Monday, February 3, 2014

Hashimoto, One of North America's Great Kaiseki Experiences

This special kaiseki meal was catered to our special requests. Unless otherwise stated, all dishes are sashimi and the sauces are house made.

Onjykuzen:
 Presentation.


Shirako (fish sperm) on top of egg tofu made with shirako and topped off with chopped green onions in a sauce of soy and ponzu mixed with starch. White rice topped with rice cracker. Arrow root vegetable sits in white miso (Kyoto saikyo) combined with dashi from kegani (horse hair crab).

Mokozuke:
Madai (red sea bream), thinly cut, skin lightly boiled, with bakudai (seed) jelly made with agar agar accompanied by freshly grated wasabi flown in from Japan, and house made soy sauce. Dish is Utsutsugawa and is 300 years old!!



Amadai (tile fish), lightly grilled on the skin and topped with this fish's deep fried, delicately crispy scales, accompanied by freshly grated Japanese wasabi. The dish is Imari (Musubi-Akae) and is 200 years old. The shape resembles a tie, symbolizing a good long relationship.




A presentation of uni (sea urchin).


An uni tasting, fresh uni in it's shell, on the left, and uni that has been harvested in the conventional way for Japanese restaurants, that was topped with mountain potato and kintoki ninjin (Japanese carrot) cut onto a flower petal. 


Raw horse hair crab, served with flavoured, very hot water to dip and partially cook the meat and a dipping sauce.


Mark Hashimoto about to open an important bottle of saki.






Wanmono:
Presentation.


Madai, mountain potato, domyoji (sweet rice coloured pink with with sour plum), kabu (turnip), kintoki ninjin (Japanese carrot), mizuna (greens), yuzu (citrus) all in a yuzu broth combined with grated kabu.


The presentation of the 3 kinds of exceptionally marbled beef, especially imported for us from Japan, that will make up our beef tasting.


The presentation.


Yakimono:
The 3 condiments for our beef tasting, on the left, homemade teriyaki, matcha tea/sea salt ground together into a fine powder (my favourite) and grated daikon with soy sauce.


The presentation of A3 wagyu strip loin from Kagoshima prefecture, Japan.




The presentation of A4 wagyu rib eye from Gunma prefecture, Japan, accompanied by long cooked yam.



The very best quality A5 wagyu rib eye from Gunma prefecture, Japan.


The special presentation of the 300 year old ceramic vessel Oribe Tsutsu.


In the above vessel, A5 wagyu tossed with ponzu sauce topped with grated daikon and chopped green onion.


Takiawase:
The presentation.

Aka-mutsu with kabu, strip green beans, and kintoki ninjin (Japanese carrot) carved into a flower.


The presentation.


Madai wrapped with konbu (kelp) and steamed, accompanied by shiitake mushrooms, steamed sliced yuzu and ponzu sauce.


Shiizakana ( have photographed different perspectives):


The over all presentation with the chef's hand carved crane made of daikon (and eaten). Kuruma ebi (shrimp) tempura. Chefs carrot dressing to be eaten with the crane, on the left. On top right are roasted puffed rice on their stem, that we enjoyed pulling off and eating like popcorn.


From the above presentation, sweet black beans with sweet vinegared chorogi root (in the artichoke family).
Tomezen:
The presentation.


Uncovering the bowl on right.


Pickles of cucumber, daikon marinated with koji mold, thinly cut pickled kabu and sweet and sour vinegared daikon with carrot.


Hot pot with kegani, nappa (cabbage), mizuna and nama-fu (soft gluten).


Kegani rice in head shell topped with julienned ginger strips.


Kanmi:
Presentation.


House made vanilla ice cream with red wine sorbet, pear marinated with red wine, matcha (green tea) mousse and strawberry jelly (made with agar agar) with strawberries, topped with gold leaf.


We then moved into the tatami mat coverd room to enjoy the tea ceremony.


Some of the tea ceremony untensils.







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