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Layered serving paper and folded paper

Shiwasu, the old name for December, is said to come from a time of year so busy that even priests, or shi, are said to run about, or hashiru — though…

Kabocha dumplings

Deep-Fried Shrimp with Yuzu Fragrance and Seasonal Fruit

For the fried course, we turn dried persimmon into a paste, spread it into a sheet, and set kimi-zushi, sushi made with sweet-vinegared cooked egg…

Whale blubber with daikon

For the mochi-kujira — a fatty, gelatinous cut of whale prized for its chewy texture — and daikon, we used minke whale. Because the skin peels away…

Lily Bulb and Ginkgo Nut Salad

Think of the lily bulb and ginkgo nut salad as a variation on zunda-ae (mashed-edamame dressing). We salt-steam the lily bulb, let it absorb a thin…

Quail shinjo

The clear-soup course is quail shinjo. Quail alone has a slight gaminess, so we combine it with ground chicken and add a small amount of sansho…

Butterfish grilled with avocado

Kuwai Shaped as a Pinecone

For the pinecone-shaped arrowhead tuber, we finish it in two colors using matcha, shaping it with the pincers used for soft wagashi dough.

Monkfish liver terrine

We titled this course 'Toshi Hatsuru Tsuki' (the month the year comes to an end) — I understand that 'toshi hatsuru' gradually slurred into the word…

Sweetfish milt in autumn-leaf dressing, persimmon namasu with tofu dressing, and amigasa daikon

For the ayu shirako in autumn-leaf dressing, we desalt the ayu shirako while leaving a little salt in, then steep it in a base of salt-fermented…

Tender-simmered yellowtail with a thickened sauce

The larch bolete mushroom in this simmered dish is one that's salt-preserved in places like Shinshu, Nagano; we boil it, rinse it in water, and let…

Icefish wrapped and deep-fried, and kuruma prawn and shiitake roll in overlapping thin layers, deep-fried in a thin batter

Surf clam grilled with sea urchin sauce, duck wrapped in Shimonita leek, cod wrapped in its own milt and grilled with tomo-dare sauce, shrimp-shaped taro grilled Shigaraki-style

This time I made grilled dishes the centerpiece. For the surf clam grilled with uni sauce, the equal-parts mixture of three seasonings becomes…

Korenai Pork Bone-In Loin, Tsugaru-Style Grill

This is the Korenai pork bone-in loin, Tsugaru-style grill. This time I used loin, but let me explain using pork belly instead: cut the belly into a…

Lotus-Root Mochi Rock Crab

For the lotus-root mochi in this soup course, we deep-fry it in low-temperature oil, and once the surface has set, we take it out and put it in the…

Dried Fruit, Soft-Smoked Salmon, and Prosciutto in a Sake-Lees Cheese Dressing

The coating for the dried fruit, soft-smoked salmon, and prosciutto in sasamo-cheese dressing combines 30 g of fromage blanc, 30 g of cream cheese…

Botan Shrimp

For the botan shrimp's shrimp-miso soy sauce, adding a little raw sea urchin gives it a wonderful character. For color, we added finely grated…

Clam steamed sticky rice with a salted sea-cucumber intestine drizzle

For the appetizer of clam steamed sticky rice with a konowata drizzle, we soak glutinous rice in kombu dashi before steaming it, then, while it's…

Line-caught local tilefish from the Genkai Sea, lightly salted and grilled, with scallion, karasumi, and sudachi, in a 'hidden-flavor' broth bowl

The tilefish from the Genkai Sea used in this grilled dish is, I'd say, about as fine as it gets — thanks to the salinity of the seawater and the…

Fugu Wrapped in Endive

What we lay beneath the fugu wrapped in endive is the heart of a napa cabbage. As the weather turns cold it grows sweeter and takes on a different…

Snow crab, blanched white taro shoots, and fine-julienned okra with ginger-scented kuzu-thickened vinegar

For the vinegared dish of snow crab, blanched white taro shoots, and fine-julienned okra, the snow crab is expensive, so we use the packaged…

Himi Yellowtail Turnip Roll

As for the mochi-ginkgo in this simmered dish, if you deep-fry it plain, without any coating, oil gets in, so it's better to dust it lightly in a…

Pufferfish skin chakin bundle filled with milt / black daikon from Keihoku, Kyoto

For the fugu-skin chakin bundle with milt in the soup course, we combine fish paste with an egg base. We mix chopped fugu skin and the fish-paste…

Monkfish liver roll in amber glaze, small kuruma prawn with chili miso, checkerboard warm-smoked salmon, Ezo abalone sushi, king crab and tomato, chrysanthemum foie gras, stuffed bamboo fungus mushroom served with caviar

In the tray dish of saimaki shrimp with chili miso, the Chōkō miso from Nagasaki that I use has a spiciness that doesn't linger in the throat, and…