The meal began with an attractively presented tray of seasonal appetizers some of which included cold matsutake mushrooms with Hokkaido crab, yuzu-flavored ikura, smoked eggplant with black caviar, and mountain vegetables. Mind the autumnal motifs present not only through seasonal ingredients but also decorations with maple leaves. Although, picking favorites is truly hard because the meal altogether was phenomenal. Among numerous incredible morsels we had during the 20-course feast, the ones that stood out the most were uni tempura and wagyu tempura. Most importantly, I was amazed by how superb the quality of tempura was: light and thin as paper, complimenting the subtle flavors of each ingredient rather than taking away from it. Since we already stepped into fall, the feature of the menu was matsutake mushrooms – a rare and highly-prized local specialty that is Japan’s answer to black truffle – which was cooked in a variety of ways and beautifully tied the entire meal. I was thoroughly impressed by the depth of complex flavors and beautifully contrasting textures of every morsel, be it tempura or otsumame (snack dishes). Thankfully, he speaks English so we could inquire more about ingredients and dishes we enjoyed so much. Kasamoto-san immediately stood out as a very welcoming and easy-going chef who likes to chat with his customers and shares his love for food that he puts in front of you. Upon arrival, we were ushered into a bright room clad in blond wood with beautiful pottery and copper tempura grills accenting the decor. He opened the doors of Takiya in 2015 and quickly won over the hearts of local gourmands currently ranking as one of the top tempura restaurants in Tokyo on Tabelog (Japan’s equivalent to Trip Advisor). Chef’s resume includes multiple years of training at Osaka Kitcho followed by a position of the head chef of Hinokizaka Kaiseki restaurant at the Ritz-Carlton Tokyo. The only high-end sushi restaurant I was miraculously able to get into was Sushi Ya in Ginza and it was worth all the pain.īut food Gods have been generous recently and I was given a second chance to tap my foot into this evasive culinary world: dinner at Tokyo’s renown tempura mecca Takiya helmed by Tatsuaki Kasamoto. There is one reticent part of Japan’s food scene, however, that I haven’t managed to break through despite my desperate attempts: the high-end Japanese specialty restaurants (sushi, tempura, kaiseki, etc.) that either request reservations two months in advance (and since they typically seat only 8-12 people, getting a spot is incredibly hard), take reservations exclusively through hotel or private concierge services, or allow only regular Japanese customers and people they invite. What can I say?! I live to eat, not eat to live. My American southerner friends know what I’m talking about. From high-end French and Japanese fusion restaurants to low-key mom-and-pop shops and all the trendy brunch spots in Tokyo, I have been there and done that. Someone looking at my blog will say that during my time in Japan I’ve spent the better half of my time (and pay-check) eating out and indulging in the local gastronomy.
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