DINNER AT KAISHOKU MICHIBA, TOKIO

“Iron Chef Japan” is one of my all time favourite cooking show that was first broadcast in Australia back in 2002.  This show is not for the faint hearted nor could you really learn any useful tips and tricks that you can then incorporate into your everyday cooking.  This show is rather, a theatrical performance on a great scale, where the produce is sourced from all over the world, where the truffles and black caviar are used in huge quantities without as much as a blink, the serving plates are of exquisite beauty and any challenger who wins over one of Iron Chefs will get fame forever.

I loved this show so much that when we decided to travel to Japan and were mapping our route, my husband suggested that we should try and book dinners at the restaurants owned by the Iron Chefs. After prolonged deliberation and hours of Googling, we made our final selection – we would sample the food of Iron Chef of Japanese cuisine – Rokusaburo Michiba and Iron Chef of French cuisine – Hiroyuki Sakai both situated in Tokyo.

What delights me the most in Japanese cuisine is no matter how big or small, cheap or expensive, plain or elaborate the restaurant happens to be, they all have one thing in common – every dish that is placed in front of you is served on an exquisite hand-made china clay plate or a bowl with other elements cut precisely into small one-bite delicate pieces and artfully arranged around the main ingredient. 

In Japanese culture the presentation of the food is paramount and it seems that every Japanese chef possesses the key knowledge of the principles and elements of design in terms of colours, textures, balance and size.  With great excitement and anticipation we stepped inside the Kaishoku Michiba restaurant, situated in fashionable Ginza district and owned by Rokusaburo Michiba.  “Kaishoku”, in the sense of being unforgettable, having its roots in the basic Japanese culinary arts, is how Michiba describes his own cuisine, calling it his culinary soul.

Sesame tofu served with sweet soy sauce and fragrant wasabi

Grilled whole tomato filled with tripe, whelk, shrimp and mushroom 

Fresh sea urchin served with fragrant pepper leaves, pike conger and yuzu zest

Deep fried aubergine, scallop, shrimp, fish, ginko nuts and okra 

served with thickened bonito broth

Grilled cheeswe aged in miso and sake leaves

A serving plate

A selection of porcelain sake cups

DINNER AT WAKU GHIN SINGAPORE

My husband is a quite a foodie and loves to take me to wine and dine at fine establishments not only in our beloved Sydney but also internationally.  I lovingly call him a food snob since he likes to go to places that have “Hats” and “Stars” on their walls and whose names are mentioned in the Michelin Guide book, preferably in the top 50. 

Hence, our dinner at Waku Ghin in Singapore was no exception.  We made Singapore our stop over on the way home from South Africa. We stayed at Marina Bay Sands hotel which is not only famous for its futuristic architecture and commanding view over the city but is a great food destination hosting over 60 restaurants cooking different cuisines from the four corners of the globe.  We both are great lovers of Japanese cuisine and our choice fell naturally on Waku Ghin, famous for its modern European – Japanese cuisine and renowned chef Tetsua Wakuda of Tetsua's in Sydney.

We were greeted at the door and escorted to one of the rooms where we, and only two other couples, were seated at the bar facing the shiny surface of the stove and the copper pans on the shelf behind.  Then the chef, alas not Tetsua, appeared.  He introduced himself while his assistant showed us a board loaded with fresh produce from the sea and land out of which a 10-course exquisite degustation menu was cooked for us.

And so the magic began

 Slow cooked John Dory with Roasted Eggplant

One by one the dishes were cooked in front our eyes so we were able to watch the chef's every move, learn the names of the ingredients and the method by each dish was prepared.

 Marinated Botan Shrimp with Sea Urchin and Oscietra Caviar

The kitchen bench behind the chef

It made us feel involved in the gastronomes world of haute cuisine, we were not treated like guests but more like participants in a show created especially for us.

 Gyokuro

 Puree of Potato with Soft Poached Egg, Black Truffle and Oscietra Caviar

 Australian Abalone with Fregola and Tomato

Each dish was magical with all the components being cooked to perfection and they matched each other in perfect unison

 Braised Canadina Lobster with Tarragon

 Japanese Ohmi Wagyu with Wasabi and Citrus Soy

 Consomme with Rice and Snapper

When the time come for dessert we were asked to proceed to the main dining room with huge windows overlooking the city and boardwalk. The reason for this became apparent with the start of the most spectacular laser show we had ever seen.

Salad of Rasberry with Wasabi and Granita of Honey and Vinegar 

 Chocolate Mousse Cake with Vanilla and Macadamia

Petit Fours

Dining at Waku Ghin was one of the best gastronomic experiences in the world.  I would strongly recommend to add it to your bucket list.