Mother’s Day Sakura Kaiseki Menu
By Sherry Li 
June 9, 2010 
14 Comments
EN Japanese Brasserie
435 Hudson Street
New York, NY 10014
Tel: 212.647-9196
Website
Following LUCKYRICE’s Grand Feast where EN served up their delectable Tofu, I decided to stop in with my parents for Mother’s Day. Not only was EN a continuous supporter of City Harvest , but you can find them supporting many other worthy causes around the city, a few examples include Action against Hunger and Asian American For Equality (AAFE).
Mother’s Day 2010 in New York City arrived on a chilly and windy day that was very unfitting of its May setting. Luckily, I was able to give my mom (and dad) a cozy spring-like experience at EN Japanese Brasserie last Sunday, with the Sakura Kaiseki menu. It’s probably the closest anyone can get to Japan without setting foot on some sort of vehicular transportation.
EN Japanese Brasserie offers “modern izakaya†dining with traditional Japanese home-style cooking in a sophisticated New York locale. The freshly made tofu has always been the highlight of the menu for me personally, but this time, I decided to take the plunge and get the whole shebang. Anything for moms, right?
EN already offers two separate kaiseki courses on its regular menu, but the Sakura Kaiseki menu is seasonal only in the Spring. Every dish is infused with cherry blossoms in some way – whether it is the flower itself, the leaves, or the wood (using for smoking food). The excursion takes the hungry traveler through 8 destinations, starting with light bite-size appetizers all the way through to dessert. Each course is designed to fill a different part of the palate and illustrate the flexibility and diversity of Japanese cuisine.
While the French might be known for being the masters of sight and taste when it comes to food, the Japanese do not lose. Cherry blossoms weren’t only used to mature the flavors of each dish but also became part of the portrait. By the end of the meal, we had all but forgotten the cold brutal storm brewing outside the window. The sake definitely helped warm us up too.
First Course
Hassun: yuba sashimi with sakura ponzu, smoked duck breast with cherry jam and gold leaf, sakura dofu – silken cherry blossom tofu, seared prime filet of beef with an herbacious kinome miso, grilled sakura infused takenoko (young bamboo shoot) & uni temarizushi with black truffle salt
Our first course was the hassun, which came in a shallow weaved bamboo basket containing 6 hors d’ oeuvres bites. Let’s take a moment and just drink in the sight of this. Other than in Japan, I don’t think I’ve encountered something quite beautiful at a dinner table.
The uni temarizushi was not sweet, like I expected. It was very rich though – with the graininess of the black truffle salt.
The sakura dofu was light and fruity, like a tofu jelly! The ponzu gave it a hint of sweetness too.
I really enjoyed the smoked duck. Not only was the gold leaf the highlight of the course, the cherry jam offered a touch of sweet and the water chestnut and crispy lotus gave it a crunch finish.
Second Course
Edamame and Tonyu Soup: creamy purée of edamame and soy milk
The soup came in a marvelously gold dust lacquered bowl. Upon opening the domed lid, the fragrant aroma of the soy milk floated up to my nose. The puree was a subtle green hue with a cherry blossom bud carelessly floating in the center. The edamame definitely helps envelope the flavors and seals it nicely. The soup was slightly salty but overly. It was a very refreshing soup!
Third Course
Chef’s Sashimi Selection: yellowtail, sea bream, mackerel, and blue shrimp
Absolutely delicious and fresh too! The blue shrimp was like a jumbo amaebi (sweet shrimp). My parents, who lived in Nagoya for 5 years, were very impressed with this sashimi course too. I’m not the only one!
Fourth Course
Sakura Manjyu: sauteed chicken, edamame and red miso wrapped with cherry blossom rice
This was possibly the most unique dish. It was a lovely combination of colors, aroma, taste, and texture. The cherry blossom rice was moist and sticky and helped guard all the well seasoned flavors of the chicken. The warm soup that the manjyu was immersed in was a welcome warmth on a cold day!
Fifth Course
Sawara & Yuba Shabu Shabu: thinly sliced spring fish & vegetables served with a cherry leaf dashi for light cooking and a sakura ponzu dipping sauce
This was the most interactive course of the meal! I love shabu shabu! EN is known for its seafood shabu shabu, and I can see why! The various characters in the shabu shabu came in a nice wooden box with 4 compartments, which included mizuna (a Japanese watercress), sawara, fried tofu, mochi, and a sakura ponzu dipping sauce. The fried tofu, bear with my tofu bias, was excellent. Fun and delicious!
Sixth Course
Sakura Aburi Washugyu: cherry-wood smoked short rib washugyu served on a hot stone with cherry blossom salt
I did not expect this! By the end of the 5th course, I thought we would be ready for dessert. Little did I know there were still 2 more courses before dessert! This was my dad’s favorite part of the meal. A good portion of thickly sliced (well, as thickly as beef on hot stone can be cooked) short rib with a quail egg, fukinotou (which as explained to me by the waitress as butterbur bud), and cherry blossom salt.
Seventh Course
Sakura Soba: chilled cherry blossom buckwheat noodles served with a delicate sakura dipping broth
I absolutely love chilled soba in the spring and summer. Soba should be eaten chilled, for sure. EN makes this soba in-house, which makes it even more amazing. You can definitely taste the cherry blossom essence in the noodles!
Eighth Course
Mizugashi: Sakura Mochi Ice Cream served with Tonyu Amazake
DESSERT!! I couldn’t pick between which I liked more. The mochi and ice cream was really gooey and sweet… while the red bean cake was moist and… well, red bean-y (and I love red bean). The amazake was also very nice, almost like a rice pudding. The waitress told us it was non-alcoholic but I could taste a tiiiiiny bit of alcohol in it. It was really good – nice balance to the sweetness of the ice cream and cake!
The EN Sakura Kaiseki is most definitely a feast. It proves that food is an experience that incorporates all five senses – taste, sight, smell, touch, and sound. From the crackling of the grilled washugyu to the rich aroma of the edamame puree soup… you almost have to stop and determine which one of your senses is being tickled by EN’s treat.
Come next Spring, I wonder what EN will bring next!
Photos by Sherry Li for Appetite for Good.
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Dera Friend!
Greetings from Shizuoka, Japan!
It is so good to see that you can enjoy true Japanese food (with a little “global” fusion note!LOL) away from the Land of the Rising Sun!
It is the more gratifying for someone like me who is lucky enough to savour it here in Japan!
Great pics and great posting!
Thank you so much for sharing!
Cheers,
Robert-Gilles
Thanks! I love japanese food and i really need to go back to japan! its been wayyyyy too long!
All these pictures make me want to drooooool
Konnichiwa! Yonde kurete arigatou!
I’m very jealous that you can enjoy food in Japan! I definitely need to go back soon
Great post, the pictures are amazing…so glad it was about my favorite food:)
Thank you! I’m glad you enjoyed the photos!
The food looks great and the photos are just amazing.
Thank you! EN is one of my favorite restaraunts in the city!
You are right, these photos are truly beautiful and how lucky to have been able to enjoy ALL these foods! Each course seems better than the last… thanks for sharing!
Definitely! I couldn’t believe my eyes when each course was served. I was also very happy my parents enjoyed the meal as well
Oishii !!! You make me want to travel to Japan again. Absolutely mouthwatering photos.
Glad you enjoyed! Hope you make your trip to Japan soon!
These photos are amazing Sherry! I have a hankering for Japanese food now…
Thanks, Lydia! The food was so pretty; I was quite inspired! I feel like I can eat Japanese forever, it’s so good!!
Hi Sherry
These Japanese food looks so delicious..:)
http://www.lilian-eblog.com