While I was in New York, Chithra and I celebrated her birthday early at Kajitsu, a formerly Michelin two star (only one star now) Japanese restaurant serving vegetarian Kaiseki.

Being our first time eating a multi-course Japanese dinner, it was unlike any other dining experience. Much of the food was presented on priceless antique dishes from Japan. The staff were all very polite and clear in the way they talked to us and explained the dishes. The decorations at the restaurant communicate a sense of focused restraint that is mirrored in the food and even the service. Unfortunately, it is hard to capture this feeling of balance in meaningful way. You will just have to eat there to experience it yourself. However, I of course did take photos of the food for all of you.

We selected the 8 course Hana (花) menu over the 5 course Kaze (風) menu and special 8 course bamboo shoot menu. The first course was a Spring Jelly (新緑清流ながし) with green bell pepper, mountain yam, okra, kaede-fu and myoga. Served in a delicate glass dish with a slender spoon, the theme of this dish is subtlety.

The second dish, Tofu-Ball Soup (豆麩団子のお椀), is one of both my and Chithra’s favorites. It is a clear broth containing savory, fried tofu balls made from tofu, gosho-fu, carrot, burdock root, mochi, pumpkin-fu, mitsuba and ginger.

The third course: Onion Gratin with Crunchy Fried Spring Vegetables and Morel Mushroom Sukiyaki (オニオングラタン 季節野菜の揚げ物 生麩ソース モリーユ茸と木耳のすき焼 焼アボガド) with onion, yuba, carrot, celery, white asparagus, spinach, spring roll, gosho-fu, dijon mustard, morel mushroom, wood ear mushroom and avocado. This dish was a bit more difficult to wrap my head around. There were so many seemingly unrelated elements. The onion gratin was rich and creamy, cooked in a hollowed out onion. Wilted spinach and dijon mustard was a surprisingly effective combination.

Next, we ate House Made Soba and Sasamaki Sushi (手打ち蕎麦と笹巻寿司) with deep fried tofu, mozuku umeboshi and wasabi leaf. We were instructed to place all of the shredded deep fried tofu in the sauce before dipping the Soba.

The Sasamaki Sushi were simple balls of rice wrapped in wasabi leaves, presented wrapped in a bamboo leaf. I think sasamaki is a type of sushi that originates in Kyoto.

The next course was Seasonal Vegetables with Sesame Cream Sauce (お凌ぎ), featuring cabbage, red bell pepper, potato and wasabi. The potatoes were like fries. The sesame cream sauce was a sweat nutty paste.

The next course: Sizzled Rice Casserole (和風ナムルの鍋焼ご飯) with napa cabbage, yamakurage, mitsuba, daikon and pine nut. This dish had the most interesting presentation. The piping hot dishes with the rice and vegetables were brought out first and a broth was poured on top. It immediately started boiling and evaporating, creating a pleasant noise.

For dessert, we had Yomogi-Tofu with Black Sugar Syrup (蓬豆腐 黒蜜きな粉掛け) containing mugwort, soy milk and sesame puree. It was heavenly.

Since it was Chithra’s birthday, they brought out a special set of fruits for her.

The last course was Matcha with Candies by Kyoto Kagizen (抹茶とお干菓子 京都鍵善より). The candies melted in our mouths with subtle but distinct flavors. It was my first time drinking matcha at a restaurant. I don’t yet understand tea or coffee. Hopefully, I will sometime in the future know what is good matcha.

Eating at Kajitsu was an eye-opening experience. I want to go to Japan even more. Hopefully I will be able to experience kaiseki in Japan soon.