Kaiseki Motoishi｜A Rather Underwhelming Experience 🍱🌊

Continued… Soba - House-Made Soba with "Kamo" Duck Breast 🦆🍜 The duck breast was seared as a whole piece first, then sliced thick and dipped in soy-based broth until fully cooked. The presentation was grand, but the texture of the meat was disappointing—extremely tough and chewy, almost impossible to eat without struggling. The soba noodles are one of their signatures, but I wasn’t a fan—the texture was too soft and lacked springiness. The soy broth was savory with a hint of sweetness—I kept wanting more sips! Scallions lightly charred and hidden at the bottom of the bowl were crispy and sweet—the only pleasant surprise in this dish. A sprinkle of sansho pepper added a fresh aroma but didn’t enhance the flavor much. ••••• Grilled Dish - Grilled "Kinki" Idiot Fish with Sudachi 🐟🔥 It felt like stepping into a yakitori spot—surrounded by a strong charcoal-grilled aroma. The kinmedai (golden eye snapper) had such rich subcutaneous fat! ~~~ The skin, seasoned lightly with salt and grilled until crispy, was savory and a bit oily. The fish itself was tender and delicious—I loved the satisfying “crunch-chew” feeling! Served with a small slice of sudachi citrus. The turnip was soft, almost like pumpkin in texture. The cauliflower was perfectly cooked—crisp and sweet, highlighting the ingredient’s natural freshness. ••••• Simmered Dish - Steamed Tile Fish with Yuba 🐠🍲 The tilefish was steamed to tender perfection—so delicious!!! The yuba (tofu skin) was smooth and pure, with a rich soybean flavor that lingered. The crispy rice added nice textural contrast. The sauce had a great consistency but was way too salty… The combination of green onion and ginger was overwhelming—it dominated everything else. ••••• Rice Dish - Matsutake and "Seko Gani" Female Snow Crab Donabe Rice with Japanese Pickles 🍚🦀 Firm, bouncy crab legs, popping crab roe, and rich crab innards—who can resist a fully prepped snow crab? It should have been satisfying on its own, but because the sauce was overly salty, I had to mix it with rice. Hokkaido rice was light, plump, and soft yet still firm and springy. The matsutake mushrooms, thinly sliced, were incredibly crisp! ~~~ The best supporting actor. The side pickles included vinegar-marinated cherry tomatoes and crunchy cucumber—refreshingly sweet and sour! Fresh wasabi, flavorful snow crab, and crisp matsutake made for a perfect combination. #LosAngeles #SakeNight #HealedByFood #GlobalFoodSquad #EatLikeALocal #KaisekiExperience #JapaneseCuisine #FineDining #FoodReview #Underwhelming #LAEats #CulinaryJourney #UmamiLovers #ChefTasting