Taste of Ishikawa: A gastronomic journey in Japanese cuisine

WGS Taste of Ishikawa: A gastronomic journey in Japanese cuisine

Karen GEORGE

20 Apr 2015

updated the 6 October 2015 à 23:08

1/10
Zensai
Our 8-course meal began with Zensai, the Japanese version of Hors d'Ouvres, served on Yamanaka lacquerware. Our platter consisted of omelette, dojou (eel-like small fish) broiled in sweet soy sauce, carrots, kurama shrimp, yurine (lily bulb), roasted duck and dried sea cucumber.
2/10
Wanmori
The Wanmori is the second part of the meal, which is a light soup served before the main dish. Our Wanmori was a prawn dumpling soup, not dissimilar to xiao long bao in taste. The soup was not too heavy or brothy and had enough taste without being overwhelming. This was topped with yubeshi, a Japanese citrus fruit that addeda tangy flavour to the dish.
3/10
Tsukuri
The Tsukuri part of the meal consists of sashimi-style raw fish, thinly sliced and usually accompanied by soy sauce and a small amount of wasabi paste. We were served slightly seared pacific bluefin tuna, sea bream, sear urchin and the freshest seasonable vegetables. The bluefin tuna was our favourite. Its extreme fattiness gave it a soft texture and it melted on our tongues upon first contact.
4/10
Hashiyasume
Steamed fish is traditionally served in this part of the meal and not differing from protocol, Chef Takagi served us steamed sea bream stuffed with okara (soy pulp) and garnished with vegetables. The fish was as fresh as can be, yet there was no fishy smell to it, and the okara worked well to give the fish texture and taste.
5/10
Yakimono
Our fifth course consisted of another fish dish, but far from being presented with the same style of cooking, our black throat sea perch was grilled to perfection and marinated with ishiru (traditional fish sauce). We're not big fans of fish, but this grilled dish was good enough to convince us otherwise.
6/10
Takiawase
This course had all the traditional Japanese fanfare on one plate: wasabi, shiitake mushrooms, wagyu beef and sudarefu (bamboo). The beef might have been a little tough and chewy but you could tell it was the best grade beef out there. The stew soup was everything a stew soup should be, warm, brothy and with just enough flavour to envelope the beef and vegetables, giving them a softer, more palatable taste.
7/10
Gohan
This being a Japanese meal, it was inevitable that rice had to enter the equation at some point. Chef Takagi served up Mushizushi (steamed rice) with spring vegetables in a Kutani porcelain lidded bowl.
8/10
Dessert
We expected traditional mochi or wagashi to be served but instead found ourselves facing a bowl of nondescript vanilla ice cream. Or so we thought.
We had our apprehensions when we found out the drizzle of brown atop the ice cream was soy sauce, but these misgivings melted away at the first bite. Expecting something savoury, we were pleasantly surprised when the sauce tasted more like salted caramel. The ice cream was thoroughly refreshing and a great way to end what was truly an exquisite meal.
9/10
Chef Shinichiro Takagi
The Masterchef behind our exquisite meal
10/10
Sake tasting
Some of the sake we sampled at the event.

Chef Shinichiro Takagi highlights the natural ingredients and fresh flavours of Ishikawa in this delightful Kaiseki meal, where each course was truly a surprise for the taste buds.

Mention Japan and the big three, Tokyo, Kyoto and Osaka come to mind. Not many people know of the hidden gem that is Ishikawa, a place located in the Chūbu region on Honshū island. Traditional Japanese culture dating back to the Edo period is very much alive and a part of daily life in this region, and nowhere is this more evident than in the cuisine of the place.

Ishikawa, the heart of Japanese culture is a treasure house of delicious Japanese food and sake and last Thursday, we were privileged enough to sample some of it at the Taste of Ishikawa Dinner, one of the many events organized by the World Gourmet Summit in Singapore.

The event started off with a sake tasting, wherein we tried many of the finest rice wines specially imported from the region. All the sakes we sampled were outstanding, but our particular favourite was the Kagaturu Umeshu sake, which was sweet with a fruity plum taste and just the right amount of acidity to give the drink enough kick.

And if the Ishikawa sakes were anything to go by, we were already looking forward to the dinner to be served. Renowned masterchef Shinichiro Takagi of the highly-acclaimed Zeniya restaurant in Japan was going to present his seasonal Kaiseki-inspired cuisine in this 8-course dinner. And disappoint it did not! From the beginning kanpai served in exquisite Kutani porcelain cups to the dessert of ice cream with soy sauce, everything was done to perfection in typical Japanese fashion, with great attention to detail given to each dish.

Click through the gallery for a rundown of each exquisite dish we had. Don’t be surprised if you feel the need to book a flight to Ishikawa after this!

Karen George

Photo credit: worldgourmetsummit.com

All Aboard: Singapore Yacht Show 2015

London Girl: Poppy Delevingne announced as first Jo...

WGS Taste of Ishikawa: A gastronomic journey in Japanese cuisine

React to this post Cancel reply