Omakase ‡ Recipe

Prepare cucumber

Thinly slice half the English cucumber into 8 rounds about 3–4 mm thick. Pat dry with paper towel to remove excess moisture and set aside.

Assemble

Place a cucumber round on a small serving spoon or plate. Gently nestle a small portion (about 10–12 g) of fresh uni on each round. Drizzle each with a drop of yuzu juice and a light splash of soy sauce. Garnish with a micro shiso or microgreen and sprinkle a few toasted sesame seeds. Serve immediately.

Slice the yellowtail into 6–8 thin sashimi slices (about 5–6 mm thick) using a very sharp knife. Arrange slices on a chilled plate with a small bed of thinly sliced daikon. Spoon ponzu over the fish sparingly (or serve on the side). Scatter thinly sliced scallion over the fish and add a small dot of grated ginger on the side. Serve immediately.

Make miso glaze

In a small bowl, whisk together white miso, mirin, sake, and sugar until smooth.

Cook eggplant

Halve the eggplants lengthwise and score the flesh in a crosshatch pattern. Heat neutral oil in a skillet over medium heat. Place eggplant cut-side down and cook 4–5 minutes until golden, then flip and cover. Reduce heat to low and cook another 6–8 minutes until tender.

Glaze and finish

Spoon the miso glaze over the flesh of each eggplant half and broil or place under a salamander 2–3 minutes until the glaze caramelizes slightly. Garnish with chopped scallion and serve warm.

Prepare batter

Lightly beat the cold egg in a bowl. Add ice-cold sparkling water. Add tempura flour and mix very briefly with chopsticks or a fork—do not overmix; some lumps are fine. Keep batter chilled in an ice bath.

Heat oil

In a deep pot, heat vegetable oil to 170–180°C (340–355°F). Maintain temperature; adjust heat as needed.

Fry kabocha

Dust kabocha slices lightly with a bit of tempura flour, dip into batter, and fry until crisp and barely golden (about 2–3 minutes). Remove and drain on a rack.

Fry shrimp

Pat shrimp dry, leave tail on for presentation, dip into batter and fry until batter is crisp and shrimp are cooked through (about 1.5–2 minutes). Drain on a rack.

Serve

Serve tempura pieces immediately with a small bowl of warm tempura dipping sauce (mentsuyu) and a spoonful of grated daikon to mix into the sauce.

Season rice

Warm the cooked sushi rice slightly. Fold in the sushi-zu (rice vinegar seasoning) evenly with a cutting motion. Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary. Keep rice covered with a damp towel to retain moisture.

Form nigiri

Divide seasoned rice into 12 small portions (about 25 g each). Wet hands with water mixed with a little rice vinegar to prevent sticking. Press each portion into an oval-shape with gentle but firm pressure. Smear a small amount of wasabi on top of each rice oval, then drape a slice of tuna or salmon (about 10 g per piece) over the rice, pressing lightly to adhere. Serve immediately.

Parboil daikon

Place daikon rounds in a pot of water, bring to a simmer and cook 10 minutes to remove bitterness. Drain and rinse.

Braise

In a saucepan, bring dashi to a gentle simmer. Add soy sauce, mirin, and sugar. Add the daikon rounds and simmer over low heat for 20–25 minutes until daikon is tender and has absorbed the broth. In the last 3–4 minutes, add thinly sliced beef and simmer until just cooked through.

Plate

Place a daikon round on the plate, top with a few slices of the braised beef and spoon a little of the braising liquid over. Garnish with a thin strip of yuzu peel. Serve warm.

Make simple syrup

In a small saucepan, combine sugar and water. Heat gently, stirring, until sugar dissolves. Remove from heat and cool to room temperature.

Churn sorbet

Combine grapefruit juice and lemon juice with the cooled simple syrup. Chill the mixture thoroughly, then churn in an ice cream maker according to manufacturer’s instructions until set. If you don't have an ice cream maker, freeze in a shallow container and stir every 20–30 minutes until smooth and frozen. Serve a small scoop as a palate cleanser.

Marinate

Pat black cod dry. Sprinkle both sides with sea salt and let rest on a rack in the refrigerator for 20–30 minutes to firm the flesh. Rinse off excess salt lightly and pat dry. Brush lightly with sake and let sit 5 minutes.

Grill

Heat a grill pan or broiler to medium-high. Brush the fish skin with a little neutral oil to prevent sticking. Grill skin-side down until skin is crisp and flesh becomes opaque and flaky, about 6–8 minutes depending on thickness. Flip briefly if needed to finish (1–2 minutes).

Finish

Rest the fillet 1–2 minutes, then serve with a small portion of pickled ginger on the side.

Prepare

Place warm cooked rice in a shallow bowl. Flake grilled salmon over the rice and scatter nori strips and toasted sesame seeds on top.

Serve

Pour hot sencha or genmaicha over the rice at the table until just covered and serve immediately as a comforting finish before dessert.

Bloom gelatin

Sprinkle the gelatin over the hot water and let bloom for 3–5 minutes.

Heat cream mixture

In a small saucepan, combine heavy cream, milk, and sugar. Warm over medium heat until just steaming (do not boil). Whisk matcha powder into a small amount of warm cream to make a smooth paste, then whisk back into the saucepan cream mixture.

Combine and chill

Stir the bloomed gelatin into the warm cream mixture until fully dissolved. Remove from heat and strain into a measuring cup to remove any lumps. Pour into small ramekins or molds. Cool to room temperature, then refrigerate at least 4 hours or until set.

Serve

When set, unmold or serve in ramekins with a spoonful of sweetened azuki paste on top or alongside. Optionally dust with a tiny pinch of matcha for presentation.