【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。
齋藤孝司兩年前在馬來西亞開分店，名為Taka by Sushi Saito，但首間正式以Sushi Saito命名的海外分店於2018年3月25日在香港四季酒店開幕。我有幸出席開幕禮，齋藤先生和香港分店主廚Kobyashi（Koba）先生都在場，Koba先生效力Sushi Saito超過7年，一直負責前菜料理，我對他擔此重任信心十足。
Sushi Saito香港分店跟東京總店的美食體驗會一樣嗎？我認為不可能。既然齋藤先生不會負責廚師發辦，無論是海鮮切法、握壽司功架也不會一樣，而且香港分店還有很多明顯分別。舉個例說，我一吃握壽司便覺得飯粒質地和壽司形狀都跟東京總店不同，後來我向香港分店和身在東京的齋藤先生求證，才知香港分店不能入口東京總店用的福島米，只好改用來自秋田的米。香港分店的濾水系統也跟東京總店有別，這正是齋藤先生最憂慮的事，加上米粒較長較硬，令醋飯整體略嫌乾身，少了東京總店的圓潤感。
東京總店的玉子燒兩年前將白砂糖改成三盆糖，令顏色較淡但甜度更清雅細膩。當我在香港分店吃玉子燒時，第一口便覺得甜度較明顯，後來齋藤先生證實香港分店用的是粉糖，近似東京總店以前做的味道，就像用白糖或冰糖煲的中國糖水，很多人未必吃得出分別，但對糖和壽司味覺敏銳的人自然嚐出當中差別。
我想Sushi Saito日後的海外分店總有些地方無法完全複製東京總店，它們可以讓你見識Sushi Saito的形式與規格，但不能取代總店。正如我一位朋友所說，他還是會光顧這些分店，因為那是很多人的唯一選擇。
我2017年12月光顧Sushi Saito時，齋藤先生為慶祝45歲大壽而請喝自己鍾情的香檳，他甚至一邊工作一邊豪飲。神奇的是，不管他有多酒酣耳熟，一做握揑壽司時又能全神貫注，簡直判若兩人。他熱情地請來廚房裏所有副廚，為我們逐一介紹，原來很多來自外地如香港和韓國。齋藤先生說他們兩年可能成為外國分店的主廚，他期望在香港（已開分店）、澳門、首爾、曼谷和巴黎開分店，也會在東京開設第二間Sushi Saito，由將關閉的馬來西亞分店主廚掌舵。
眼看餐廳發展如火如荼，我才明白這是齋藤先生的如意算盤，他一早為Sushi Saito未來分店訓練年輕廚師。
他最近在《米芝蓮指南香港澳門》訪問中談及跟父母的關係。他的媽媽一吃他的壽司便淚如雨下，爸爸雖然一臉平靜，但臉上流露的感動教齋藤先生熱淚盈眶。對他而言，他的成就是為了報答雙親，成為世界品牌便是成就之一。他想，待他60歲時，世人提起壽司即想起Sushi Saito，豈不美哉？
他曾經拍過錄像，說希望開辦壽司學校，將壽司藝術和技巧傳承給年輕一代。如今Sushi Saito的廚房每天有10位熱情洋溢的年輕廚師學習這門手藝，正是Sushi Saito裏頭的壽司學堂。待他們畢業那天，正好在世界各地的Sushi Saito分店大展身手。
這個如意算盤正如箭在弦，齋藤先生今年還要迎接新生命來臨，是個男孩！我問他會否希望兒子繼承父業，他笑笑口說不曉得。這事當然言之過早，正如齋藤先生最初也料不到這些發展。
我可以肯定的是，齋藤先生的地位無人能及。即使給另一位壽司師傅一樣的米和海鮮，他也絕對做不出齋藤先生的壽司，因為齋藤先生就是獨一無二。這些年我嚐遍許多壽司店，結果還是每月回來Sushi Saito，因為沒有一間做得出如此質素的握壽司，其醋飯的功架和貫徹絕無僅有。有些壽司店因為採用上等海鮮，壽司的價錢自然更貴，但我想有些是本來補足功能的不足。
雖然變化不斷，但我對齋藤先生的尊敬比初次光顧時沒減半分。我想這是一種相互關係，當我覺得受到餐廳和廚師尊重時，自然對他們更覺親近。我對朋友和感情從一而終，這7年來努力維繫這段感情，每次都在訂位前一天完成公幹行程，守護自己跟Sushi Saito的每月之約。我從不更改或取消訂位，因為每個訂位都是一個承諾，不會容許自己失信。
跟餐廳7年感情說長不長，但仍是雙方矢志不渝的承諾，我視每月光顧Sushi Saito為朝聖壽司殿堂之旅，即使過了那麼多年，我每次去總會萬分期待。我將來會否變心？誰也說不準，但我要學習齋藤先生的貫徹始終，追隨那個讓我找到親切、尊重和溫情的初衷與老地方。
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.
Ig:little_meg_siu_meg
撰文：小瑪姬
編輯：謝慧珊