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 Less