Another fantastic night at Zenkichi! We were invited to a special preview of the summer Omakase being served at a discounted price during restaurant week. Our third trip to Zenkichi, I think this was the best.
We were escorted upstairs and sat in a small corner booth. I can't describe the level of my enjoyment of Japanese architecture. The seating at Zenkichi really reflected all the little details I love - it is the perfect balance between feeling cozy/enclosed/secluded and not feeling cramped/confined/restricted. The booths lend a welcome degree of privacy, but virtually instant service is at your fingertipes in the form of a call button on each table that summons the waitstaff.
Grated Salmon with Soybeans
A nice little taste, compliments of the house.
Chilled Edamame Soup
What a spectacular dish. One of the most refreshing and unique tastes I've eaten in a very long time. The perfect thing to sip on a hot summer day. This is one of those foods that one feels as if he could eat it forever and never lose interest. A slight smoky flavor underlined the soup, most likely from a stock made with a bacon base.
Raw Tasting Plate
Hiramasa Amberjack sashimi, Unagi and Japanese cucumber in dashi, and Maguro carpaccio with green yuzu dressing. Three great preparations, very light and summery.
Kobe Beef Tataki Salad
This was good, but probably my least favorite of the night. The beef was almost raw and was of melt-in-your-mouth consistency, but I would have liked something a little more interesting in the way of the greens, which were basically just a spring mix. The sweet potato chips were nice though.
Blue Shrimp Tempura
A single large shrimp and snow pea pod. Perfectly cooked and straight out of the fryer, the shrimp was virtually a mousse inside. Just wonderful, and served with the great green tea salt that we enjoyed at our previous visit!
Berkshire Pork & Summer Vegetables
Thinly sliced shabu-shabu style Berkshire pork loin lightly boiled and served with sesame dressing. Lightly peanuty in flavor, this was quite good.
Salmon in Saikyo Miso
I just love the sweet, sticky flavor of miso-glazed fish. The salmon was particularly good this way, though not quite as juicy as the black cod that had undergone a similar preparation the last time we dined here.
Madai Donburi
Sea Bream Sashimi served over sushi rice. It was nice to finish the meal with the slight heaviness of the rice.
Dessert
This was probably the best course (although the Edamame Soup was very close). We ordered a Frozen Black Sesame Mousse that was silky, rich, and just absolutely terrific, and a Banana Bavaroit, layered with dark chocolate and pistachios. As if that weren't enough we were treated to a complimentary Grapefruit Gelee, favorite dessert of the owner. The Gelee was accompanied by a sweet glass of dessert sake, on the house.
