I visited Yamasaki in Nishiazabu for the second time after winning a reservation through a food auction. On this day, out of the 10 people at the counter, only 4 were Japanese, while the rest were all Chinese speakers (2 groups). It’s an international restaurant, and while there were staff who could speak Japanese, they provided service in fluent English and occasionally in Chinese, which was impressive.As before, the chef’s routine began with shaving katsuobushi (dried bonito) at the counter.- Grilled Noto Turban Shell: Lightly grilled over charcoal, served with a squeeze of sudachi (Japanese citrus) and shredded cucumber dressed in sesame vinegar. The aroma from the charcoal grilling was delightful, and the texture was pleasantly chewy.- Chawanmushi (savory egg custard) with Sea Urchin and Corn from Yoichi: Topped with a natural sea bream dashi jelly. The texture was enhanced with yam and udo (Japanese wild celery). The cold, sweet corn chawanmushi paired beautifully with the sea urchin—plus, the Royal Copenhagen dishware was quite stylish.- Crab Shabu Soup: Made with the first dashi from katsuobushi. Inside the crab shabu was crab miso, along with some water shield from Akita. I really love hairy crab. The water shield has a smooth texture that’s perfect for this season.- Grilled Sweetfish from the Maesekawa River in Gifu: Served with wasabi vinegar and accompanied by foie gras. The wasabi vinegar was made by diluting wasabi with white wine vinegar. The bitterness from the intestines was nice. The foie gras that followed was also exquisite! Although the head and bones were removed, it was well-grilled, making it easy to eat. Honestly, the bones were delicious—maybe even better than eel bone crackers!- Kudzu Noodles with Tomato Sauce from Saitama: Topped with caviar, grilled kombu, shrimp, and chili oil. The crunchy texture of the kudzu noodles was irresistible. And this tomato sauce was fantastic! This is what I call Sauce Japonese, not just Sauce Americane!- Fried Ribbonfish with Sweet and Sour Sauce: With the skin on!? And the skin was crispy and delicious! Who knew ribbonfish could taste this good when fried!? According to the chef, the idea is to make the outside crispy to enhance the fluffy texture of the fish, but I feel that the fluffiness of the ribbonfish makes the crispy skin even more enjoyable. It’s a win-win situation.- Duck: Served with a sauce made from grilled mushrooms and straw, and a black sauce made from soy sauce, mirin, and duck bone dashi, thickened with black garlic. The duck pairs wonderfully with red wine, and the lotus root, cut thick and prepared like tempura, was rich and delicious!- Meal: - Takikomi Gohan (seasoned rice): With pickles (shiitake mushrooms and bettara-zuke). The rice was mixed with fried red snapper marinated in koji, new onions, pickled ginger, and myoga. It was already packed with ingredients, but after serving, they added a soy sauce-marinated egg yolk on top! - I requested a refill without the egg yolk. - Hamo (pike eel) Zosui (rice porridge): This was delicious! The zosui cooked in hamo dashi was incredibly tasty!- Almond Tofu-flavored Ice Cream: Served with plum jam and baked meringue. Halfway through, I changed the flavor with Taiwanese gin that has a cypress aroma.- A tea blend of jasmine tea and white tea buds: Oh, this is a refreshing and delicious tea!Everything was delicious that day. It’s said that Japanese cuisine is about subtracting flavors while Western cuisine is about adding them, but the dishes at Yamasaki feel like a perfect blend of both, making them delicious no matter how you approach them. It was a great meal!
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