秋田小町米改為福島越光米，店內又換了濾水系統，以軟水煮出更圓滑的米粒。我那晚的食伴湊巧鑽研煮飯用水，他曾經用軟硬有別的水煮飯，說成果截然不同。那次我覺得醋飯比以前柔軟，也較少米粒質地，也許要多光顧幾次才能習慣新米。
Sushi Saito的變化有時隨心而為，但大多都是精心計算，既為配合世界變化，也為提升食物質素。如果你深愛一個人，便會接受和包容他的改變，我正是如此。
現附上英文版原文：
Sushi Saito then; Sushi Saito now
When I first visited Saito san, Sushi Saito was still located inside a carpark in Akasaka. The hidden location puzzled a lot of customers, it actually added to the sense of finding the sacred place in a pilgrimage. When you finally got the shop, it was like seeing the light in a dark night. And it was where all the magic begun.
Saito san is not an innovator in my opinion but rather an executor who exercise his craft in perfection. His beautiful form of sushis remain consistently the same over the years. The shape and curve did not change. The sequence was more or less the same as 7 or 10 years ago. He refuses to add truffle or caviars was he said to him it was no longer sushi. His view of good sushis is very straightforward - it is about balance of neta and shari and the chemistry of all things involved. If you are his long time customers, you will find a strong sense of stability and consistency and for me it is a strength that not many sushi chefs, even masters, can compete at his level.
That is not to say nothing changed at Sushi Saito now compared to Sushi Saito 7 years ago. When in the carpark the sushi shop was cozy and intimate and it gave you the feeling of enjoying an edomae art. Even the color of the light was different back then, more blue and “cold”, a tone of showing the relationship of chef and customers with an hierarchy, if that made sense.
In the new Roppongi building, the bigger, brighter room demonstrated Sushi Saito’s coming into the more modern world. The more yellowish light allows guests to feel the more casual, cheerful atmosphere. The light grey plate is more urban and stylish compared to the old clay like plate in brownish hue. It is sharper and more energetic, which fits with Saito san’s personality.
Saito san has a glowing charm that is hard to beat. He always carries a big smile and burst into laughters with talking with customers. He always amazes me with his raser sharp precision in neta cutting and nigiri making while he is interacting with customers. A lot of customers love him because there is no gap in sushi taisho and guests, there is no noticeable level of authority.
In the Roppongi shop, the most significant difference came with the second guest room next to the main dining room where Saito san serves his customers. At the beginning it was a waiting room for customers who came early while Saito san was finishing up his first dinner service. For about 2 years now it has become a second service room where sous chefs of Sushi Saito serve real customers using the same ingredients as the main room. It is a symbol of the start of Sushi Saito’s empire, one that was not obvious at the time but now makes so much sense in retrospect (more to come in next chapter).
While Saito san did not try to recreate a new style of sushi on his own, that’s not to say there were no changes in his sushi over time. Because the world has changed, the perception of people of having sushi changed. The changes he made were responses to changes in environments, fish condition, and as a result enhancements to make his sushi maintaining the same level of balance every day.
In the past abalone and octopus were two staples at Sushi Saito that appeared on the same dish as the second otsumami (appetizers). These days the supply of abalone and price fluctuate largely and one may not see it appearing in the lineup.
Katsuo (bonito) used to be served as a “zuke” (漬け, marinated in soy mixture) with scallions and ginger. The sheen of on the darker red flesh and shiny silver skin gave you a luscious feel even before you eat. Now it is served as tataki style, the outside surface is grilled first so you will see a rim of whiter flesh between the ruby red flesh and charred skin.
Saba Bozushi (Mackerel Stick Sushi), one of my favorite sushi at Saito, had thick ratio of fatty saba lined with kombu on top was rolled with small amount of sushi rice and shiso (perilla leaves) and dusted with sesame seeds. It used be served on plate with two wedges of bettara pickles, but now it is served hand to hand with the saba boshi tucked into crispy seaweed.
Saito san will create new otsumami every now and then. From the saba bozushi he made a version using iwashi in summer. I was among the first session of customers to try it and he asked whether it was delicious. And with a big smile of satisfaction I think he got the answer but I still has to say to him, “Please put it in the regular menu when iwashi is in season”. And there went a whole summer with this wonderful sushi.
He changed the sugar used in the tamago (玉子,Egg) from granulated sugar to wasanbon 和三盆糖 which gave the egg a more dull color but more elegant taste.
He also prepared other new dishes such as grilled hokkigai (北寄貝 surf clams) topped with dehydrated aosanori (a type of seaweed) which appeared two times this year. These creations tend to pop up for a short time. I think it is his way to respond to the ever changing offering in the fish market when the price of certain staples get out of balance. Remember Saito san’s philosophy is all about balance.
The introduction of Futomaki (太巻 big roll) showed Saito san’s strong sense of understanding customers’ flavor profile. Back in the old days when Saito san’s customers comprised of mainly sushi purists, the traditional set of nigiri is more than enough to satisfy. Saito san’s rising global stardom means guests from all over the world with very different backgrounds come to experience his sushi. At first I failed to appreciate its significance because I thought futomaki is such a peasant roll to enjoy. But after I tried a few times I realized it epitomized Saito san’s ultimate philosophy: balance of 7 ingredients that all worked in harmony and turned in unison. I crave for this sushi now and when other sous chefs at the shop make it, it does not taste the same.
There are even more significant changes that just happened in February and March of the year. The soul of sushi making, the shari, has been changed. When I visited Saito san on April 2, he mentioned to us that he has changed the rice from “Akita Komachi”あきたこまち from Akita to “Koshihikari” コシヒカリfrom Fukushima. He has also changed his water system to create a smoother soft water for cooking the rice. My friend who went with me that night happened to be a fanatic on water to cook rice and he had experimented with different level of hard and soft water which resulted in very significant difference in the cooked rice. In April visit I could certainly detect the softer rice compared to before and less rice grain individual texture as a whole. It will probably take me a few visits to get accustomed to the new rice.
Changes in Sushi Saito may sometimes be random but mostly calculated, in a way to cope with the changing world and to get better. If you love someone you will accept and embrace their changes. And so did I.
ig : little_meg_siu_meg
撰文：小瑪姬
編輯：彭錦明