When my friend Paula comes to town, it’s always a foodie adventure. We both enjoy trying new restaurants, but more than that, we really love interesting cultural flavors. I was definitely intrigued to try Kajitsu, a new Japanese restaurant that specializes in shojin cuisine, developed in Zen Buddhist monasteries in ancient Japan. Everything is seasonal, so they change the menu every month, and all the food is vegan, fresh and light. We splurged on the Hana menu, a 7-course feast for the eyes as well as the body. I started taking pictures at our third course. Here’s what we had.
Slow Braised Japanese Turnip with Black Truffle, Tokyo Negi and Lotus Root
Carrot and Shimeji Mushroom Soup with Maitake Mushroom Tempura
Fresh Diced Persimmon, Fig and Jicama with Creamy Sesame Sauce, House-made Tofu with Matcha Soy Glaze
House-made Soba Dumpling
Grilled Pumpkin Nama-Fu* with Cranberry and Sansho Sauce, Crispy Japanese Taro in Yuba and Shiso
*Fu is a wheat gluten, derived from wheat flour by separating the starch from the gluten. Nama-fu is a mixtue of gluten with glutinous rice powder. This is the same rice powder used to make mochi, and this pumpkin nama-fu had a very similar texture.
Matsutake Mushroom Rice, House-Made Pickled Vegetables
Close-up on the pickles
Chestnut “Yokan” Pastry
Rakugan Candies (by Kyoto Kagizen Yoshifusa)
Hot water for matcha (green tea)
Whisking matcha with a traditional whisk
Real matcha!
Beautiful, seasonal dishes are part of the experience of kaiseki cuisine.
Kajitsu was a wonderful decadent experience, and I’d love to go back in a completely different season to try it again. Thanks to Paula for coming to NYC to enjoy this awesome meal with me!
