Cooking
Small plate restaurants may seem like something new and trendy. But that's not necessarily the case. Many cultures have a tradition of small plates--tapas from Spain, dim sum from China, and koryori from Japan. If koryori is new to you, you're not alone. Koryori is actually a Kyoto version of kaiseki, a traditional ritualized seasonal meal that is born of Buddhist traditions and was developed to accompany the tea ceremony. Restaurants that serve it cater primarily to Japanese clientele and unlike sushi or tempura, koryori has yet to be widely known outside of Japan.
But there are koryori restaurants in the US, though you may have to do some research to find one. This past Friday night Lee and I enjoyed a koryori dinner at Kappa, on Post Street in San Francisco. It felt like being let in on a secret. Not only was the style of cuisine new to us, but the entrance to the restaurant was somewhat obscured with no sign in English. The restaurant had no windows and the door was solid so from the street you would never know the place existed. And the menu was quite puzzling, very few items were listed and some of them were only written in a transliteration--like "hirame usuzukuri, tsukune, and satsumaage". Finally there were many strips of paper with Japanese writing on them that must have been seasonal or special menu items but again, no translations into English.
The prix fixe menu was recommended for first time diners and was well worth trying. A total of nine courses were served, each delicious and exquisite in its own way. As an example, one plate consisted of six assorted single bites including asparagus in a thick sesame paste, surimi wrapped in paper thin slices of daikon, homemade unagi sticky with barbecue glaze and complemented by a fresh shiso leaf, a grilled scallop with red miso, a large poached shrimp in a cold creamy sauce and a mini piece of mochi stuffed with red bean paste.
The evening went by leisurely as we ate dish after dish and drank cup after cup of sake. The chef/owner and his wife seemed to take real pleasure in serving everyone, smiling and bustling about. It may have been a secret, but we were treated graciously and made to feel welcome. With only Japanese people in the restaurant, all speaking Japanese, it felt more like Kyoto, than San Francisco.
Kappa
1700 Post St., Suite K
San Francisco
(415) 673-6004 - Call for reservations after 4:30pm
Mon - Fri: 6pm - 10pm
Saturday: 6pm - 9pm
- Hashiri Restaurant San Francisco
No matter how much I learn about Japanese food and culture, there is more, much more that I keep learning. Nowhere more is this exemplified than at the latest Japanese restaurant to open in San Francisco, Hashiri. I knew that the changing of the seasons...
- Celebrating Autumn With Kaiseki
A kaiseki meal is one of the best ways to experience the Japanese culinary philosophy and to experience the seasons. Many of the trendier elements of dining in America today are nothing new in Japan. A kaiseki meal is a tasting menu of small plates, seasonally...
- Medjool:restaurant Review Closed
In the Mission district of San Francisco there is no shortage of good places to eat. Valencia street between 16th and 22nd in particular, is a culinary corridor. You can choose from Indian, Nuevo Latino, Italian, Vietnamese, Spanish, Mexican, American,...
- Chez Nous Restaurant Closed
If you are looking for a good way to celebrate with a small group, nothing beats sharing a meal and I really do mean sharing. Recently we ate dinner at Chez Nous on Fillmore street to celebrate Hande's birthday. While it's small and noisy, it's...
- Knoville? We Have Sushi.
vegetable roll (asparagus, mayonnaise, and, I think, cucumber and/or avocado), kappa maki and avocado maki, futomaki, bagel roll I'm sure you've heard me lament the whole 'there's no good sushi around here' situation in Knoxville....
Cooking
Kappa Restaurant Review
Small plate restaurants may seem like something new and trendy. But that's not necessarily the case. Many cultures have a tradition of small plates--tapas from Spain, dim sum from China, and koryori from Japan. If koryori is new to you, you're not alone. Koryori is actually a Kyoto version of kaiseki, a traditional ritualized seasonal meal that is born of Buddhist traditions and was developed to accompany the tea ceremony. Restaurants that serve it cater primarily to Japanese clientele and unlike sushi or tempura, koryori has yet to be widely known outside of Japan.
But there are koryori restaurants in the US, though you may have to do some research to find one. This past Friday night Lee and I enjoyed a koryori dinner at Kappa, on Post Street in San Francisco. It felt like being let in on a secret. Not only was the style of cuisine new to us, but the entrance to the restaurant was somewhat obscured with no sign in English. The restaurant had no windows and the door was solid so from the street you would never know the place existed. And the menu was quite puzzling, very few items were listed and some of them were only written in a transliteration--like "hirame usuzukuri, tsukune, and satsumaage". Finally there were many strips of paper with Japanese writing on them that must have been seasonal or special menu items but again, no translations into English.
The prix fixe menu was recommended for first time diners and was well worth trying. A total of nine courses were served, each delicious and exquisite in its own way. As an example, one plate consisted of six assorted single bites including asparagus in a thick sesame paste, surimi wrapped in paper thin slices of daikon, homemade unagi sticky with barbecue glaze and complemented by a fresh shiso leaf, a grilled scallop with red miso, a large poached shrimp in a cold creamy sauce and a mini piece of mochi stuffed with red bean paste.
The evening went by leisurely as we ate dish after dish and drank cup after cup of sake. The chef/owner and his wife seemed to take real pleasure in serving everyone, smiling and bustling about. It may have been a secret, but we were treated graciously and made to feel welcome. With only Japanese people in the restaurant, all speaking Japanese, it felt more like Kyoto, than San Francisco.
Kappa
1700 Post St., Suite K
San Francisco
(415) 673-6004 - Call for reservations after 4:30pm
Mon - Fri: 6pm - 10pm
Saturday: 6pm - 9pm
- Hashiri Restaurant San Francisco
No matter how much I learn about Japanese food and culture, there is more, much more that I keep learning. Nowhere more is this exemplified than at the latest Japanese restaurant to open in San Francisco, Hashiri. I knew that the changing of the seasons...
- Celebrating Autumn With Kaiseki
A kaiseki meal is one of the best ways to experience the Japanese culinary philosophy and to experience the seasons. Many of the trendier elements of dining in America today are nothing new in Japan. A kaiseki meal is a tasting menu of small plates, seasonally...
- Medjool:restaurant Review Closed
In the Mission district of San Francisco there is no shortage of good places to eat. Valencia street between 16th and 22nd in particular, is a culinary corridor. You can choose from Indian, Nuevo Latino, Italian, Vietnamese, Spanish, Mexican, American,...
- Chez Nous Restaurant Closed
If you are looking for a good way to celebrate with a small group, nothing beats sharing a meal and I really do mean sharing. Recently we ate dinner at Chez Nous on Fillmore street to celebrate Hande's birthday. While it's small and noisy, it's...
- Knoville? We Have Sushi.
vegetable roll (asparagus, mayonnaise, and, I think, cucumber and/or avocado), kappa maki and avocado maki, futomaki, bagel roll I'm sure you've heard me lament the whole 'there's no good sushi around here' situation in Knoxville....