When the elevator opens into the basement of 139 Bourke Street, it feels like you’re miles away from the Melbourne CBD. Once you sit at ’s long wooden bar, you can watch chef make a flower-shaped pumpkin cake inspired by his grandma, grill wagyu with miso on a magnolia leaf and slice into a piece of tuna belly.
Observing the chef at work, it becomes rapidly clear why kaiseki is considered to be an art form in Japan. The multi-course dining experience is as beautiful and intricate as it is flavourful. And despite being , it has humble origins.
Ishizuka's autumn zensai platter with miso-cured egg yolk, Tasmanian periwinkle and pumpkin cake. Source: Kristoffer Paulsen
Kaiseki can be traced back to meals served in the 16th century during tea ceremonies in Zen Buddhist monasteries. “Originally, it was simple dishes using the best ingredients from nature, which were prepared without unnecessary waste,” explains chef Yuuki Tanaka of restaurant in Tokyo. During the Edo period, a more luxurious type of kaiseki emerged and became popular with the nobility and samurais.
Melbourne's Ishizuka highlights the beauty of the season through the presentation of its kaiseki menu. Source: Georgia Gold
An ode to nature
One thing that has always remained a vital part of kaiseki is the “” or the importance and joy of eating seasonal ingredients at their peak. “It is thought that using seasonal ingredients is very important because most people feel and notice each season through the seasonal ingredients in Japan,” explains Miyazawa.
And Japanese chefs take the concept of seasonality seriously. “Many people know that there are four seasons in Japan. But in old Japan, there were . Each micro-season has different shun (seasonal) ingredients. To use these ingredients is one of the important [parts of the] traditional culture of the kaiseki,” says Tanaka.
Beauty in structure
Whether you’re enjoying kaiseki in a restaurant or a (Japanese inn), , adapting dishes to their style and showcasing different techniques.
The meal starts with a series of small appetisers before being followed by several main courses (soup, sashimi, boiled, grilled, fried, steamed, pickled and rice dishes) and sweets.
In old Japan, there were 72 different micro-seasons. Each micro-season has different shun (seasonal) ingredients. To use these ingredients is one of the important [parts of the] traditional culture of the kaiseki.
At Ishizuka, Miyazawa especially loves preparing the zensai, one of the appetiser courses that hints at what’s to come. “There are a variety of things to eat on the zensai plate. This is because zensai is a showcase of all the techniques used in preparing kaiseki,” he says. Seasonality is expressed in the choice of ingredients, but also the colours, textures and tableware.
He also enjoys the sashimi and wagyu courses, which he says are very representative of Japan.
“In the cold season, we make our wagyu dish with Ishizuka's original miso called , which is made with fig and butter and has a sweet and savoury taste. This is an amazing combination with wagyu beef.”
At Ise Sueyoshi, Tanaka loves making the hassun course, a seasonal platter that changes monthly. Unlike most kaiseki restaurants offering only one set menu, .
“It’s a challenge, but a requirement for people from all over the world to experience kaiseki cuisine,” he explains.
Before opening his restaurant, he backpacked and worked all over the world. He’d ask fellow chefs if they like Japanese cuisine and they would say yes, mentioning mostly sushi and ramen, but never kaiseki.
“I believe kaiseki is one of the most important Japanese cuisines, because it reflects the different seasons and expresses our culture through fresh ingredients. I felt very sad that kaiseki had been so overlooked. I decided to let everyone know about the culture of kaiseki,” he says.
I believe kaiseki is one of the most important Japanese cuisines, because it reflects the different seasons and expresses our culture through fresh ingredients.
In Melbourne, Miyazawa imports some ingredients from Japan, like tuna. But in the spirit of celebrating the surrounding nature, he also loves using local ingredients, like Tasmanian periwinkle.
From accessible to exclusive
A kaiseki meal can be pricey and is . If you’re interested in an affordable alternative to start your immersion into the world of kaiseki, look for lunch kaiseki and restaurants offering a more relaxed experience. Kyoto’s , for example, mashes the principles of kaiseki with the vibes of an izakaya (make sure to book a table a the counter to see the chefs in action).
But if you’re after the real deal, is the closest thing to the true Japanese kaiseki experience in Australia. In Japan, you can visit dedicated restaurants like , as well as enjoy kaiseki meals in certain ryokans.
