Hajime
Where: 1-9-11-1F, EDOBORI, NISHI-KU, OSAKA, 550-0002 JAPAN
When: Lunch, 19th January 2012
I decided that I would make a trip to Japan during my holidays, and like I told my friends, my main objective was to seek out the best food. Given that we were headed to Osaka, my friend (very diligently) sought out one of the best restaurants in the region. It was one of the days that we were stuck in a snowstorm on a ski resort that we decided to try to call and make a booking. Unfortunately, the restaurant’s reservation phone lines only open for 3 hours a day. Given the short calling windows, it wasn’t surprising that I had to make about 30 calls before I finally got through (no call-wait). Lucky for us, we managed to secure a table for lunch the very next day!
After a short taxi ride from the hotel, we could not locate the restaurant. We had to walk into a nearby office to ask for help. A really kind-hearted lady offered to walk us to the restaurant, which was somewhere around the corner. Given that I do not understand a single word of Japanese, I could only smile and nod as she tried to strike a conversation with us.
Lunch began with three appetizers, a flatfish dish, soft-boiled egg yolk with cream, and scallops with saffron foam. Of the three, I preferred the flatfish the most, given that the cracker that came with it was so flaky and soft and the fish was really sweet. The scallops were rather huge and the saffron foam was quite nice and went well with the scallop. As for the egg, it was pleasant but I guess that’s all I can say about it.
Mineral
Dish of the day: Minerals.The first dish was a beautifully crafted piece of art, consisting of 66 varieties of vegetables, all plated up beautifully. It was pretty much impossible for me to tell what exactly I was eating based solely on taste, but there were a number of familiar vegetables. Some were pureed, some boiled, and some simply served as is. I cannot put in words how I appreciate every effort in producing this dish, with each vegetable cooked to perfection, producing a plate of tasty vegetables with the best texture in every single bit of greenery.
The restaurant was really quiet given that there were only 2 other tables that were occupied, but the friendly staff really helped make the atmosphere less frightening. Soon enough, more tables started to get filled, but that was when we were on to our second course. Next up was a foie gras dish that totally made my day. The foie gras was gently cooked, and it did not even feel fatty or oily, and it had a really nice nutty taste. Went really well with the pumpkin and hazelnut. Final main course was a perfectly cooked Australian lamb, all juicy and tender inside. The meat was really soft from slow cooking, and the crust had a very nice flavour from the charcoal grill.
Desserts consisted of 2 items: popcorn ice-cream and strawberry with Kirsch liqueur ice-cream encased in brown sugar. The ice-cream was lovely and it the flavour of the popcorn was pretty intense. However, I definitely preferred the latter–totally irresistible, especially as you watch every bit of goodness ooze out when you crack open the brown sugar casing.
This definitely sits on the top of my favourites list thus far. Considering the cost of this lunch, this would also represent the best value for a restaurant of such standards. Service was very good as well, and the staff even realised that my friend held his fork and knife like a left-handed person would despite being right-handed. There is definitely no lacking in attention to detail, both in service and in food, especially in plating up each course. I see myself revisiting this one day, hopefully for dinner.
Now I finally understand what the Michelin guide means when it claims that a three-star restaurant is a destination by itself. A truly remarkable and unforgettable experience.
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wow! all these dishes look amazing… my trip to Japan was during the recession so eating at mcdonald’s was expensive
time to plan a trip back considering how good the dollar is!