November 12th was our Kaiseki Meal Class at DeGustibus Cooking Class in New York City. It was a great honor for us to offer the class. Thank you very much for joining our class! We enjoyed very much as (hope) you did. Hiroki Abe, executive chef at En, NYC, rushed to help me in the kitchen and at the back stage. It was a great pleasure to work with him. Thank you, Hiroki. Chef Sono brought with him his right hand guy from Kyoya, chef Moriyama. Here are some of the photos...
Read MoreKaiseki continues – Menu Planning
What Kaiseki chef or Japanese chef in general consider when he or she plans the menu are; 1. Seasonal ingredients, including seasonal herbs 2. Ingredients from water, river, mountain and field 3. Regional specialty food products 4. Five taste sensations 5. Five colors 6. Different temperature 7. Different texture 8. Bowls and dishes Bowls and plates in which a chef serves his or her prepared food plays a important role. They come in diverse variety in color, shape, depth,...
Read MoreNibbled to Death
Recent Pete Wells’s Nibbles to Death, Dish by Dish was an interesting article to read. Pete understands the difference between Japanese Kaiseki meal and “the kind of tasting menu which is younger, more free-form invention served at destination restaurant.” He also writes, “Being so new, the genre has no rules and few limits.” Japanese Kaiseki meal is a complete opposite. Japanese chefs who prepare Kaiseki meal follow rules and philosophy on...
Read MoreBogota Food & Wine Festival
Big Thank You for Bogota Wine & Food Festival and Fundacion Prema for inviting us – Chef Daisuke Hayashi (Sake no Hana, London), Chef Masato Shimizu (15 East, NYC), Chef Shuichi Kotani (Soba Totto, NYC), Sake Sommelier Yasu Suzuki (15 East, NYC), Chef Tsuyoshi Murakami (Kinoshita, Brazil) and Chef Hiroko Shimbo (Hiroko’s Kitchen, LLC, NYC) – to offer a charity Japanese dinner at JW Marriott Hotel in Bogota. The raised money at the dinner was donated...
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