Kataori (片折) Kanazawa

Been a while since my last Kataori visit, I’ve missed the dashi here. Always interesting to watch Kataori san meticulously debone the ayu. Top quality seafood, simply prepared dish with balanced flavors. The helmet rice crust was a fun way to finish the meal. •
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The summer menu at Kataori was an absolute delight! It showcased the culinary mastery of the Kataori restaurant in Kanazawa, offering a meatless selection with four expertly cooked fish dishes.

We started with the tai (sea bream) served with a super fine dashi, and the flavors were exquisite. The sashimi selection included akaika, kijihata, and akanishigai, each providing a unique and tantalizing taste experience. The botan ebi sashimi, with its excellent texture and deep flavor, paired with non-smoked katsuo, stood out as a true highlight.

One of the standout dishes was the deep-fried nori topped with raw ebi. The interplay of the crispy nori and the softness and sweetness of the ebi created an incredible fusion of textures.

The Chirashizushi featuring nodoguro (blackthroat seaperch) served in a small wooden box was a genius creation. The flavors were incredibly tasty and satisfying.

The best course of the evening was undoubtedly the Torigai (Japanese cockle) paired with Hokkaido asparagus. The soft clam perfectly complemented the slightly crunchy asparagus, creating a harmonious balance of taste and texture.

The meal was rounded out with top-quality rice topped with various toppings, providing a satisfying conclusion to the culinary journey.

Kataori continues to impress as one of the top Kaiseki restaurants in Japan. The exceptional food, combined with the warm and welcoming hospitality of the Kataori family, made every visit a delightful experience. Less

There are so many great dishes at Kataori beside the crab items, these are the dishes that make me want to visit Kataori every month for the complete understanding and appreciation of his cuisine.

Take お造りOtsukuri for example, this time we had really really pristine level buri (鰤 Adult Yellowtail) from Himi 氷見 (pic 2) where they produce the country’s best buri (and many other seafood). See the marbling in pic 2 and you will understand, and of course this was wild and not farmed like 99% of the buri out there. The presentation was slightly different in Nov2019 (pic 3) but every time Kataori san will cut and slice the fish in front of us.

This was followed by 牡丹えび botan ebi and アオリイカ Aoriika (Bigfin reef squid), but beautifully prepared (see video and pic 6 for the scoring of the squid) (pic 4-5), served on elegant ice tray. In fact when we were eating the squid, the young chef helped us to remove part of the shell of the shrimp head so we could eat easier (pic 7). In nov 2019 we also had fugu sashimi (pic 8) for our otsukuri.

Kataori san goes to Himi, Noto etc different places to source the best seafood and produce every morning himself. When you are in the region where they product the best of the country’s ingredients, and someone is getting the best among the best, you are pretty much having the most top rated ingredients of the country, or perhaps the world. That is actually what Kataori san is doing, and even the raw items can easily beat a lot of famous sushiyas in Japan

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(SWIPE FOR MORE PICS) Rice Course 5: 梅干しとおこげのお茶漬け Umeboshi and Okoge (Rice Crust) Ochazuke @[instagram] 片折, 金沢Kataori, Kanazawa (11.2022, 10th Visit)

And there was a 5th rice for us, the lightest, most comforting ochazuke! Normally it is just rice with simple topping then tea / dashi poured before eating.

But Kataori san had this genius presentation - a whole rice crust like a dome was brought out (pic 3) 🤯

It was cracked to pieces then put together with rice and umeboshi (dried plum) on top, and then tea was poured in front of us. This was so beautiful, zen in a way, yet so powerful in my mind, not the flavor but the thought of it. When chef can put effort to make things that seem so ubiquitous so unique! The simplest thing that gave me the most impact.

I think this is the most amazing rice crust dish in my world ✨

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The crab feast at Kataori in Nov has different dishes compared to Dec / Jan / Feb but for Nov-Dec about half of the courses are crab centric.

The final crab dishes at the end of the meal came with the rice course, where we first had the steaming hot plain rice (pic 2), a strong statement of confidence and respect to the ingredients when served plain, especially this rice was koshihikari new rice 新米grown by Kataori san’s father-in-law in front of his house, a real definition of “homegrown”. The small scoop of rice already captured my heart ❤️

蟹味噌汁Crab miso soup (pic 3) had a another crab claw meat inside, full of sea flavor.

氷見牛の八幡巻 Himi Beef Yawata Maki (beef roll with ごぼう gobō / burdock at the center) (pic 8-9) was served on the side of the rice, sweet and soft outside then bitter and soft crunch inside. Such an sophisticated side dish

Rice 2 was 氷見の鰤漬け丼 Rice Bowl of Marinated Buri (Adult Yellowtail) From Himi (pic 5), common in winter at Kataori as Himi produces some of the best (if not the best) buri in Japan. It is the best season to enjoy it.

Rice 3 蟹あんかけご飯　Crab “Ankake” Rice (pic 1, 4) - this was so stunning! Shreds of plump crab meat was covered with a slightly thickened sauce and a bit of shoga, the ginger here was applied so skillfully, the flavor immediately stimulated the palates. Crab and ginger was a common combination but Kataori san made it extraordinary. There was a layer of seaweed in between rice and crab meat, the little detail that elevated (pic 4)

Rice 4 was 鰹節玉子ご飯 Katsuobushi Tamago Rice (pic 6-7) basic to the basic with the fundamentals as the toppings. Always satisfying 😌

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(SWIPE FOR MORE PICS) 蟹みそのおじや Kani Miso (Crab Brain / Tomally) Ojiya @[instagram] 片折, 金沢 Kataori, Kanazawa (1０回目 10th)

I was also reluctant to give back my plate to Kataori san after the shabu shabu as there was some leftover crab miso sauce and i said I wanted to have some shari to finish it 😆. Then he said “Just Wait” 😯🤔 and then magic appeared!

Another two crab shells appeared on charcoal and this time it was not just plain crab miso but also with もち米 Mochigome (Glutinous Rice) in it. Kataori san used chopsticks to scrap off the meat from the front legs into the miso and cooked them together. Once boiled, we each got a small plate of the Ojiya (or we joked Crab Miso Risotto😆)

Kataori san said he did not put anything in the sauce, not dashi, just the crab water and crab miso and that’s it. And it was so so so so good. 100% crab flavor and you can’t beat that with the rice. Another silent moment in the room. We all went to heaven again 😇

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蟹みそのしゃぶしゃぶ Kani Miso (Crab Brain / Tomally) Shabu Shabu @[instagram] 片折, 金沢 Kataori, Kanazawa (1０回目 10th Visit)

This signature shabu shabu performed in front of the us was what made Kataori san famous at the beginning. Not that it is the first time people serving crab meat with crab miso, just that no one had thought of dipping it like this in front of the guests. And it was not just a show but it was a real clever execution where the best parts of crab came together, and every bite of the leg was coated with the miso “sauce”, amplifying the ultimate crab flavor with temperature and umami to the maximum level. It was so incredible and mesmerising that Kataori san became famous really because it was so outstanding rather than he performed a show.

Every person got a whole piece of the crab leg and a claw. They were so plump and juicy and the texture was so perfect, like it just gently kissed by the heat, warm and sensual 😇. If I die at this moment I die happy 😌😌😌.

If you have a big guy, try slurping the whole leg like Amamoto san (Video 2). THAT would be the ultimate way to enjoy it ❤️‍🔥.

Scroll through the pics to see each part. I am able to lick the screen myself. Give me another 2 portions I will still eat it without guilt.

Pic 7-8 you can see the transformation of the crab miso from raw to cooked. Video 9 was from last visit in 2019, where sake was poured into the plate with the leftover miso to drink.

But this series of crab shabu was not over yet!

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(SWIPE FOR MORE PICS) The next batch of male Kanogani was processed differently as they are used for shabu shabu which is quite common in kaiseki / Kappo that features full crab course menu.

The parts included are the meg, the upper part of the claw and the claw. You need a very sharp knife to cut the shell straight up, then extract the meat with a chopstick, removing the remaining part of the shell with scissors.

As efficient and skilled as Katatori, 7 people mean 7x 3 parts = 21 pieces still requires time! Now they don’t do it at the counter and finished in the kitchen. This video was taken in 2019 visit.

Those raw almost translucent flesh of crab were so pretty and mouth watering! (Last Pic)

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After kobakogani (female snow crab) came matsubagani (the male). To be exact these are Kanogani 加能蟹 which came from Kanazawa (please refer to the early post for the explanation). We had 3 huge crabs for 7 people 😍😍😍 (pic 2-3).

I have learnt my lesson and won’t post how they slaughter the crabs 😝. See pictures 4-5 and imagine 😆 . Once they got the crabs all cut up, one batch of legs with shell on was grilled directly on binchotan. It was more straightforward as for us to try the pure taste of the crab meat, but the grilling process is also by sense and experience. Kataori san watched the color change (pic 6-7) and touched the legs for the temperature to determine if they were ready, and immediately cut a slit and served them while they were hot.

If you know your way with chopsticks you can extract the whole leg meat in one piece 😎 (see pic 8-9). So incredibly juicy and full of sea flavor, particularly when when the meat was not broken into pieces. The crabs from Kanazawa just had better oceanic salinity, so so delicious 🥰. It was why I always come to Kanazawa during crab season.

Don’t forget the juice remained in the shell of the leg (see pic 10). I drank it all, it was another heaven in heaven 😇😌❤️

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3rd serving of the crab in the crab feast : 甲羅酒 Hot Sake (熱燗 Atsukan) was poured into the shell which was taken to the kitchen and grilled after we finished the kōbakogani. The aroma of the grilled shell of the crab went so well with the sake flavor. I slurped so fast, half drunk but so happy 😆🫣😌

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(SWIPE FOR MORE PICS) 香箱ガニKōbakogani (Female Snow Crab) is one of the items why you want to the snow crab season in Nov - Dec. The fishing period of female snow crab starts on Nov 6 so it gets to the restaurants on Nov 7 (which is right before my birthday, how timely 😝) and ends on Dec 29, which means you won’t get it in Jan. During these two months it will appear in just about all the menu in Washoku restaurants.

Kobakogani is usually presented either with its roe (内子Uchiko) and eggs (外子 Sotoko) or the legs aligned on top. Underneath will be the crab meat from the body. Isn’t it nice to have someone done all the hard work for you ? 🥰

Anyway too much background information again 😅. The kobakogani is by far the best I ever had. This was the case in the past (see pic 8-9) but when I had it this time again, it was even more shockingly good.

The vibrant orange color of the uchiko / roe was so mouth watering to look at and it was in this almost raw stage like those of female mud crab (pic 1, but it was warm and cooked gently, making the flavor even more accentuated. It was so soft I almost couldn’t hold it with chopsticks. It was in this incredible doneness that was truly mesmerising.

Kataori san told us before he timed the cooking based on the guests’ arrival time, so he never precooked the crabs ahead and reheat (which is the case in most restaurants). The freshness and precision of cooking stood out without any competition to compare.

I always found the kobakogani in Kanazawa the best flavor among all I tried as the sea water flavor was stronger. A lot of them from other places only give texture but no flavor. Inside there was plenty of sweet and savory crab meat, and tomalley. It came with Kanizu (crab vinegar) which I only used at the end to refresh the flavor a bit. The whole crab was just soooooooooo amazing in flavor and texture. It was at another level. The best I ever had.

Kataori san did not just win over others, he surpassed himself #littlemeg_best2022 Less

(SWIPE FOR MORE PICS) お椀: 加能がにの真丈
Owan: Kanogani Shinjyou (Dumpling of Kano crabs)

The previous post about dashi leads right into the dish which I consider as the most important course in kaiseki : owan, which is the dish where dashi is used as the base and other ingredients, often seafood, submerged inside. During crab season, kani-shinjyo which is a dumpling made with crab meat is very common.

This time Kataori san used Kanogani 加能蟹. The name came from 𝗞𝗮 of 𝗞𝗮𝗴𝗮 加賀and 𝗡𝗼 of 𝗡𝗼𝘁𝗼 能登. Only male snow crabs that are 9 cm or longer can be labeled with a blue tag engraved with the name of the fishing port and put on the market as "Kano crab".

Ok too much side information 😂 This was really what I came for, Kataori San’s dashi and local Kano crab. You can see in the pictures how clear the dashi was, not even any particles inside. The dumpling was bound together with very very little fish meat, almost impossible to tell because all you can taste is a full globe of crab meat very plump, juicy, and full of sea flavor, enhanced by the kombu oceanic note of the dashi.

Pic 8-10 were from Nov 2019 visit where we had the same dish.

Pic 5-7 were the bowls used this time, which I love ❤️

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A meal at Kataori in any season is always a very special experience. The subtlety of his cooking is phenomenal. The dashi gets prepared during the meal with everyone getting a first draw in a shot glass. It is so good! A new course was the tempura style fried kombu with ebi on top of it. A prefect match in taste and a total contrast in texture. One is tempted to ask for seconds.
Unfortunately this place is close to impossible to book as its popularity soared during the pandemic. But try, beg your friends to take you there. Less

残雪の金沢。
側を流れる浅野川。美しく透き通る青空。
雪解け水の豊かな瑞々しい調べ。
美しいお昼時に伺うことができました。
金沢の名店、片折さん。

大将ご夫妻の空気もお弟子さん達も皆さん
暖かで優しい、居心地の良い空間。
お料理はもう、言わずもがなの美味しさでした。
感激致しました。

奇を衒わないシンプルなお料理。
しかし一寸たりとも狂いのない凛としたお料理。
美しくそして優しいコースでした。

食材の細胞がどこも丸くて、まんまるで、
体の細胞にも優しく染み込んでゆく旨味。
お茶も全てこんなにまろやかなお味があるのかしら、と思いながら頂きました。

素晴らしかったです。

春菊豆腐、赤ガレイの一夜干しのお椀、
ヒラメとヤリイカのお作り、生クチコの茶碗蒸し
めじ鮪、寒鰆の焼き物、あん肝、、と続きます。
どこをとっても上品で繊細で深い味わいが拡がる。
ヒラメの状態も素晴らしくよかった。
生クチコの茶碗蒸し、クセの強いうのクチコが旨味と風味を良い塩梅で残しながらクセはどこかに飛んでいる。エレガントクチコ。エクセレントクチコ。
魚の火入れも絶妙でした。
当たり前かもしれませんが当たり前ではないんですよね。この完璧さ。
どのお皿も完璧って、ありそうでなかなか無い。
フナのおさしみ、鯉の洗いの感じですがフナだそうで。
フナあまり経験値無いのですがとても美味しく頂きました。香茸、豆腐入りの茶巾も美味、お出汁、あんかけ、本当においしい。お腹膨れそうで膨れない。
美味しいーー！、のエンドレスラビリンスコース。

締めのごはんものは5種類いただきました。
大将のお父様がお造りになっているお米もとてもおいしくて、そしてお母様お手製の梅干も酸っぱいのですがお茶漬けだとスルスルと日本の原風景を感じながら頂ける。

どれもこれも最高で、、
次回がまた楽しみです。

本当にありがとうございました。 Less

Another amazing meal at Kataori. All the ingredients were perfectly cooked and subtly seasoned to express their best natural flavors. Glad to see the Noto 115 shiitake again! •
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Kataori 片折 3rd visit — best experience here so far. Loved how Kataori san showcased the color and purity of late spring ingredients. The botan ebi was huge and sweet; first time seeing so many live hotaru ika simply boiled in dashi, pure taste of the ocean and umami. •
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Kataori 片折 2nd visit — I was even more impressed by the natural flow of the courses and the purity of the ingredients than the first time. Highlights were shirako on ice; freshly caught maguro slightly cut to soften the texture; and grilled shiitake which smelled like heaven. Looking forward to next time! •
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片折
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Back for winter menu. Quality was top notch as always, although still shy of the first visit. The fresh tuna belly had a tougher texture than normal so some insane knife skills were used to balance the texture. Shirako on ice also gives the shirako more grip but the highlights for me were the shiitake and crab dishes.
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#料理 #レストラン #東京 #食事 #food #foodie #foodstagram #stuffieat #kevcheeats #kevchekanazawa #kevche #kanazawa #金沢 #片折 TL4.59 Less

Dried fern rolled with fried tofu, wild mustard

珠洲産干しゼンマイの信太巻き、壬生菜

戻し方が丁寧なのか，雑味が一切ないゼンマイが出色。しみじみと美味しく、体に染み渡るよう。

旬の高級食材が美味しいのはある意味当然だが、地味な郷土料理にも真摯に取り組み、負けないくらいに記憶に残る一品に仕上げているのが素晴らしい。

2020年12月

Kataori Kanazawa, Ishikawa
金沢「片折」

#kataori #kaiseki #kanazawafood #片折 #割烹 #金沢グルメ #ゼンマイ #郷土料理
#michelin #tabelogsilver #ミシュラン #食べログシルバー #worlds50best #asias50best #opinionatedaboutdining
#美味しいもの好きな人と繋がりたい #旅好きな人と繋がりたい #食べるの好きな人と繋がりたい Less

First visit in the summer at Kataori. I was looking forward to eat the seasonal vegetables and seafood. As always Chef Takuya Kataori did not disappoint. His skills and palate is remarkable. Only established in 2018 he is now ranked just behind Ogata in Kyoto in the #2 spot for kaiseki restaurants in all of Japan. Even more remarkable is the fact that he spent his entire career in Kanazawa and was never trained in Kyoto or Tokyo. His dedication to source the best ingredients is incredible. He built his own supply chain and constantly interacts with the fishermen and farmers who supply him in order to improve an already outstanding process.
Besides his vegetable dishes the main attraction this time was the torigai (鳥貝 / Japanese Cockle) which very ever so gently grilled on the Binchō-tan grill. His dashi is not special for the season but made of one year old katsuobushi can easily compete with the best dashi in Kyoto.
One of the side effects of Chef Kataori being as good as he is, the reservations are becoming almost impossible. Less

Most likely the best Kaiseki restaurant in Kanazawa. Especially in the snow crab (Kano-gani) season. If you have your timing right, you come during the very short reason for the female snow crab (Kobako-gani), called "flavour box" in Japanese for its wonderful taste. And if you are really lucky, Takuya Kataori, the Chef/Owner picked up some Matsutake from Suzu.
Kataori-san kills the Kobako-gani right in front of you and the gently grills the legs on the Binchōtan grill. He feels when it is perfectly done. he then cuts into half and gives it to you. The leg is just warm but still raw and incredibly delicious.

This place only opened in 2019 and it is becoming very fast famous and hard to book. So be prepared to book way in the advance.

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