Visiting the Tabelog gold Kaotori on a snowy night in Kanazawa is magic . The ultra subtle Kaiseki style is not perhaps best suited to a western palate , but I admire and respect the craft and its ethos of purity .
At the heart of the meal is dashi which reappears constantly thru the menu , its flavor seemingly deepening .
There were two absolute ethereal standouts for me .
Incredible Shitake mushrooms that were so plump that they seemed almost “souffled” , they were teamed with the textured delight of buckwheat gluten .
But the real master stroke was a piece of turnip , playing its role within a kue and vegetable shabu shabu . The turnip somehow glistening on the palate in such a way that I was transplanted to a vision of diamonds rolling across my tongue , a unique sensory experience .
I won’t lie and suggest every course and element was to my liking , but the highs were oh so high !
Miso soup with sesame tofu
Deep fried Cod shirako with seaweed
Monkfish and lotus root mochi
Hirame , aori Ika sashimi , ankimo sauce
Buckwheat and Shitake
Sawara and green onion
Amadai steamed with turnip
Snow crab and monkfish cheek with Tozasu
Kue shabu shabu
Baby tuna rice
Red bean strawberry mochi
