A Japanese Tasting Experience
Japan boasts an extraordinarily rich culture. Tremendous attention is paid to detail, in so many aspects of life.
A kaiseke dinner is more of an experience than a meal. There are a few high end restaurants in the U.S. that offer a traditional kaiseke dinner. They are very expensive and each dish is presented as one of the chef’s choices. There is no menu.
The ingredients are always seasonal and the presentation is as important as the flavor. Think of the meal like a culinary diamond. Color, cut and clarity count. The selection of colors on the plate is intended to evoke a sense of appreciation for the beauty of nature. By cutting fruits and vegetables artistically, the chef shows respect for the guests as well as gratitude for the availability of the food. The flavors are clean and natural. Chemical additives are not included.
We have participated in a number of these meals and we value each event but truth be told, we don’t really
love a meal based on dealer’s choice. Many of the ingredients are a bit too exotic for our taste.
If you are trying to experiment with creative dinner party ideas, this is a unique style, worthy of consideration. Below, is a list of dishes that would be presented in a formal kaiseke meal. Throughout the next few posts, we will offer recipes for each dish. There is no need to include them all.
This is a meal designed by you as a reflection of your esthetic tastes. If you are feeling creative, give it a try. Your guests will be overwhelmed by your efforts to provide them with such a beautiful experience.
Saizuke- a small appetizer
Hassun- sushi
Mukozuke- sashimi
Takiawase- vegetable & fish
Futamono- lidded dish (soup or stew)
Yakimono- broiled seafood or tofu
Su-zakana- palate cleansing salad in vinegar
Hiyahi- bachi- served only during summer months- vegetable
Naka- choko- palate cleansing chilled soup
Shiizakana- hot pot
Tempura
Gohan- rice with fish
Ko no mono- pickled vegetables
Tome- wan- miso soup served with rice
Mizumono- dessert
Saizuke
You may choose to offer this small appetizer to the guests as the arrive along with a cup of sake. Cold sake is easier to serve at this point because as we all know, dinner guests tend to arrive in waves. All you need to do is stick the sake bottle in ice and pour. You don’t have to time it.
Ingredients
- 1 pkg soft tofu, cut into 1 inch cubes
- 5 Tbsp dried bonito flakes
- 1 scallion, chopped
- 2 tsp fresh grated ginger
- 4 Tbsp ponzu sauce or low sodium soy sauce
Preparation
- Place a cube on each dish
- Top it decoratively with a pinch of ginger and bonito
- Sprinkle a pinch of the scallion across the top and around the cube
- Spoon a tsp of sauce over each one and serve
Ingredients
- 1 lb bag of frozen edamame
- 1/3 c water
- 3 Tbsp soy sauce
- 1 1/2 Tbsp sake
- 1 1/2 Tbsp mirin
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tsp dark sesame oil
Preparation
- Boil the edamame for 6 min
- Drain and rinse in cold water
- Sauté with remaining ingredients except the sesame oil until sauce thickens about 5-6 min
- Toss with sesame oil and serve
Hassun
Sushi
Ingredients
- 1/2 lb soba noodles
- 2 Tbsp sushi rice vinegar
- 1/2 Tbsp sugar
- 2 sheets nori seaweed
- 2 cucumber
- 2 Japanese omelets (recipe below)
- 6 oz cooked and cleaned shrimp, puréed
- 4 oz sea tangle boiled in sweetened soy sauce
- 4 Tbsp Sakura denbu, (sweetened fish available in Asian markets) prepared as directed
Preparation
- Separate the soba noodles into 4 bunches and tie each bunch with string
- Boil according to directions
- When they are done, rinse in cold water
- Mix 2 Tbsp sushi rice vinegar and 1/2 tsp sugar and pour over noodles
- Let them dry off
- Cut the cucumbers and omelets into pieces 1/2 inch thick and the length of the seaweed sheets
- Heat the seaweed sheets at 300 for a couple of min to warm them
- Layer the warmed sheets with the ingredients leaving room at the edges
- 1 bunch of noodles (cut the string off)
- A stick of cucumber
- A slice of omelet
- A bit of tangle
- And some denbu
- Spread the puréed shrimp across the length of a cucumber stick
- Use a sushi mat to roll it into a cylinder
- Use some extra noodles as glue
- Let the rolls sit for a few min and slice
Ingredients
- 3 lg eggs
- 2 Tbsp oil
- 1 inch of the green part of a daikon radish minced
- 3 Tbsp dashi
- 2 tsp sugar
- 1 tsp soy sauce
- 1 tsp mirin
Preparation
- Whisk the eggs lightly
- Whisk together dashi, sugar, soy sauce, mirin and a pinch of salt in a separate bowl
- Whisk the liquid into the eggs
- Heat a bit of the oil in a frying pan (ideally square shaped)
- Pour a thin layer of egg mix into the hot pan
- When the bottom starts to set but the top is still soft, start to roll it like a jelly roll
- Swipe the empty area of the pan with oil
- Also swipe the oil under the rolled egg
- Pour another thin layer of egg
- When it starts to set, roll it from the other side, beginning with the previously rolled part
- Swipe the pan with oil again and repeat until all of the egg mix has been rolled together.
- Brown the outside lightly and set aside to cool.
Enjoy your Kaiseke recipes
More next time
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