Geo duck flam added salt full#
Geo duck flam added salt zip#

The expertly made dashi added salt and depth, while the wasabi lent a slight heat that elevated the dish (without blowing my head off). It was strangely soothing, with the delicate flavours softly embracing my palate. The pillowy round of sesame tofu encasing uni (sea urchin) was perched on a small pool of dashi, and topped with natame (a Japanese spring vegetable), fresh gratings of wasabi and of course, a piece of the glittery stuff. Extremely well-balanced fatty tuna melting away to reveal creamy monkfish liver (surprisingly mild), with a welcome acid hit the sharp dressing and gently pickled daikon, which together with the spring onions gave texture to the mouthful.Īnother gold leaf-adorned masterpiece of Goma Dofu followed. structured acidity, reasonable length and good balance) – we sat back and waited in anticipation of the Kyoto-inspired feast about to unfold.įirst to be presented to us were dainty rolls of Seared Toro (tuna belly) and Monkfish Liver, tied neatly together with daikon strips and finished with thinly sliced scallions, 22-carat gold leaf and a light yuzu dressing. He may be the sous, but having tasted sushi crafted by both Hiro-san and him (who sweetly snuck me a few wasabi-free pieces), it wouldn’t be a stretch to say that his impeccable knife skills easily match that of his master’s.Īfter making our choices from the drinks menu – our first choice of Dom Perignon 1999 was unavailable so we settled for a Perrier-Jouet 1998 (yeasty, toasty nose with biscuity notes translating to green apples. Meanwhile the mild-mannered Ken-san works quietly and diligently beside him, brows furrowed in concentration. Urasawa is clearly serious when it come to food but he is not without humour in fact he is quite the showman, wise-cracking (“$10 a photo!”) and name-dropping (“I know Angelina Jolie”) his way through the evening. Any dietary requirements are of course catered for, but he reserves the right to veto certain requests – my own pleas for no wasabi were quickly dismissed with a disapproving glare and shake of his head. Meals here are served omakase, with Hiro-san deciding what to prepare according to what is fresh that day.

Geo duck flam added salt full#

From behind the 10-seater counter in pride of place, a broadly-grinning Hiro Urasawa and his apprentice (both clothed in full traditional garb), greeted us with a loud “Irashaimase!” as we were guided to our seats. Once upstairs, a maze of doors and corridors led to a traditionally curtained entrance that opened up to a compact, yet airy space. Finding the restaurant was a bit of a mission as it is inconspicuously located on the second floor, with only a tiny plaque next to the lift as way of signage.

Geo duck flam added salt zip#

Although all three boasted faultless cooking, Urasawa was the only to truly dazzle.Ĭonsidering the exorbitant $350 a head minimum, it comes as no surprise that Urasawa resides in a swanky shopping complex on Rodeo Drive, in the heart of Beverly Hills (bearing the famous 90210 zip code, no less). As with all our trips, meals at top eateries featured heavily on the agenda and on this occasion the hit list included Providence and Urasawa in Los Angeles, and Alex in Las Vegas all of which were awarded 2 Michelin-stars in 2009 (Michelin ceased to produce guides for both cities in 2010). Today, after a long weekend of festivities (aka eating), I’ve finally sat still long enough to pen my first post in over a fortnight. It has been a real struggle getting back into the groove of blogging since returning from the US – what with jet lag, friends popping over from abroad and the arrival of Easter.