Maybe @beefnoguy can give his thoughts?
That’ll be nice. It’s also interesting that the video I linked above also talked about Kyoto cuisine traditionally excluding meat.
Beef not being served traditionally in kaiseki is correct from a historical perspective if you go back centuries or the last 120 years. I can’t speak to it more beyond that.
In short, kaiseki has much longer history than most other Japanese cuisines we are more familiar with (ie the Edo period cuisine of Edomae nigiri sushi, izakaya, unagi, tempura). The official ban on beef was lifted during the Meiji Restoration period (former CH Silverjay likely has elaborated so much more on this and maybe there’s discussion of this on that old board somewhere by him if anyone cares to dig further), circa 1896 - 1912. Even then beef was more of a luxury ingredient. Its proliferation into traditional Japanese cuisine probably came later (post WWI and II probably) and perhaps much later creeping into some traditional kaiseki restaurants (especially the M star places). Anyone can feel free to correct me on this as I’m not an expert in history but this is the sense I get from various Japanese websites.
Where beef is a protein course in kaiseki (in Japan) would also make some sense if the restaurant is in a wagyu raising region, e.g. Hida cattle in Gifu prefecture should they decide on that approach of what grow together go together, but even then that theory may be a stretch.
So kudos to Chef Go not planning to offer wagyu if that’s the case. Last thing we want are a segment of diners showing up to this precious space and spending so much time snapping wagyu, uni, and toro for the 'Gram (or snapping themselves to add dog ears, anime eyes and guinea pig whiskers as means to cover up plastic surgery mishaps) to show off to their friends (or sugar parents) instead of enjoying the food with the right sake.
6 Likes
This. So this.
It’s not like there’s another seating Chef Go has to serve later that night. Eat up!
Does he make nigiri with the leftover for you to take home like Ishikawa-san does?
He does not.
1 Like
Thanks for the review! Looks like he’s starting to change some things (or ingredients just weren’t available) as the Aji bo-zushi and Bonito sashimi were Mackerel for mine, among some other small tweaks. Nevertheless still super awesome and had a great time. Definitely wondering how he’ll adjust the menu as seasons change.
First time with the Born Wings of Japan sake and really enjoyed it but it can make things a little fuzzy if you’re a bit of a lightweight…
4 Likes
“Our nightly omakase menu is priced at $240 per guest (Price effective 6/2/2019)”
#McChelinInflation #LATimesInflation
Luckily, I managed to snag a reservation for Wednesday just now!
2 Likes
Similarly, my meal at RyuGin had a meat course. It was actually the weakest course of an otherwise outstanding and unforgettable meal.
Which RyuGin? I have to say, good as my meal at Hayato was, my HK RyuGin dinner was on another level IMO in terms of flavor complexity even though it’s an apple and orange comparison since HK RyuGin leans a lot more toward the mold of n/naka.
Mine was at the RyuGin in Tokyo. I went when it was still in Roppongi in 2014; the meal was incredible.
2 Likes
I’m glad Chef Go is doing so well. Lucky you on scoring a reservation before the price increase!
1 Like
3 Likes
That 9:15PM n/naka resy is no joke! I got quite sleepy dining past 12:30PM last time.
1 Like
Young Grasshopper, true FTC mastery of the gullet means rising above worldly and bodily weaknesses, such as satiety and fatigue… 
1 Like
Sage advice indeed
AKA skip lunch and take an afternoon nap.
1 Like
Whatever he was charging the profit margin must be small. Just like Sushi Yoshizumi, when he first opened 4 years ago, the basic omakase was $85, now it is $158 with the extended going for $250 and up. The extended was $135 at some point. Then he started getting very premium ingredients nobody else was using or even if they didn’t, they did not have the skill to prepare and serve it properly…and applied techniques that added so much value to what he was doing (but you needed to have that level of appreciation to totally get it).
Eventually the ideal situation is that $240 gets you a more improved experience overall despite the price hike and not just status quo, gotta up the game with all these expectations and demand. And in the future an option for either extended or the same dinner but with even more lavish and exquisite ingredients (hopefully not truffle, wagyu, and toro…but the true seasonal delicacies that are more signature kaiseki focused… wild unagi, premium matsutake from Japan and not China or Pacific NW, Matsubagani, and premium super high end fish like shiro amadai, hoshi karei or matsukawa karei).
Hope he ups his sake offerings and I don’t mean just Junmai Daiginjo (sorry if this offends anyone)… I get why he won’t allow corkage on sake, but he could do a lot better with his selection…and his suppliers/wholesalers can give him access to a portfolio that is untapped with more potential, unique, and far better pairing choices. The road often traveled is just boring. So much opportunity and potential here to literally make it even better than the sake choices of say, Saison, or the other Michelin sushi restaurant in SF… There are far better sake built for kaiseki than what is being offered right now (at least he is carrying one of them so kudos there).
1 Like
what time do these bento box resy’s go live? Midnight night before? Noon day before? Other?