Dinner - Saturday, December 27, 2014
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| Taian |
My friends have mixed opinions about this place. Most of them, when asked, told me to "just go and see for yourself" - not particularly effusive, it would seem. However, at only 13000 yen for the sole dinner menu, it was a bet I was willing to take.
An interesting note - for the first time ever, I had to use my credit card concierge to make a reservation, because the restaurant would not accept a request from a local friend on my behalf.
The interior is surprisingly spacious, with a long L-shaped counter and a single table, where our party of four was seated. The restaurant was full, and a party of boisterous (and strangely touchy-feely) middle-aged Japanese men (perhaps on a "boy's night out"?) provided our entertainment for the evening.
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| Hassun |
Dinner led with the hassun platter, featuring
(clockwise from top left): yuba with wasabi;
konowata (sea cucumber innards); scallop with shellfish sauce and seaweed; sweet potato chips; shiro-ebi with yamaimo and nori. The yuba was fantastically rich with soy flavour, and its creaminess was offset by the wasabi. Likewise, the tiny shiro-ebi were redolent of the sea, although I do not believe Winter is a customary season for them.
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| Tsukune, shitake, daikon |
A wonderfully clear shitake dashi (I don't think there was any seafood in the stock), warm and light in flavour. The translucent veil of simmered daikon hid a soft chicken meatball. Simple, delicious.
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| Fugu |
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| Buri |
Unexpectedly, this turned out to be the best piece of buri we ate on this trip. Well-marbled flesh with a firm texture that still yielded easily - a true exemplar of the species.
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| Kumamoto wagyu |
Taian is known for its grilled items, and for good reason. This course is the only point during the dinner where deviations are allowed - each person is allowed to select one protein from a number of choices, including short ribs (very tender), chicken (smoky - excellent), fish, anago, and the wagyu above. The meats are served with spiced salt and sweet miso. The beef was perfectly cooked - rare interior, smoky and crusty exterior. Had we not enjoyed some superlative Hida-gyu in Takayama 2 days prior (which has set a new bar for me), it would've been the standout beef dish of the trip.
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| Horsehair crab, ginger, hourensou |
Chilled crab, its natural sweetness brought into focus by the sharp ginger. Next to it, thick leaves of blanched
hourensou (Japanese spinach). A great palate cleanser to follow the meat course.
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| Shirako, daikon, gingko |
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| Fugu ochazuke |
The rice course was served
ochazuke-style, with a fugu broth poured tableside. A fried fugu "furikake", topped with wasabi, was crunchy and salty, like a refined Japanese take on bacon bits. Very clean flavours, very tasty.
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| Strawberry, pear, persimmon, kuromame |
Dessert was
sweet - fruits in a syrup, topped with a chunky pear sauce. On the side, we were each provided a vial of pear eau-de-vie to dispense to our heart's content. A liberal dose of the brandy worked wonders, taming the sugary fruit.
The Michelin guide, I think, throw people off. Did I think this a meal worthy of 3 stars? To my mind, no. Fortunately, we were well-prepared and had no expectations going in. With that mindset, I found the meal quite excellent (the buri and the beef were top-class). Courses are simple - the food is not technique-driven. Ingredients were not rarified. Instead, we had a very good dinner for a very good price. I have no qualms recommending this place to others - perhaps with a disclaimer about the Michelin Man.
Taian
1-21-2 Shimanouchi
Chuo-ku, Osaka 542-0082
Japan
Phone: (+81) 06-6120-0790
