Having followed the rise of Restaurant Florilege with great interest for the last few years, I’m glad to have finally made it not just to honten, but also to the crew’s sister restaurant located in Daan, Taipei.
I’m certain you’ve already come across Hiroyasu Kawate, his gastronomic stock has been on the rise year on year, with his recent elevation to two star status as he continues to cook his heart out in leafy Aoyama, Tokyo. He is a practitioner of classic cuisine but like many things in the land of the Rising Sun, the soul of this restaurant is very much Japanese, with his craft directed at expressing the very best of the many jewels of Japanese terroir, rather than to simply import fish from Brittany.
Kawate san has had his entire career immersed in French cuisine, starting out under a Chef named Masahiko Ohara, who plies his trade in Roppongi. After that, he went onto Le Bourguignon also in the vicinity, and then jetting off to stint at Le Jardin des Sens in Montpellier. After returning to Japan, he went to work for Shuzo Kishida of the hallowed Quintessence before finally opening Florilege in 2009. Kawate had moved his restaurant in 2015 (the former space now occupied by the brilliant Abysse, also helmed by Quintessence alumnus) to the currently roomier and expansive open kitchen counter table dining room. Entering his 10th year as chef patron, he also welcomes a fresh michelin star win for his second act in Taipei called Logy.
The notion of the crew opening in Taipei, to work with the excellent but underrated Taiwanese terroir, was music to my ears. Given that I was in both countries for this trip, i grabbed the chance to experience both restaurants back to back. Kawate san has entrusted logy’s slick open counter kitchen – mirroring Florilege’s own – to Ryogo Tahara, his former sous for the last 3 years, naming it to signify the blending of Asian culture, grounded in Taiwanese soil. You can read up their concepts on how they finally decided to call it that, though most conveniently, logy phonetically is similar to roji; Japanese for alley way, which is where you will find the restaurant in Da’an district. Like Florilege, Tahara san’s cuisine is modern and unique, yet it is realised mostly through classic technique and showcases his ongoing study of the riches of Taiwanese produce.
Both restaurants only do taster menus, logy’s is carte blanche (for 3750NT / £95pp), Florilege’s menu give vague descriptions of the courses. Each menu is about the same length, 6-7 savouries and 3 puddings. Florilege has an additional shorter lunch menu, 6 courses for 7500yen /£55, though we opted for the long one (15000yen / £110). It is worth mentioning that Florilege has an excellent option for a soft pairing flight. I chose it, and its variety of tea, sparkling juices and fruit/veg extractions all carefully made by the barman to compliment each dish is superb.
Both chefs spend the majority of service on the stoves, especially with the meat courses, all slowly grilled and then finished on the pan prior to plating up. The skill is evident, all delivered on hot plates -as it should be for work this fine- with both chefs pursuing their own unique creations, molded around the seasons. In both cases I was very impressed with how both Kawate and Tahara had each masterfully weaved together a coherent retelling of the terroir they were working with. It was clear that their kitchens are fertile ground for the mentoring of fine craftsmen, and perhaps potential star chefs of the future. Florilege was definitely the more established act of the pair, their two star rating more than justified in terms of the kitchen’s technical prowess.
Although totally different, Florilege does feel like a Tokyo parallel of my own beloved Ledbury here in London, somewhat kindred spirits in the way they view gastronomy. Both men are classically trained but shun French products, instead eagerly direct their attention to the locality around them, concerned about food waste (Brett makes compost from his kitchen waste, which punters can take home, which I have on a few occasions for our garden) and both are especially gifted in identifying value in otherwise unloved ingredients or cuts by transforming them into something unexpectedly special.
In Brett’s case, he makes ethereal carpaccio slices by clay cooking irregularly oversized beetroots that are usually binned by farmers. Meanwhile Kawate san makes a luscious cold shabu-shabu from the loin of cows which have given birth to calves – meat that would never grace the menu of fine Japanese steak houses which -amongst other things- demand virgin cows. There is a lot to admire when a chef is able to raise noble produce to new heights of course, but it takes true genius to make something out of nothing.
Finally some words on the younger restaurant, logy and it certainly intrigues me because Tahara san is only at the outset of his Taiwanese odyssey. As I mentioned earlier, Taiwan is bursting at the seams with quality produce that is only beginning to get the global coverage it deserves. There is much untapped potential yet as I am sure Tahara san will continue to develop as he discovers and codifies more creations using Taiwanese produce. The man is young and enthusiastic and I have no doubt we will hear more of logy’s rising star in the years to come.
Though unannounced, this appears to be reconstituted to look like you’re pulling baked sweet potato from a pile of burning ash. I’m pretty sure they’ve pureed it through a tamis, then and encased in fried crispy shell. An aromatic amuse to kick things off.
This was the first entree of the taster menu, and a fantastic start. Full of flavour and texture, composed entirely of squid, tentacle to fin eating.
3. Shiitake-Mushrooms
With a creamy shiitake broth, nagano cheese, a chawanmushi and summer truffles, aka cheap truffles which do very little to nothing. With all the colours of Spring, this spectre of winter brown felt a little out of place if I am honest. It was nice, but no more.
4. Sustainability: Beef
Kawate san’s drive toward reducing food waste, with a message highlighting the 17,000,000 kgs of food that Japan bins annually.
Beef is the chosen vessel, ‘delivered’ cows from Miyazaki, perhaps never meant for the fine Niku houses whose USP are champion high BMS beef from strictly virgin cows. For our sitting, the cow was 11 years old at slaughter, its loin cut about half an inch thick, lightly cured by air drying, then left to marinade in beef stock in the fridge, which also features in the richly flavoured cold consommé in the eventual dish. It sits on potato puree pushed through an iSi whipper, and finished with herb oil at the table. The dish is finely made, with classic, well balanced beef and mash flavours. It has the sensation of cold shabu-shabu, the cure redolent of Spanish cecina, the moisture draw limited, reducing the beef to an attractive, slightly bouncy chew, and a subtle beefiness that persists. The overall palate is satisfying savouriness. Objective achieved: Things we throw away can be every bit two star delicious.
Back to the topic of food waste, it is intriguing to think about how it differs one country to another. While in Japan, people pay top yen for the aforementioned beef from virgin wagyu; throughout Europe, it is older cows (incl ex-dairy) which are sought after for both flavour (high b-carotene fat and tremendous marbling) and texture.
Meanwhile in the UK, we have Rose veal that is both ethical and delicious. Bull calves, i.e., half the births are literal by-products of milk production. They live for at least a year on grass, before slaughtering for beef – as opposed to simply shooting them at birth.
Outside of beef, there’s perception of what is deemed prime cut. Where one cuisine might prize say fish heads (cheek, throat, eye, collar) and poultry thighs, others don’t think twice about chucking in stock. Ultimately the best chefs r resourceful, and tend to respect whole animals, the gift of terroir, which I suppose is the spirit of gastronomy.
(…there are a few who throw it all away and buy in bones for stock).
5. Ayu “sweet” fish with mountain vegetables , fermented garlic sauce.
Although presented as sweet, the fish was predominantly bitter, to match with the bitterness of the mountain veg. The fermented sauce was much like an XO. Sambal fish so to speak. The fish presentation was great; grilled on skewers, though for me, i felt it was the weakest dish of the meal.
6. Bamboo shoot, scallop
This dish blew my mind a little bit, and really showed-off the class and craft in Kawate san’s cuisine.
Firstly, I like how he’s hidden the actual dish under a cress canopy topped with powdered kombucha.
The dish being sheets of bamboo shoot layered in between delicate scallop mousse (potato as binder?), resembling a reverse millefeuille, soft on the outside. It is cooked entirely in steam then given a hit of dry heat for a little colour on the exterior just prior to plating. It eats incredible well, contrast of textures and flavours – earth and sea. Pure tekkers!
Hamaguri clam also features in this dish, with half a clam, and then as a sauce. Its essential juices emulsified with some butter give the dish a rich saline backbone. Finally, the tea powder imparts bursts of umami complexity (not unlike seaweed), taking the dish as a whole to a state of peak deliciousness.
You might have noticed I ordered the soft flight with this meal, all mixed by @fumitake_o , and harmonising with the food to great effect. Here, Ohba san has made a mocktail from amazake (non-alcoholic sake lees), kinome, sancho and topped with meringue. Delicious drink in its own right.
This is very fine work. Exciting, natural flavours, seasonal, terroir driven, plenty of craft and perhaps best of all, a dish that is simple in appearance, but tastes anything but. For me this dish reaches a little beyond its two star rating.
7. Fish
Japanese rock fish, tomato, dashi saffron and sorrel.
Wonderfully grilled, with the subtle flavour of charcoal, and very little to no salt on the fish, highlighting it’s natural sweetness. I included a video (here) of the cut through and juices just eeking out. It’s perfectly timed.
8. To Share
Simply titled “To share”, for this sitting, an entire rack of pork cooked whole and on the bone, presented to punters, and then back to the kitchen. @hiroyasu_kawate is seen taking the meat off the bone to finish it on the pan, prior to plating. Served simply with rice that’s been brushed with sauce, then precisely caramelised and crisped up only on one side (doubling as crackling), with the other side remaining as perfectly cooked rice, just a touch al dente.
As for the taste… it is perfection. Of course, the pork itself is of notable quality, undoubtedly the Agu from the southern most isle of Japan, a short hop to Taipei. It is naturally tender with sweet subtle flavour. To the cuisson, wipe away the crust of rice, and you’re greeted with magnificent edge to edge sakura pink, glistening pork, with zero moisture/juice loss. A fantastic meat course, an altogether racy experience.
As with Logy, the team is seen at the end of lunch service, starting the meats on the pan for the dinner service. To colour, prior to a slow roast to achieve the consistent edge to edge pink across the meat.
I didn’t hesitate to pick up his book while there, simply titled “Cuisson de la Viande” (Meat cookery), which gives some insight to his timings and temp for various meats, incl lean game, all via classic technique, without ever seeing the water bath. His knowledge of meat is unsurprising given his background as Shuzo Kishida’s right hand man at Quintessence, famed for his laborious alternating high/fast heat and long rest technique.
I am old fashioned and I admire the craft of meat cookery, while there are a few masters out there, Brett Graham and Alain Passard are my heroes in the slow, multi-stage processes they use to raise their proteins. After my visits to Florilege/Logy, Clan Kawate is my latest. World class meat cookery.
9. Mango
10. Mugwort
11. Gift: Amazon cacao
Chocolate omelette with espresso sauce and fresh chantilly, aka “The Gift”, and its significance is the chocolate is made from Amazonian cacao imported directly from a Peruvian village.
To the craft of it, it is rather accurate and remarkable as this is chocolate omelette in the true sense. The pastry chef can been seen pouring the chocolate mix into a little copper pan to shake, stir, tap, tilt, fold and flip. Exactly the way I’m sure you do your perfect French omelette every Sunday morning. Glazed with espresso sauce instead of butter.
It’s very delicate, spoon goes in and it reveals the baveuse centre, as you would expect of a decent three egg omelette. In terms of taste, it is more akin to a chocolate fondant, but it is notably light and the chocolate being rather purer in taste rather than rich, with fresh cream keep things light.
I really enjoyed this pudding, clever reuse of classic technique, relying on chef’s skill to cook it to order properly.
Petit four of glazed Japanese strawberries
Logy, April 2019
1. A nod to Pho
With vermicelli, caviar, Macao leaf, mint, and a perky tomato consommé.
2. Squid and bottarga
Carpaccio slices of raw squid, karasumi, compressed stalk of native spinach. Topped with ice plant, goats yoghurt jus – Taiwanese terroir, and banging.
3. Chawanmushi with crab, wolfberries, hot beef and squid consommé and an ice cream of Angelica and celeriac.
The bowl is piping hot, and so too the consommé which is reheated in the saucepan and then poured at the table over the egg pudding, piping hot. A perfectly timed chawanmushi that is seamless and silkened, a classic pairing with crab, and the Goji berries – it’s unmistakable herb & light tang flavours – grounding the dish in its native terroir.
Then, the chaud-froid effect takes hold, itself reinforced by the smart pairing of flavours. The herb-root ice cream contrasting with the warm umami flavours, a sort of tension and a rush of the senses, alongside the melt in your mouth textures.
I love chawanmushi/royales of all forms as it is vogue in modern menus these days. This one sits high on the list of like for likes in recent memory as this is both delicious and creative. Banging dish.
4. Taiwanese white asparagus
Comte, lily root gnocchi (v good), chewy sweet corn meringue, and frozen foie scented with lavender. Paired with a Jura VJ.
5. Eel
Eel tempura on cooked pickled onions, with three sauces:
Green- spinach/coconut.
Brown- chocolate/aubergine
Black- charcoal aubergine/katsuobushi.
This was entirely illuminating – it appears conceptual, abstract on the visuals, but on the palate, the sauces combine to amazing effect, engaging all four tastes, with appealing overall umami, but nothing overpowers. A touch of the salty bonito is tempered by the freshness of the coconut, the bitter of the aubergine balanced by the sweetness of the chocolate, meanwhile the onions prop up the palate with acidity and so it goes, sinusoidal waves of pleasure.
The eel on its own is cooked wonderfully, juicy in the centre, and Tahara san can be seen refrying them just prior to plating, so it’s crispy enough to stand up to the curry-thick sauce, the comfort / satisfaction levels are sky high. Top notch dish.
6. Fish
Steamed brown croaker (boned and rolled), clam and pig ear sauce, native vine leave and a froth of nage, shiitake and saffron.
7. Duck
Tahara san’s pièce de résistance for this meal: 100 day old White Roman Goose from Tainan, free range and finished on a diet of barley.
Tahara san is a man after my own heart, he abstains from the water bath, instead favours good old fashioned multi-stage direct heat for his proteins.
He starts by firstly scoring the crown, then into the pan for colour. Though left unsaid when they presented the crown to diners, I’ve no doubt the goose has been air dried, since the skin is immaculately clean and glistens in the light. Then, I presume it goes under low and slow heat (for hours?), then rested, though I didn’t see this part with my own eyes.
Prior to plate-up, Tahara san is seen whipping the breasts off the crown and sticking them back in the pan – skin side down to crisp up. He then slices and seasons each slice. The resulting goose breast is a perfect edge to edge pink, juicy and moist, with crispy skin, and a thin cap of rendered, tasty fat. It is a big old bird, so it has a little natural chew but comes with bags of natural flavour.
The ode to Taiwanese terroir is ever present in the dish, the goose is paired with potatoes made into a light bloodcake (a nod to the famed Taiwanese street food), and topped with charred Yilan famous “3 star” chives. The duck jus is made with white port and Shao Xing wine.
As we winded down for puds, Tahara san starts the goose for the evening sitting on the pan; a good 4hours prior to dinner service, which is how I got the videos.
Having followed the rise of Restaurant Florilege with great interest for the last few years, I’m glad to have finally made it not just to honten, but also to the crew’s sister restaurant located in Daan, Taipei.
I’m certain you’ve already come across Hiroyasu Kawate, his gastronomic stock has been on the rise year on year, with his recent elevation to two star status as he continues to cook his heart out in leafy Aoyama, Tokyo. He is a practitioner of classic cuisine but like many things in the land of the Rising Sun, the soul of this restaurant is very much Japanese, with his craft directed at expressing the very best of the many jewels of Japanese terroir, rather than to simply import fish from Brittany.
Kawate san has had his entire career immersed in French cuisine, starting out under a Chef named Masahiko Ohara, who plies his trade in Roppongi. After that, he went onto Le Bourguignon also in the vicinity, and then jetting off to stint at Le Jardin des Sens in Montpellier. After returning to Japan, he went to work for Shuzo Kishida of the hallowed Quintessence before finally opening Florilege in 2009. Kawate had moved his restaurant in 2015 (the former space now occupied by the brilliant Abysse, also helmed by Quintessence alumnus) to the currently roomier and expansive open kitchen counter table dining room. Entering his 10th year as chef patron, he also welcomes a fresh michelin star win for his second act in Taipei called Logy.
The notion of the crew opening in Taipei, to work with the excellent but underrated Taiwanese terroir, was music to my ears. Given that I was in both countries for this trip, i grabbed the chance to experience both restaurants back to back. Kawate san has entrusted logy’s slick open counter kitchen – mirroring Florilege’s own – to Ryogo Tahara, his former sous for the last 3 years, naming it to signify the blending of Asian culture, grounded in Taiwanese soil. You can read up their concepts on how they finally decided to call it that, though most conveniently, logy phonetically is similar to roji; Japanese for alley way, which is where you will find the restaurant in Da’an district. Like Florilege, Tahara san’s cuisine is modern and unique, yet it is realised mostly through classic technique and showcases his ongoing study of the riches of Taiwanese produce.
Both restaurants only do taster menus, logy’s is carte blanche (for 3750NT / £95pp), Florilege’s menu give vague descriptions of the courses. Each menu is about the same length, 6-7 savouries and 3 puddings. Florilege has an additional shorter lunch menu, 6 courses for 7500yen /£55, though we opted for the long one (15000yen / £110). It is worth mentioning that Florilege has an excellent option for a soft pairing flight. I chose it, and its variety of tea, sparkling juices and fruit/veg extractions all carefully made by the barman to compliment each dish is superb.
Both chefs spend the majority of service on the stoves, especially with the meat courses, all slowly grilled and then finished on the pan prior to plating up. The skill is evident, all delivered on hot plates -as it should be for work this fine- with both chefs pursuing their own unique creations, molded around the seasons. In both cases I was very impressed with how both Kawate and Tahara had each masterfully weaved together a coherent retelling of the terroir they were working with. It was clear that their kitchens are fertile ground for the mentoring of fine craftsmen, and perhaps potential star chefs of the future. Florilege was definitely the more established act of the pair, their two star rating more than justified in terms of the kitchen’s technical prowess.
Although totally different, Florilege does feel like a Tokyo parallel of my own beloved Ledbury here in London, somewhat kindred spirits in the way they view gastronomy. Both men are classically trained but shun French products, instead eagerly direct their attention to the locality around them, concerned about food waste (Brett makes compost from his kitchen waste, which punters can take home, which I have on a few occasions for our garden) and both are especially gifted in identifying value in otherwise unloved ingredients or cuts by transforming them into something unexpectedly special.
In Brett’s case, he makes ethereal carpaccio slices by clay cooking irregularly oversized beetroots that are usually binned by farmers. Meanwhile Kawate san makes a luscious cold shabu-shabu from the loin of cows which have given birth to calves – meat that would never grace the menu of fine Japanese steak houses which -amongst other things- demand virgin cows. There is a lot to admire when a chef is able to raise noble produce to new heights of course, but it takes true genius to make something out of nothing.
Finally some words on the younger restaurant, logy and it certainly intrigues me because Tahara san is only at the outset of his Taiwanese odyssey. As I mentioned earlier, Taiwan is bursting at the seams with quality produce that is only beginning to get the global coverage it deserves. There is much untapped potential yet as I am sure Tahara san will continue to develop as he discovers and codifies more creations using Taiwanese produce. The man is young and enthusiastic and I have no doubt we will hear more of logy’s rising star in the years to come.
restaurant homepage florilege • logy
Pictures and descriptions of both meals below.
Florilege, April 2019
1. Sweet Potato
Though unannounced, this appears to be reconstituted to look like you’re pulling baked sweet potato from a pile of burning ash. I’m pretty sure they’ve pureed it through a tamis, then and encased in fried crispy shell. An aromatic amuse to kick things off.
2. Squid, rape blossoms
Firefly squid, Bigfin reef squid, squid ink pasta, offal sauce, rape mustard leaf blossoms.
This was the first entree of the taster menu, and a fantastic start. Full of flavour and texture, composed entirely of squid, tentacle to fin eating.
3. Shiitake-Mushrooms
With a creamy shiitake broth, nagano cheese, a chawanmushi and summer truffles, aka cheap truffles which do very little to nothing. With all the colours of Spring, this spectre of winter brown felt a little out of place if I am honest. It was nice, but no more.
4. Sustainability: Beef
Kawate san’s drive toward reducing food waste, with a message highlighting the 17,000,000 kgs of food that Japan bins annually.
Beef is the chosen vessel, ‘delivered’ cows from Miyazaki, perhaps never meant for the fine Niku houses whose USP are champion high BMS beef from strictly virgin cows. For our sitting, the cow was 11 years old at slaughter, its loin cut about half an inch thick, lightly cured by air drying, then left to marinade in beef stock in the fridge, which also features in the richly flavoured cold consommé in the eventual dish. It sits on potato puree pushed through an iSi whipper, and finished with herb oil at the table. The dish is finely made, with classic, well balanced beef and mash flavours. It has the sensation of cold shabu-shabu, the cure redolent of Spanish cecina, the moisture draw limited, reducing the beef to an attractive, slightly bouncy chew, and a subtle beefiness that persists. The overall palate is satisfying savouriness. Objective achieved: Things we throw away can be every bit two star delicious.
Back to the topic of food waste, it is intriguing to think about how it differs one country to another. While in Japan, people pay top yen for the aforementioned beef from virgin wagyu; throughout Europe, it is older cows (incl ex-dairy) which are sought after for both flavour (high b-carotene fat and tremendous marbling) and texture.
Meanwhile in the UK, we have Rose veal that is both ethical and delicious. Bull calves, i.e., half the births are literal by-products of milk production. They live for at least a year on grass, before slaughtering for beef – as opposed to simply shooting them at birth.
Outside of beef, there’s perception of what is deemed prime cut. Where one cuisine might prize say fish heads (cheek, throat, eye, collar) and poultry thighs, others don’t think twice about chucking in stock. Ultimately the best chefs r resourceful, and tend to respect whole animals, the gift of terroir, which I suppose is the spirit of gastronomy.
(…there are a few who throw it all away and buy in bones for stock).
5. Ayu “sweet” fish with mountain vegetables , fermented garlic sauce.
Although presented as sweet, the fish was predominantly bitter, to match with the bitterness of the mountain veg. The fermented sauce was much like an XO. Sambal fish so to speak. The fish presentation was great; grilled on skewers, though for me, i felt it was the weakest dish of the meal.
6. Bamboo shoot, scallop
This dish blew my mind a little bit, and really showed-off the class and craft in Kawate san’s cuisine.
Firstly, I like how he’s hidden the actual dish under a cress canopy topped with powdered kombucha.
The dish being sheets of bamboo shoot layered in between delicate scallop mousse (potato as binder?), resembling a reverse millefeuille, soft on the outside. It is cooked entirely in steam then given a hit of dry heat for a little colour on the exterior just prior to plating. It eats incredible well, contrast of textures and flavours – earth and sea. Pure tekkers!
Hamaguri clam also features in this dish, with half a clam, and then as a sauce. Its essential juices emulsified with some butter give the dish a rich saline backbone. Finally, the tea powder imparts bursts of umami complexity (not unlike seaweed), taking the dish as a whole to a state of peak deliciousness.
You might have noticed I ordered the soft flight with this meal, all mixed by @fumitake_o , and harmonising with the food to great effect. Here, Ohba san has made a mocktail from amazake (non-alcoholic sake lees), kinome, sancho and topped with meringue. Delicious drink in its own right.
This is very fine work. Exciting, natural flavours, seasonal, terroir driven, plenty of craft and perhaps best of all, a dish that is simple in appearance, but tastes anything but. For me this dish reaches a little beyond its two star rating.
7. Fish
Japanese rock fish, tomato, dashi saffron and sorrel.
Wonderfully grilled, with the subtle flavour of charcoal, and very little to no salt on the fish, highlighting it’s natural sweetness. I included a video (here) of the cut through and juices just eeking out. It’s perfectly timed.
8. To Share
Simply titled “To share”, for this sitting, an entire rack of pork cooked whole and on the bone, presented to punters, and then back to the kitchen. @hiroyasu_kawate is seen taking the meat off the bone to finish it on the pan, prior to plating. Served simply with rice that’s been brushed with sauce, then precisely caramelised and crisped up only on one side (doubling as crackling), with the other side remaining as perfectly cooked rice, just a touch al dente.
As for the taste… it is perfection. Of course, the pork itself is of notable quality, undoubtedly the Agu from the southern most isle of Japan, a short hop to Taipei. It is naturally tender with sweet subtle flavour. To the cuisson, wipe away the crust of rice, and you’re greeted with magnificent edge to edge sakura pink, glistening pork, with zero moisture/juice loss. A fantastic meat course, an altogether racy experience.
As with Logy, the team is seen at the end of lunch service, starting the meats on the pan for the dinner service. To colour, prior to a slow roast to achieve the consistent edge to edge pink across the meat.
I didn’t hesitate to pick up his book while there, simply titled “Cuisson de la Viande” (Meat cookery), which gives some insight to his timings and temp for various meats, incl lean game, all via classic technique, without ever seeing the water bath. His knowledge of meat is unsurprising given his background as Shuzo Kishida’s right hand man at Quintessence, famed for his laborious alternating high/fast heat and long rest technique.
I am old fashioned and I admire the craft of meat cookery, while there are a few masters out there, Brett Graham and Alain Passard are my heroes in the slow, multi-stage processes they use to raise their proteins. After my visits to Florilege/Logy, Clan Kawate is my latest. World class meat cookery.
9. Mango
10. Mugwort
11. Gift: Amazon cacao
Chocolate omelette with espresso sauce and fresh chantilly, aka “The Gift”, and its significance is the chocolate is made from Amazonian cacao imported directly from a Peruvian village.
To the craft of it, it is rather accurate and remarkable as this is chocolate omelette in the true sense. The pastry chef can been seen pouring the chocolate mix into a little copper pan to shake, stir, tap, tilt, fold and flip. Exactly the way I’m sure you do your perfect French omelette every Sunday morning. Glazed with espresso sauce instead of butter.
It’s very delicate, spoon goes in and it reveals the baveuse centre, as you would expect of a decent three egg omelette. In terms of taste, it is more akin to a chocolate fondant, but it is notably light and the chocolate being rather purer in taste rather than rich, with fresh cream keep things light.
I really enjoyed this pudding, clever reuse of classic technique, relying on chef’s skill to cook it to order properly.
Petit four of glazed Japanese strawberries
Logy, April 2019
1. A nod to Pho
With vermicelli, caviar, Macao leaf, mint, and a perky tomato consommé.
2. Squid and bottarga
Carpaccio slices of raw squid, karasumi, compressed stalk of native spinach. Topped with ice plant, goats yoghurt jus – Taiwanese terroir, and banging.
3. Chawanmushi with crab, wolfberries, hot beef and squid consommé and an ice cream of Angelica and celeriac.
The bowl is piping hot, and so too the consommé which is reheated in the saucepan and then poured at the table over the egg pudding, piping hot. A perfectly timed chawanmushi that is seamless and silkened, a classic pairing with crab, and the Goji berries – it’s unmistakable herb & light tang flavours – grounding the dish in its native terroir.
Then, the chaud-froid effect takes hold, itself reinforced by the smart pairing of flavours. The herb-root ice cream contrasting with the warm umami flavours, a sort of tension and a rush of the senses, alongside the melt in your mouth textures.
I love chawanmushi/royales of all forms as it is vogue in modern menus these days. This one sits high on the list of like for likes in recent memory as this is both delicious and creative. Banging dish.
4. Taiwanese white asparagus
Comte, lily root gnocchi (v good), chewy sweet corn meringue, and frozen foie scented with lavender. Paired with a Jura VJ.
5. Eel
Eel tempura on cooked pickled onions, with three sauces:
Green- spinach/coconut.
Brown- chocolate/aubergine
Black- charcoal aubergine/katsuobushi.
This was entirely illuminating – it appears conceptual, abstract on the visuals, but on the palate, the sauces combine to amazing effect, engaging all four tastes, with appealing overall umami, but nothing overpowers. A touch of the salty bonito is tempered by the freshness of the coconut, the bitter of the aubergine balanced by the sweetness of the chocolate, meanwhile the onions prop up the palate with acidity and so it goes, sinusoidal waves of pleasure.
The eel on its own is cooked wonderfully, juicy in the centre, and Tahara san can be seen refrying them just prior to plating, so it’s crispy enough to stand up to the curry-thick sauce, the comfort / satisfaction levels are sky high. Top notch dish.
6. Fish
Steamed brown croaker (boned and rolled), clam and pig ear sauce, native vine leave and a froth of nage, shiitake and saffron.
7. Duck
Tahara san’s pièce de résistance for this meal: 100 day old White Roman Goose from Tainan, free range and finished on a diet of barley.
Tahara san is a man after my own heart, he abstains from the water bath, instead favours good old fashioned multi-stage direct heat for his proteins.
(videos here)
He starts by firstly scoring the crown, then into the pan for colour. Though left unsaid when they presented the crown to diners, I’ve no doubt the goose has been air dried, since the skin is immaculately clean and glistens in the light. Then, I presume it goes under low and slow heat (for hours?), then rested, though I didn’t see this part with my own eyes.
Prior to plate-up, Tahara san is seen whipping the breasts off the crown and sticking them back in the pan – skin side down to crisp up. He then slices and seasons each slice. The resulting goose breast is a perfect edge to edge pink, juicy and moist, with crispy skin, and a thin cap of rendered, tasty fat. It is a big old bird, so it has a little natural chew but comes with bags of natural flavour.
The ode to Taiwanese terroir is ever present in the dish, the goose is paired with potatoes made into a light bloodcake (a nod to the famed Taiwanese street food), and topped with charred Yilan famous “3 star” chives. The duck jus is made with white port and Shao Xing wine.
As we winded down for puds, Tahara san starts the goose for the evening sitting on the pan; a good 4hours prior to dinner service, which is how I got the videos.
Cuisson !!
8. Loquat, gooseberries and frozen Taiwanese IPA.
9. Printemps pudding
Sakura & mascarpone ice cream (amazing), green tea, kinoko, transparent sticky mochi.
10. House made ai yu jelly, with fizzy coconut cubes.
A most Taiwanese final pudding to cap off the meal.