Aunt Ellie has a tradition of taking a select group of people out to dinner on her birthday. This year, we (Uncle Dedo, Aunt Holly, Uncle Wade, Daddy, Mommy and I) were the chosen few who got the coveted invitation.
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(Thanks to Aunt Ellie for giving me a pom-pom hat she knitted!)
The dinner was at Kajitsu, a two-star, Michelin-rated restaurant and it’s vegetarian! The shojin cuisine is described as, “Kajitsu serves shojin cuisine, an ancient Japanese cuisine developed in Zen Buddhist monasteries. Following the Buddhist principle of not taking life, Shojin cuisine does not use meat or fish. Meals are prepared from fresh, in season vegetables, legumes, wild herbs, seeds and grains, chosen at the moment in the season that best reflects their flavor.”
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My meal is actually one of their courses “miso and sesame broth with vegetables” and rice. I absolutely loved it an gobbled down almost the entire thing.
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The meal was eight courses (with the exception of Uncle Dedo who ate four courses):
Summer Roll with Broccoli Rabe and Swiss Chard
(Turnip Puree, Avocado, Snow Peas, Sesame Seeds, Wasabi, Soy Sauce)
(Thanks to Aunt Ellie for photo)
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Vegetable Consommé with Onions and Mountain Yam Dumpling
(Tiny Turnip, Tiny Parsnip, Tiny Carrot, Spring Onion, Nori)
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Braised Bamboo Shoots with White Miso and Sansho Leaf
Marbled Sesame Soy Tofu with Yomogi and Ginger Soy Sauce
Cherry Blossom Potato
(Yellow Mustard, Truffle Oil)
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Four Flavors of Grilled Nama-Fu
(Red Miso Sauce, Balsamic Soy with Smoked Olive Oil, White Miso with Yuzu, Matcha Salt)
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Crispy Fried Soba Noodles and Spring Vegetables in Miso and Sesame Broth
(Lettuce, Broccoli, English Peas, Asparagus, Okura, Bean Sprouts, Enoki Mushrooms,
White Mushrooms, Scallions, Glass Noodles)
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Steamed Rice with Wakame Seaweeds and Grilled Fava Beans
(Sour Plum Paste, Sesame Seeds)
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House-Made Pickles
Sakura Mochi
(Azuki Bean Paste, White Bean Paste, Salted Cherry Leaf)
Matcha Tea with Candies by Kyoto Kagizen-Yoshifusa (Photos taken by Aunt Ellie)
Thanks, Aunt Ellie, for inviting us to “birthday dinner.” You know I loved my dinner. We hope you had a very happy birthday!