Kaseki at Rosanjin

While in New York, I had one of the most memorable meals of my life at Kaiseki restaurant Rosanjin.

“Delicious food requires plates of a comparable level of beauty”
Rosanjin Kitaoji 1883 ~ 1959

Rosanjin is inspired by the artist and food critic Rosanjin Kitaoji and his lifetime quest for beauty and art through cuisine. The kaiseki meal with sake pairing really is an extraordinary experience. It's available at 3 price levels, $120, $150, and $200 and I tried the $150 menu with the sake pairing for an additional $98. I knew that, while I was in for a memorable evening, I would probably need help with the remembering and they kindly agreed to email a copy of my menu. The sake pours were really beyond generous. Do you know those glass bottles with small "pockets" for ice? Well, for each sake selection they first poured (from a 720 ml bottle) a small glass and then they half-filled the glass bottle! After about the 3rd pour I asked them to just fill the glass and forgo the bottle.

Kaiseki meal with sake pairing, the menu, April 1, 2009

Zatsuki: Shimmered spring vegetables with ise shrimp on top
Sake: Dassai Nigori - Yamaguch

Tsunagi: Mackerel sushi

Owan: Giant clam in sake based soup

Tsukuri: Toro & fluke sashimi, simmered octopus in sweet soy sauce
Sake: Ugo-no-tsuki - Hiroshima

Yakimono: Grilled black cod marinated in saikyo miso sauce
Sake: Square one - Nagano

Shiizakana: Abalone steamed with sake
Sake: Shimerhari tsuru Jun - Niigata

Takiwase: Deep fried butterfish with tofu skin, golden sauce on top
Sake: Kubota manjyu - Niigata

Syokuji: Japanese premium beef steak, rice & miso soup
Sake: Kanchiku - Nagano

Dessert: Gelato, rice cake with red bean paste

Rosanjin also offers an a la carte menu.

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Rosanjin also has a delivery menu with the most beautiful looking bento boxes I've ever seen. Seriously, go to their delivery page and you will cry because you are not it their delivery area!