Happy Noms

Authors: Victor and Montague
Restaurant: Brushstroke
Exec Chef: Isao Yamada
Owner: David Bouley

Date: August 16, 2012
Dinner: Late Summer Kaiseki Menu

Food:

Cocktail:
“Ginger”.
-house-made ginger ale with rice shochu and lime.

Monte: The cocktail was light and refreshing, which was pleasant since it was hot outside at the time.

Amuse:
Chrysanthemum tea.

Monte: Really light and floral, there might be something more poetic about it but it went over my head.

1.
Chilled Summer Vegetables in Dashi Broth.
-includes a zucchini blossom stuffed with a dumpling of scallop and crab.

Monte: Again, it was light and freshly floral. Cooling and soothing.

2.
Golden Crab Egg Custard “Chawan-mushi” with Truffle Ankake Sauce.
-sauce of golden crab with black truffle pâté.
-finished with a few Australian black winter truffle slices.

Monte: After the first chrysanthemum tea and chilled vegetables, this truffled chawanmushi tasted like a heavy hitter. That’s just in contrast to the prior dishes though – after my taste buds adjusted, I found this dish to be very well-balanced and I liked the sweet crab meat.

3.
Chef’s Sashimi Selection:
-Back left: Seared toro.
-Back right: Toro.
-Middle: Ebi (shrimp).
-Front left: Shima aji (striped jack).
-Front right: Tai (snapper).
-Bottom: Wasabi and a chili-and-daikon mix.

Monte: The sashimi was very fresh, although nothing to go out of your way for.

4.
Summer Vegetable Chirashi-zushi.

Monte: aaand we go back to the gorgeous veggies.

5. (Victor)
Yuzu Perfumed Akamutsu (Grilled Rosy Seabass).

5. (Monty)
Maine Lobster Tail with Uni Sauce, Caviar, Yuzu Miso Cream (left), and Chrysanthemum Purée (right).

Monte: This dish was pretty fun to eat and I liked the multiple sauce options. I ended up liking the yuzu-miso one more, it had this juxtaposition of deep earthiness and light-herbalness that was quite delightful.

6.
Chilled Summer Corn Soup.
-with hearts of palm, cape gooseberries, and a mint licorice leaf.

Monte: All the flavors of a great corn chowder, without any of the heaviness. I would love to know the secret to make this at home.

7.
Seared Duck Breast marinated in Green Tea.
-Malanga Yam Purée.

8. (Victor)
Chazuke Broth with Steamed Rice.
-with crispy ume plum, hijiki seaweed, and dried daikon strips.

8. (Monty)
Dungeness Crab Zousui Rice.
-with fresh uni and sake-kasu broth.

Monte: Crab + uni = winning

9. (Victor)
Matcha green tea and wagashi.

9. (Monty)
Soy sauce ice cream.

Monte: Slightly salty/savory, but mostly sweet. It’s a really clever and well-balanced ice cream. I certainly would’ve never thought soy sauce would be a delicious ice cream flavor, so this was a great surprise!

Post-dessert snack:
-Right: Rice crackers topped with shiso powder.
-Left: Rice crackers topped with green tea powder.

Monte: The rice crackers were a great way to end the meal and just munch while reflecting on the great meal. They were almost gummy once you bit into it, which was a fun surprise. This was only my second kaiseki meal, so I don’t have as much of a reference as to how it compares to other experiences, but I personally thought it was really good.