Dining Diaries XV

[ɹəuəllıʍ ʇɐb]

One of the great joys of being in Japan is the incredible variety of Japanese cuisines available. From the humble soba noodle to the great kaiseki ryōry – all is on offer at more or less affordable prices. A recent visit to Banrekiryukodo (http://www.yellow-data.com/banreki/ | 03-3505-5686) near Azabu Juban reinforced our belief that a good kaiseki meal is the closest to paradise. Three course menus are available – priced ¥8,000, ¥12,000, and ¥16,000, so there is no need to leaf through a complex menu. Before our ¥8,000 menu started, we were shown a basket with a whole fresh kuromutsu, taraba crab, bamboo shoots, fukinoto, and various other spring vegetables; these were the base of our today’s course. It started with a slice of kabu, topped with crab meat, and soramame in a hot broth. After a short break and a few sips of a crisp Chassagne-Montrachet (¥16,000) it proceeded with some delightful kamburi sashimi and nanohana. It was followed by a shrimp-bamboo croquette on a fragrant fuki miso. A surprise was the slice of foie-gras with wasabi on roast new potatoes – what a great combination! A yuzu-flavored chawanmushi led to the final dish of the course: a perfectly prepared filet of kuromutsu. As an optional finale we can chose between ochazuke and strawberries with condensed-milk jelly – not that we had much room left for it.

Seating is in the main dining room at an enormous bar counter, or in private rooms in the basement. Smoking is permitted in the private rooms. Reservations can be made in English during daytime when Ms. Matsuo is present. Wines are all French, starting from around ¥8,000.

I think a few explanations / translations are in order for that review.

• soba: buckwheat
  
• kaiseki: a ceremonial multi-course meal; see also http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kaiseki
  
• ryōry: cuisine
  
• kuromutsu: a Japanese blue fish
  
• taraba crab: red king crab
  
• fukinoto: the head of a very fragrant Japanese spring vegetable; see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fuki
  
• kabu: turnip
  
• soramame: broadbeans
  
• kamburi: yellowtail
  
• sashimi: fresh, uncooked (also for vegetables or meat)
  
• nanohana: another spring vegetable (rape blossoms)
  
• miso: fermented paste of rice, barley or soybeans; see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Miso
  
• fuki miso: miso made from the earlier mentioned fukinoto
  
• wasabi: "Japanese horseradish"; see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wasabi
  
• yuzu: citrus fruit with a pleasantly fragrant peel: see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yuzu
  
• chawanmushi: steamed, very light egg custard; see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chawanmushi
  
• ochazuke: rice soup with soup stock and green tea; see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ochazuke
  

P.S. ¥10,000 = £40 = $80

[catgate]

Well it sounds interesting, but I'm not sure if I am quite ready for "miso" though.

[Tankus]

Miso soups ok , not to bad with the veggie bits floating around in it ..... but not a patch on a chinky wun tun with the pork parcells , bok choy and spring onions bobbing up and down ..... If Im eating out ....I prefer a gastronomic equivilent to a kick in the nads ,rather than that of a smokey hint of flavoured water ...

Dont laugh ....but if Im off to Taffy land ...I usually get in early and snag a few plates of the Yo sushi conveyor belt ....on Paddington Station

nice and quick an' ah Lurve tha' mix .....

I like the idea that you just sit down and immediately start on whatever tickles yer fancy , ideal station fodder .... If only there was a chinese dimsum version ..... it would would be the dogs bollacks .... and very likely too ...!

My favs are chicken teriyaki ...one of the few hot dishes ...you have to order unless the station is very busy

and the shrimps in the lemon and vinegar ontop of the green rockety saladie things ...

choice ....innit ..!

makes a nice brunch if heading back fer the valleys .....

Wasssabbbiiii ............ Vicks sinus nasal spray on a plate ........captain kirks any bit of boring sticky rice , but I prefer the pickled ginger if the sushis a bit of a minger .....