I've been craving good Japanese food for a while. I wax and wane between this - after 6 trips there, I sometimes find it difficult to justify the price difference here and there, particularly for quality sashimi/nigiri. Considering you can almost get a return flight to Tokyo now for close to the same price as a Melbourne omakase menu makes it even more likely I might shun the local places in preference for those overseas. Canberra seriously lacks any kind of good traditional-type Japanese restaurant. Lilotang has outstanding food and Akiba has more comforting bar food, but neither have the same kind of elegance nor classic feel to them which I have missed.
After a quick read through the chef hats and reviews (and because Minamishima as the other competitor wasn't open), I ended up at Kappo for the celebratory meal between Christmas and New Year. The menu is intriguing - essentially an omakase of varying numbers of courses (naturally I selected the odoroki 9 course for $150 per head) and a listing of the ingredients that would feature (in order to remove ones that don't sit with you).
There's some autonomy in selecting your chopsticks from the presentation case and similarly sake sets to drink Okuharima from. Then comes the food, bit by bit...
- Miso tofu with daikon yuzu;
- Coffin Bay oyster with caviar (very creamy with a hint of tartness), vegetables with a delicious walnut satay sauce, fig with puffed rice, deep-fried juicy quail;
- Buckwheat tofu, dashi, ginger & daikon - umami soup and my first experience with the lovely buckwheat tofu;
- The Ocean - lobster, salmon, scallop, salmon roe, black rice, seaweed, sea grapes served separately then mixed together;
- Mustard leaves, kaki tempura, balsamic reduction
- Nigiri course - Toro with black garlic, King George whiting with ginger, Tasmanian salmon with daikon & chilli;
- Chawanmushi - sweet corn, crunchy "par" (?) meat which was some kind of delicious mollusc (texture reminds me of what they call arkshell in Japan but with a clam flavour). An outstanding combination;
- Puff rice tempura, scampi, zucchini flower topped with this incredible creation of wasabi ice;
- Wagyu sirloin with black salt, hoisin, peppers & sour peach
- Ume rice tsukemono
Desserts
- Yuzu & honey sorbet;
- Chocolate cigar, Japanese donut, apricot jelly with azuki beans;
- Creme brulee.
Roasted green tea was served to finish off the evening. An exceptional meal with modern twists on the traditional kaiseki. Yes, it is quite expensive. I can't wait to return to Japan.