It’s unlikely that grilled black-bear bacon wrapped around asparagus spears and topped with tasazu (sweet vinegar) and glistening spheres of orange salmon roe would have been on a traditional Japanese kaiseki menu. Nor would loin of grilled venison stuffed with cream cheese and bathed in a peppercorn demiglace. But both appear on the version served at Heat. “Our kaiseki menu isn’t far from what you’d find in Tokyo today,” says Kee Chan, who owns the restaurant with his brother Macku. “We follow many of the traditional principles, but not all of them. The cuisine in Tokyo today has a large French influence.”
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The name comes from the legend that Buddhist priests would put warm stones (seki) in their kimono pockets (kai) to distract themselves from their empty stomachs during strict Zen training. The meal melds Zen principles of serenity and balance with Shinto beliefs in the primacy of nature, hospitality, and art, incorporating exquisite utensils and elaborate serving dishes. It’s supposed to be a spiritual experience, feeding the soul and the gut equally.
The 11 courses served by the Chans do follow the classic kaiseki progression from subtle flavors to strong ones. The meal offers a feast for the eyes as well: colorful garnishes, contrasting colors, shapes, and textures, and even serving dishes in varying shapes and sizes. Traditionally, “hot dishes generally come on ceramic plates or bowls while cold ones come on glass,” says Kee. But “today’s chefs don’t pay as much attention to the plate as they do to the artistic value of the food.”
Finishing up the meal were a sushi course–a spicy tuna hand roll that guests were instructed to consume immediately so the jet-black, smoky nori (seaweed) remained crisp–and a small bowl of udon noodles in kani (crab) broth, perhaps the most traditional dish in the batch. The finale was an overly complicated combination of deep-fried litchi in melon juice with a scoop of mango-and-lemon-skin gelato. The gelato alone would have been just right.
Art accompanying story in printed newspaper (not available in this archive): photos/Nathan Mandell.
