What's on my Kaiseki menu this month?

Being a regular customer for more than a year netted me a few benefits, starting with my Kaiseki menu getting more varied than previous outings, and service is pretty good (except for the occasional waiter-in-training)


Distraction: Giant Mirugai Shell Liver with Truffle Sauce
While waiting for the starters, I was served 3 slices of shellfish pate(?) drizzled with truffle sauce. I think this is probably gone by the Sunday since they would reserve it for their VIPs. So lucky of me to get a nibble or three.

The first impression was the overpowering fragrance of the truffle sauce, while started peeling back to reveal the smoky grilled flavour of the liver. The soft mushy liver, being less fatty than goose liver, had a texture that was crumblier on the inside while the grilled crust binds all flavours together in harmony. Definitely something you want to have every other time.
















Starters: Sesame Beancurd with Umi, Sweet Prawn with Caviar, Tofu with Miso, Chicken with pickles, Grilled chicken, Vinegar shot & tempuras
Let's see, where do I start?

The sesame beancurd was satisfactory, marinated long enough in the shoyu for an accented flavour with the sea urchin (umi) garnishing balancing it out. The chicken with pickles was much better this time since the chicken was lukewarm and fresh, as opposed to soggy. Love the vinegar shot with crunchy (and sometimes powdery) tempuras. Thumbs up for the ne addition although I would love to have some Iranian sturgeon caviar with the sweet prawn since these were not salty enough. Tofu with miso was coyly sweet but well textured. Love the grilled chicken too.




























Soup: Soup with Scallop Dumpling
Plain looking yet my tongue taste warm, the scallop dumpling is flaky yet firm (Melt in your mouth, not in your bowl), Veggies were bitey & fragrant. The new dumpling soup for the soul.























Sashimi: Toro, Hairtail, Suzuki, Flambe Octopus & Mirugai Shellmeat (Gyuduck) with a side of Flambe Tuna Abi
Goodies of foodies. The Toro and Flambe Octopus were up to par. While the Flambe Mirugai shellmeat sprang forth into life with a dash of lime. Even the hairtail, glistering with it skin intact, tasted anew with radish garnishing, but the suzuki fish stole the limelight. Light, Breezing through your tongue, you can almost it floating in your mouth, tantalizing the tastebud every now and then before disappearing down your gullet.

The other interesting accompanying side dish was the tuna abi. Fillets of tuna rolled into a maki with japanese shallots and pickles. I have yet to taste the raw version yet since this one was flambe and dipped in a special sauce of mayo and chilli. Sad to say, the sauce overpowered the tuna but kept the pickles flavour intact. Poor execution.





























Steamed dishes: Eggplant with Anago Eel.
This time around, the dish tasted slurpier (just imagine yourself eating japanese noodles the proper way), the meat was tender enough and was drowning in the sauce literally (although the eggplant bowl was a wee bit undercooked and pretty firm). The slices of anago eel were a welcome addition to this dish although I would like to see more variety the next I get this.





















Steamed dishes: Tuna Eye
Now for something exotic.

I just wish I could see it before it got cooked. Wouldn't mind having a pair just to stick on my glasses and walk around while videoing everyone's reaction to it.

The white ball inside the exoskeleton was the pupil. Despite being a fan of eating fish eyes (smaller fishes, mind you), I found this pupil very dry and not saucy enough and had to keep on dunking it in the sauce just to add flavour to a really really bland pupil.

The best part though was the meat. Smooth, fatty (the chef mentioned that it was actually the muscle/sinew), shiny, glistering and tender to yield upon the poke of a pair of chopsticks. I could only describe it as eating very smooth siew york (all fat, no crispy skin and very little lean meat). Every bite was actually sliding around my mouth, missing my gullet by mere inches, rolling over my tastebuds. Sweet!!! Definitely my face dish of the night.




























Fried dish: Ayu & Tempura
Matured ayu have a pretty light taste that is perfectly fit for this oily dish. The only downside was that one of the fish was spoilt. At least the matcha salt could be drizzled over the dish.























Main course: Sushi 5 ways.
Starting with the flambe toro sushi, I enjoyed the brief explosion of toro in my mouth unfortunately it was soon to be overpowered by the oily garlic flake and pickled ginger press into the sushi.

Moving on to the flambe miso sea bream sushi, this one came across as slightly too sweet possibly because the miso was slathered over the sushi instead of just a dollop (then again, maybe my tongue was craving sweetness after the first piece)

the flambe wagyu sushi with was just nice and perfectly accentuated by the radish gratings as garnishing.

Moving on to the haji (horsebreaker fish) sushi, the full on flavour was matched by the garnishing of grated ginger and spring onion, culminating in an orgasmic explosion in the mouth. Definitely not one for the delicate tastebuds,

For the suzuki sushi, the initial tenderness gave way to a rush of salty spicy combo (a product of the salted grape skins & chili garnishing) that lingers on in the aftertaste.





















Dessert: Mochi pastry & Assorted Fruits
Another leaf bound dessert, and I have no idea how they do it when the transfer the fragrance of the leaf unto the skin of the pastry. Since finding out my love of mochi, Chef Ricky has given me another one made with mochi dough. The fragrance was overwhelming in the mouth, and not even a hint of it being coyly as you savour the springy mochi pastry.






















Chef Ricky is probably tearing his hair out right now trying to personalize next month's kaiseki menu for me. Feel free to comment.