travelswithalice

December 06, 2012

Fugu Night: Exquisite dinner with Itamae Tanaka at Fujita

It took us at least half an hour and two runs up and down Pontocho before settling on a place to have our authentic Japanese dinner. We saw an elderly couple come out of the restaurant smiling the smile of the satisfied customer. That's the place we want, I said.

Yumi, the resident English speaker, came out to vet us. Very kindly, we were asked if we had reservations; then if we had an idea of the kind of food they served; and finally, if we had an idea of the prices they charged.

That's when we decided this must be the place!

There was only the one long counter, ten seats, cushions really. You sit on the floor, but there's that very welcome and very forgiving recess under the table.

We drank beer as we waited for dinner to be served. We had neglected to ask how many courses there would be.

First came an appetizer dish nestled in a bamboo cage decorated with tiny autumn leaves. Steamed chicken with raisins, half a chestnut with crisped skin, a small disk of cream cheese topped with smoked salmon, and a sardine sashimi.

By this time, we had an inkling that dinner was going to be special.
Next came sashimi. There were Spanish mackerel, turbot, and squid. Oops, we can't have that. Seafood allergy. He quickly retrieved the dish to remove the potentially offending seafood.

In a small bowl was a kind of salad. Chef Tanaka said, "Fugu. Do you know Fugu?"

Oh dear. Blowfish. That infamous delicacy favored by diners with a death wish.

Is he licensed to serve that? Stuart asked to see his license. Really? Yes, really. Off he went to get it.

Now that we've got that cleared, we can proceed to the rest of this really exquisite meal.

There was Flatfish on a bed of braised eggplant, topped with Japanese green pepper, in a brown broth. Grilled Spanish mackerel marinated in soy sauce, lime, and sake. Local vegetables served in broth thickened with tofu skin and kelp.

And finally, rice. But this was rice as I've never eaten rice before. It came submerged in rich fish broth, topped with sea bream, spiked with wasabi, and sprinkled with sesame seeds and strips of nori. All to be stirred and eaten with a pretty blue and white spoon.