Celebrate the upcoming Japanese Tsukimi festival, a tribute to the enchanting harvest moon, at Kinu By Takagi at the Mandarin Oriental, Bangkok.
Tsukimi translates as “moon viewing” or “looking at the moon”. Like the hanami of spring and koyo of autumn, this festival honours the autumn moon. September is the best month for viewing the moon, according to the Heian person, which was from 794-1185AD. It is through the viewing that one pays gratitude to the year’s harvest and hope for the coming year.
During the festival traditional foods are eaten and these are found in the 10-course kyo-ryori menu, created by chef de cuisine Norihisa Maeda and consultant chef Takagi Kazuo, who lends his name to the restaurant. Until Sept 30, the 10-seat, kaiseki-style jewel, Kinu By Takagi, unveils a menu that is a testament to the harmony of tradition.
Though the menu isn’t the only thing that is special to the festival. The tale of the moon and its ethereal rabbit is narrated through selected chinaware and artful dish presentation, which chef Kazuo had specially made for this menu. “We believe that there is a rabbit in the moon who is making mochi. The tableware reflects that. One of the plates is from the Edo period and I requested an artist to make replicas of it. There are not commonly found in Japan and each one is made by hand-painted. A few of the rabbits have no face on the plating side but the face is at the bottom of the platter. These originally come from China,” explains chef Kazuo.
The menu stars premium black caviar from Sturia, France's leading sturgeon caviar brand, of which chef Kazuo is ambassador and has fragrant notes of Australian black truffle. While ikura or salmon roe, is a staple in Japanese cuisine, the black sturgeon caviar or black ikura, shifts this age-old delicacy to contemporary art. The chefs' mastery extends beyond these luxury ingredients, as they integrate the finest seasonal offerings into the menu, pushing boundaries yet staying true to tradition.
Commence the celestial journey with an appetiser of Hokkaido sea urchin, represented as the radiant full moon, alongside asparagus, maitake mushrooms and potato puree with black truffle sauce. Adding to the dish is sea urchin reflecting the golden light of the August moon. This appetiser is served in a specially-designed cup adorned with traditional Japanese art that weaves the tale of the moon and the rabbit.
With Kinu By Takagi's commitment to never let a palate go unimpressed, the soup showcases a marriage between Thai black mud crab and the zesty notes of kaffir lime, which is grated atop minutes before serving. The soup also combines green beans and hiratake mushrooms in a clear broth infused with the kaffir lime aroma. The crab cake's distinct, irregular round shape pays homage to traditional Japanese art. The hand-painted soup bowl in which it is served is a piece of art in itself. Don’t forget to admire the storks on the inside of the lid, which takes inspiration from the Edo period painting, “Wild Geese Flying Under The Full Moon” by Utagawa Hiroshige. The crab cake in soup also is after a painting, just ask chef Maeda.
The hassun course, an assortment of six delightful bites, pays homage to traditions and the mid-autumnal essence of Japan. Dive into tuna sushi with Sturia Oscietra caviar, foie gras with black truffles and lily bulbs or the Hagi No Sato, which is egg yolk, minced shrimp, edamame and ear mushrooms in a delightful bite. Hagi is an autumnal flower frequently depicted in Japanese mid-autumn artwork. In homage to this flower, ancient Japanese culinary artists crafted an egg yolk paste dish and christened it “Hagi No Sato”. The six morsels are presented on an exquisite taro-leaf-shaped silverware, echoing Japan's love for the seasonal taro leaves. “We normally eat taro leaves during the festival, but since I couldn’t find it here, I had a platter designed to look like a taro leaf,” says chef Kazuo.
The tempura course highlights the delicate, fine-boned conger eel or hamo, showcasing chef Maeda's unparalleled hamo-cutting technique, “honekiri”. Conger eel tempura is served with sticky tempura sauce and Japanese plum sauce. The pièce de résistance is the tottori wagyu beef paired with rich teriyaki and black truffle. Dessert isn’t far behind with Shine muscat.
The “Moon Gazing Dinner” is priced at B8,000++ per person, from Wednesday to Sunday, and is available until Sept 30. Call 02-659-9000 or email mobkk-kinubytakagi@mohg.com.
