tldr: get it
i had to cancel all my thanksgiving plans this year because of covid but was fortunate enough to enjoy hayato’s new dinner orizume for thanksgiving eve and the leftovers for thanksgiving.
it was the best takeout experience from the the best restaurant in la. the meal was beautiful, delicious, and educational. everything from the packaging, the handwritten menu by general manager Yuki-san, to the cards explaining the different cooking techniques is so well thought-out. reading how each course is prepared was almost like eating at the counter.
the orizume was designed to be similar to osechi boxes for the new year or a hanami bento for cherry blossom season, both of which are made to be consumed over a number of hours while people socialize. i can confirm even the leftovers are delicious after being in the refrigerator overnight.
chef go says he’s happy with the food, but like a true shokunin, he’s still tweaking and refining his recipes everyday. he plans on making four boxes a night to start. i’m looking forward to tasting how this evolves in the future.
the $340 question, is it worth it? i’ve said before the $52 lunch bento is a steal and given the fact that the dinner orizume takes three people, ten hours to make one box that can feed at least two, i would consider this worth it, especially for a special occasion.
reservations go live december 1st at 10am on tock.
the notorious B.H.G.
beautiful orange furoshiki
with orange symbolizing happiness and love
red and white symbolizes happiness and celebration
notice how each fold in the menu represents one section of the orizume.
steamed abalone with daikon
tender with a pleasant chew severed with its own thickened stock. play on the classic buri daikon?
house made yuba, soy sauce ankake, yuzu
silky smooth and creamy with a mild nuttiness and a thickened dashi sauce. this is normally served with wasabi but chef go wasn’t happy with the wasabi and replaced it with yuzu.
dashi ikura with yuzu
some ikura is too salty for me but this had a nice dashi flavor that wasn’t too salty.
saba with tosa zu jelly
the saba was complemented nicely with a vinegary tosa zu jelly instead of getting the usual sujime (marinated in vinegar) treatment.
figs in sesame “goma-ae”
delicious sweet and fresh figs with a creamy sauce. highlight.
grilled hokkaido scallop with nori sauce
similar to the grilled scallops in the lunch bento but paired with an incredible sweet-umami nori sauce. I may or may not have dropped a ball of rice into this to sop up all the sauce. highlight.
uni “tsukudani”
where has this been my whole life? this had the texture of karasumi but it had the sweet, briny flavor of uni. as @NYCtoLA mentioned, almost like candied uni. highlight.
ni-iwashi (simmered japanese sardine)
remember when i used to eat sardines for dinner? I still do.
similar to a nitsuke prep, this was savory and sweet. poured all this sauce on some rice too. highlight.
charcoal grilled aka mutsu
this is almost always on the menu at the counter, and even though the skin wasn’t as crispy it was still delicious
awa fu “age-ni”
I don’t think I’ve had this before, this was fried and then simmered and it had the sticky chewy texture of mochi.
kabocha “yose”
one of several wagashi desserts in the orizume. the kabocha is steamed before being set in a mold of gelatin. highlight.
umeboshi carrot
just as delicious as the carrot in the lunch bento. sweet with a burst of umeboshi when you bite into it. highlight.
japanese eggplant steeped in kombu dashi
kuromame
you usually see these sweet soybeans in osechi-ryori boxes for the new year. They symbolize hard work and healthy living. They had a great creamy texture and a mirror finish. highlight. @Starchtrade
lobster “uma ni”
i think this is a play on the osechi-ryori dish ebi no umani–the bent back of the shrimp symbolizing longevity. here chef go replaces the shrimp with lobster simmered in sweetened dashi and soy sauce. highlight.
japanese sea bream “tatsuta age”
this was marinated in soy sauce, mirin and sake before being lightly fried.
pickled hoshigaki rolled with daikon
sweet dried persimmon rolled with crunchy, vinegar-y daikon. highlight.
fried baby corn
crunchy and sweet
fava beans
duck tsukune and shiso “hasami yaki”
ground duck meat that has been grilled and sandwiched between shiso. highlight.
japanese turnip “fukume ni”
simmered in kombu dashi and salt. the texture and juiciness was like biting into a ripe melon. highlight.
ni-anago (simmered anago)
simmered in light soy sauce, sugar, and sake. a slightly sweet and lighter version than the usual nigiri prep with tare. highlight.
pickled myoga
nice bit of acid to cleanse the palate.
salted cucumber flowers
shrimp shinjo and lotus root “hasami-age”
take the shrimp shinjo from the lunch bento and sandwich between crispy-crunchy lotus root. highlight @TheCookie.
grilled maui onion with soy sauce
i’ve had this at dinner and it’s one of my all-time highlights. the one in the orizume is no different, the onion has been steamed, fried, and then grilled. highlight.
gobo “fukume ni”
simmered in kombu dashi and salt.
satsuma sweet potato “chakin shibori”
another of the wagashi desserts, the satsuma sweet potato is steamed, pressed through a sieve, then molded with a tea cloth. it has the texture of play-doh and is another highlight.
pickled cucumber with sesame and salt
steamed lily bulb
kinmedai snapper “taki-komi gohan”
my favorite gohan at the counter, this was just as good. highlight.
matsutake gohan
fin (after two days)
can i get an ftc bat signal please
@Bagel, @foodshutterbug
