It was our last night in Tokyo. As much as I was sad to leave this intriguing city, I was excited to try one of the best sushi restaurants in the city. The trip ended with one of the most memorable meals of my life.
The restaurant was tucked in a tangle of alleyways in a quiet, residential area of Tokyo. Small, welcoming and clean: the restaurant’s exterior represented the delicate and exquisite food that we were about to taste. Two elderly chefs, who were behind the counter, were filleting a gigantic tuna. Every precise cut across the blue steel scale revealed the magenta flesh. My parents and I sat down in a row on the counter, which was exactly two chopsticks away from the chefs. It is thought to be the best distance between the diners and the chefs for efficiency and to maximise the taste. The minimalistic interior of the restaurant allowed us to focus on the quality of food. The sushi was served in ‘omakase’ style, with the chefs deciding what is best each day and dishes arriving when they are ready. To begin the meal, all three of us were served with an egg starter. It was perfectly cooked in bonito and kelp soup that gave it a smooth texture that melted in my mouth. The starter reflected the rest of the meal: simple tastes which complimented the authentic fragrances of the fresh ingredients. As the meal proceeded, I came to realise that the ability to retain the pure taste of each element of the dish was extremely rare and required many years of experience and craftsmanship. After a bowl of miso soup, the much-awaited sushi was served. …show more content…
Slices of pickled ginger were in the corner on a ceramic dish, which resembled a pink peony. Our first sushi was of black sea bream. Despite its name, the layers of sliced fish were coral, looking like a blooming rosebud. As I brought the sushi closer to my mouth, I could smell the freshness of the fish and the strong aroma of seaweed, typical to a freshwater fish. As I put the sushi in my mouth, I was surprised by a hint of yuzu that must have been underneath the fish, with a piercing drop of horseradish. The horseradish stung and pickled my nose but the aftertaste sweet citrus lingered, creating a synergising effect with the horseradish. The delicate flesh of the bream was cut with exquisite thickness. The rice was at the correct room temperature, and the subtle acidity of rice vinegar balanced the strong taste of the fish. Next sushi was of horse mackerel. Three meticulous slits, cut in parallel with across the piece of fish, unveiled the pink flesh underneath the silver scales. The perfect combination of vinegar rice and the fish filled my mouth. Round and mild flavours of the fish were accented with horseradish. The texture and combination of the tastes were sublime. Before I recovered from the satisfaction from the previous dishes, another piece of sushi appeared on my plate: cuttlefish squid which was cut in a fine grid pattern. This resulted in the corners of each square curling outwards: a Rococo statue, perched on top of a bed of pearl-white rice. Contrasting to the polished and hard facade of the squid, I was completely startled when I bit into the delicate and tender texture. The grid pattern had softened the flesh; the squid was unimpeachably fresh - then
The restaurant was tucked in a tangle of alleyways in a quiet, residential area of Tokyo. Small, welcoming and clean: the restaurant’s exterior represented the delicate and exquisite food that we were about to taste. Two elderly chefs, who were behind the counter, were filleting a gigantic tuna. Every precise cut across the blue steel scale revealed the magenta flesh. My parents and I sat down in a row on the counter, which was exactly two chopsticks away from the chefs. It is thought to be the best distance between the diners and the chefs for efficiency and to maximise the taste. The minimalistic interior of the restaurant allowed us to focus on the quality of food. The sushi was served in ‘omakase’ style, with the chefs deciding what is best each day and dishes arriving when they are ready. To begin the meal, all three of us were served with an egg starter. It was perfectly cooked in bonito and kelp soup that gave it a smooth texture that melted in my mouth. The starter reflected the rest of the meal: simple tastes which complimented the authentic fragrances of the fresh ingredients. As the meal proceeded, I came to realise that the ability to retain the pure taste of each element of the dish was extremely rare and required many years of experience and craftsmanship. After a bowl of miso soup, the much-awaited sushi was served. …show more content…
Slices of pickled ginger were in the corner on a ceramic dish, which resembled a pink peony. Our first sushi was of black sea bream. Despite its name, the layers of sliced fish were coral, looking like a blooming rosebud. As I brought the sushi closer to my mouth, I could smell the freshness of the fish and the strong aroma of seaweed, typical to a freshwater fish. As I put the sushi in my mouth, I was surprised by a hint of yuzu that must have been underneath the fish, with a piercing drop of horseradish. The horseradish stung and pickled my nose but the aftertaste sweet citrus lingered, creating a synergising effect with the horseradish. The delicate flesh of the bream was cut with exquisite thickness. The rice was at the correct room temperature, and the subtle acidity of rice vinegar balanced the strong taste of the fish. Next sushi was of horse mackerel. Three meticulous slits, cut in parallel with across the piece of fish, unveiled the pink flesh underneath the silver scales. The perfect combination of vinegar rice and the fish filled my mouth. Round and mild flavours of the fish were accented with horseradish. The texture and combination of the tastes were sublime. Before I recovered from the satisfaction from the previous dishes, another piece of sushi appeared on my plate: cuttlefish squid which was cut in a fine grid pattern. This resulted in the corners of each square curling outwards: a Rococo statue, perched on top of a bed of pearl-white rice. Contrasting to the polished and hard facade of the squid, I was completely startled when I bit into the delicate and tender texture. The grid pattern had softened the flesh; the squid was unimpeachably fresh - then