Kaiseki

I could regale you with tales of the castles and shrines we have visited during our time in Kyoto. And I could post a pretty funny description, in my estimation, of the onsen public bathhouses here, in one of which KP3, Bot, and I spent yesterday afternoon. But I won`t, because, as you might already know, I want to talk about the food.

Last night we went to a kaiseki ryōri. The restaurant, Yata, was finely appointed in a luxurious eastern style. We were greeted in an enclosed entry and asked to take our shoes off, a request we are very familiar with at this point. We were led to a small room where we sat on mats and cushions around a bar-like table we were to share with two couples who were finishing up their dinners. Our host brought us hot towels and discussed with us which meal we wanted. The three of us decided on the Hagi menu, a nine-course meal.

Course 1: Marinated Mackerel and Grilled Eggplant -- This was a pleasant way to start the meal, more because of the textures and the presentation than the taste. Sure, the fish was incredibly fresh and the other ingredients accompanied its flavor quite well, but the arrival of this dish signaled to me that we were in for a long-evening assault on many senses, rather than just the one that is typically targeted.

Course 2: Deep-Fried Sea Eel and Matsutake Mushroom in Clear Soup -- This course was quite a change of pace. The deep-fried sea eel was completely encased in sesame seeds, which preserved the fish from any of the oil during frying, and it was not fried long. I ate the ingredients out of the soup with chopsticks, and initially thought that the broth had little or no flavor. As I ate, however, the flavor of the broth became clearer and stronger, either because the remaining ingredients lent it flavor or because my palate became more attuned to the subtlety. In any event, when I drank the remaining broth at the end of the course, it had fully taken on the flavor of the ingredients. Also, I love eel.


Course 3: Seasonal Sliced Raw Fish -- This was sashimi, as you might expect. Four pieces, all extremely fresh, and garnished with flower petals and a piece of daikon radish. Again, I thought this course was quite beautiful.

Course 4: Grilled Eggplant and Shellfish with Sauce -- A revelation! This steamed giant clam sandwich had grilled eggplant in exchange for bread, was crushed with a thick, sweet teriyaki-style sauce, and garnished with a soybean. Each half of the sandwich was small enough (barely) to eat in one bite; this was like nothing I had ever seen. It was playful; more importantly, though, was that it had a deep and rich flavor. Now we were on a roller-coaster ride, for sure.

Course 5: Vinegared Brown Seaweed -- Although this was not my favorite dish, probably because my western palate and predilections prevent me from fully recognizing its redeeming flavors and texture, I thought this dish was exquisitely presented. Our instructions were to mix thoroughly before eating, which we did, although I had only half my bowl. The other couples in the room watched with anticipation as the three of us battled with this one, and giggled a little more than just to themselves.

Course 6: Grilled Sweet Fish -- This fish was about four inches long, and aside from a small opening in the side where the chef had stuffed some corn meal, it was completely intact. It was grilled, and served whole, as you can see. Our instructions here were to pick it up by head and tail, and eat. I mangled mine. I was thrilled when our host gave me a compliment for the state of the carcass once I was done.

Course 7: Simmered Turnip with Blue Crab Sauce -- This dish was equally beautiful in taste and appearance. I had never had a large piece of turnip that had been cooked until it was as soft as a fully cooked onion. This one was in the middle of the bowl, surrounded by lump crab, more flower petals, and turnip greens (I think). The broth had little taste, but accentuated the flavors of the other ingredients. The combination was quite nice, and was a perfect next step after devouring a fish whole.

Course 8: Rice with Pacific Saury, Mushroom Miso Soup, and Pickles -- Although I enjoyed the taste of everything here, I did not completely understand the grouping. We had fried rice with fish in it, which was some of the best fried rice I`ve ever had. Then we have a miso soup with the tiniest, most delicate mushrooms and a fantastic dark flavor. Finally, we have traditional Japanese pickles. I know I`m neither Japanese nor do I even partially understand the cuisine, but these tastes just do not seem to go together.

Course 9: Grated Pear and Grape -- Ah, desert. Some people know I`m not the biggest dessert eater, but when there is a fantastic one I am happy to eat it, and sometimes in large quantities (see, for instance, banana`s foster at Commander`s Palace). This dessert was a perfect end to our meal. A light and refreshing soup of pear, with two large grapes split in half and divided by a small mohawk shaving of ginger. It`s so simple, and I like to cook, and yet I have no idea how the chef created the consistency of pear. It was transcendent.

So, that is all. This was easily the best meal I have had in Japan, and one of the best meals I`ve ever had. We left quite full, and happy. There were a couple misses, mostly for cultural reasons I expect, but the experience overall was off the charts.

Tomorrow we head to Nara for a couple nights before returning to Tokyo.