Kyo Ya was one of those places that I've been dying to go to. Apparently, I also walk by it all the time without ever noticing it. So maybe dying is a strong word. But really, it was delicious and everyone should experience a kaiseki meal at least once. Another plus was the special printed menus that came with our 9 course meal. Horray! Lucky for you, I don't have to rely on that vague idea you call "memory" for the food descriptions in this post.
First course was crispy fried rolled bread with shrimp mousse. It was good, but definitely outshined by all the courses following it. The thin and crispy shell and the flavor of the mousse reminded me of my dad's favorite Taiwanese snack food, ji chuan (chicken roll). It was fried perfectly with no trace of greasiness.
Next up was one of my favorite of the night, hotaru baby squid and udo vegetable with mustard miso. The baby squids were so tasty, tender with a burst of ocean-y innards. The miso was sweet and mellow so it didn't overpower the delicate squid. Plus I love the seaweed on the bottom, more for me to mop up the yummy miso.
Then came the daily special which had no description on the menu. So I'm at a loss. Oh memory, you fail me again. I think it was some sort of salmon maki. The outside was egg. I do remember the sushi rice being very tasty, perfectly vinegary.
The fourth course was clam mousse with spring vegetable. The green stuff on top was pureed peas. Don't ask me what the pink stuff was. I remember loving the pureed peas. So bursting of spring flavor. Ah spring, you rock my world. The chopped clams in the mousse ball was yummy, but they were unevenly distributed in the fish mousse.
Following that was a grilled skewered ayu summer fish, fried fiddle heads, grilled baby abalone with watercress miso. Next to the abalone was a piece of salmon and in the little pot, a chilled mountain yam soup. The summer fish tasted like a milder pike. I was hoping for some egg sac action, but was not granted with them. I loved the fried fiddle heads cuz I'm obsessed with the flavor of spring. The abalone was awesome. Like a chewier but still tender geoduck. Yum. The salmon was good, but forgettable. The pot of soup was probably my favorite. It was refreshing and tangy from the drop of umeboshi. I like how Kyo Ya upped the slippery/slimey quotient by putting a slice of okra on top. Awesome.
Then it was another broth course, sake steamed tile fish with takenoko an (fresh bamboo shoots). The little tree branch you see there was a sancho leave. If you never had sancho leave, you should go seek some out now. It was intense. Spicy, minty, and numbs your whole mouth. I need to get me some of that,
Yes, more food ahead! The 7th course was asparagus, strawberry, and shrimp with yuba shira-ae . It was refreshing and tasty. I'm a fan of any type of yuba sauce/dressing. I was fan of this one.
The last savory course was seasonal kamadaki rice (salmon) cooked in clay pot with miso soup and pickles of the day (shitake and string beans)
I love rice but I am not a huge rice eater because I try to save my stomach room for stuff with more flavor. But I ate two bowls of this. It was awesome. The rice was cooked perfect - sticky and chewy. It had lots of umami from cooking with salmon. The little burst of briny salmon roe offset the sweet rice. I've never had pickled shitake before, but I hope there will be a lot more shitake in my life!
We are finally at the end! Sakura (cherry blossom) flavored tofu in sweet soup with vanilla ice cream. The tofu was very firm, almost a panna cotta like texture. Cherry blossom is subtle and fruity. This was a perfectly light dessert to cleanse our palates.
I really enjoyed Kyo Ya. I think it would be interesting to go late summer and see what yummy creations they come up with with all the seasonal bounties.
Posts
2 comments:
the pink stuff was the little cherry blossoms (on 2 of the dishes)! remember??
@abusygirl oh right. even a printed menu isn't enough for to save the blackhole that is my memory!
Post a Comment