tesss

I love birthday dinners, infact, there are few people who will pamper me the same way I'd pamper them. So off we went to Shiraishi for a good night - at least that was the intent.   Shiraishi strikes me as aloof as with most Japanese restaurants but the only thing that differentiates is, they remained aloof till the bill arrived. So much for customer service, eh? Sushi Kaiseki was available at three different price points -  $150, $200 and $270.  I opted for the $200 course. Appetizer was a predictable broiled vegetable served with inari skin and bonito flakes. Grilled gingko nuts that are a little nutty and chewy. The sprinkling of salt gives this a nice savoury finish. Sashimi always makes me a happy and satisfied diner, nothing to fault with the selection except I have tasted fresher ika. Grilled Dish of king crabs and that sliver of creamy roe, which was certainly enough to keep the belly happy. Such is a luxury to have your crabs deshelled and I was savouring every bite! T...

As usual I had my list of kaiseki places to try and of all the dining reservations we had in Kyoto, I was looking forward most to Three Starred Kikunoi. Finding Kikunoi is by no means an easy feat since the signages were lacking and I vaguely remember Kiku refers to Chrysanthenum in chinese! We were warmly welcomed into the property and made our way into a maze. Down the corridor with our hostess and finally shown our private room. Million dollar view in a room so calm and quiet, I could almost hear my own heart beating. Their interior is changed to reflect the four seasons, just like their seasonal menus. The restaurant itself was established in 1912 and is currently headed by the third-generation owner-chef Yoshihiro Murata . Our pretty hostess shared the cook book of Chef Murata, one full of recipes. Every year the dishes are repeated based on the book and the creations look exactly as they are photographed and presented. Talk about precision to the finer details. Green tea and a wa...