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Handpicked fish is carefully prepared, skewered, and charcoal-roasted. The crackling sound is accompanied by the smell of the charcoal and the fragrant aroma of the skin.
Kobayashi gained his first Micheli n star just 18 months after openin g in 2009. The restaurant is like a hideaway, located on a quiet resi dential street.
The Dangers of Convenience
particularly good. The flavors all just
life as a chef is that there aren t a lot of
once every few years, I remember them
play it safe, food to satisfy anyone and
really delicious foods out there. Today,
once they visit again and enjoy a meal
everyone.
he s made his restaurant a place for
here.
soup stock. Dashi provides the so-
That tastes should change with the
Flavors are not only increasingly
pursuing the finest flavors. Because he
Opening the restaurant was an anxious
texture on the tongue, the rush of flavor
called umami component, and is
times is only natural, but Kobayashi
indistinguishable, preservatives are
works with a broker at the Tsukiji fish
time. With no money to advertise,
as one chews. The sound of skin
typically made from kelp and dried
senses a risk in our reliance on the
used to give the foods a longer shelf
market who he truly trusts, his menus
Kobayashi had to rely on word of mouth
crackling from a just-roasted piece of
bonito. Even preparing these individual
all-too convenient tastes offered by the
life. Kobayashi fears that eating such
are generally composed around fish.
from the guests that did show up. On
fish, even the sound of ingredients
ingredients involves the efforts of a
typical convenience store.
foods from an early age will lead to a
rubbing together in a bowl̶all of these
great many people.
comprise our enjoyment of food.
For example, the dried bonito starts
convenience stores. My mother s
with bonito caught at sea by fishermen.
cooking was the only thing I knew. But
The fish is brought to land, cleaned and
beyond flavor, and encompasses the
chance to take the stage.
enjoyment of sight, smell, and texture.
One of these forms the foundation of
The anticipation as one reaches for a
flavor in Japanese cuisine̶dashi, or
morsel with one s chopsticks. The
There are also ways to combine the colors of the ingredients with the right serving dishes to stimulate the sight and make food seem even more appetizing. Even the tiniest garnish of carved yuzu
bushi in katsuo-bushi, the Japanese name for dried bonito) and boiled. Once boiled, the bushi is then hung outside
But 18 months from opening, he
what I use, I get the best fish possible,
received his first Michelin star, and
that quick and convenient is better, that
and that improves my cooking.
since then, reservations have been hard
mothers aren t professional chefs, and
cheap goods are better than expensive
The dishes he comes up with leave
to come by. His obsession with flavor
sometimes they mess up. This gives us
ones, that it s okay for things to be just
diners groaning with pleasure. The food
seems to have inspired his guests, and
a chance to really experience what bad
okay and not anything special, become
comes out looking beautiful, the
today, there s no doubt the word is
flavors taste like.
the new normal.
portions are generous, and the distinct
spreading. Seika Kobayashi is a
At 38, Kobayashi is among the last
flavors of the ingredients enrich and
restaurant that takes pride in making
delight with the first bite.
sure every dish is delectable.
To know what tastes delicious, it s also
decreased sense of taste. I don t think we should let this sense
to dry before going into a smoker. Each
important to know what doesn t. This
generation to have grown up without
presentation of Japanese cuisine.
step in the process is handled by a
teaches us that food comes in all kinds
convenience stores, and says he
different specialist. The finished, dried
of flavors, and helps expand our sense
wishes that the younger generation
senses, opening up the mind and body.
bonito is then stored in a warehouse
of taste.
would have a greater awareness of the
Customers find even their conversations
importance of food. This, he says, is
are deeper. Since I started working here
where it matures. All of this work goes
If I asked my mother to make me a
Eating good food stimulates all five
into just one ingredient used in making
lunch, she would always take the time
why he hopes to continue leaving a
alone, I ve closed the distance between
the broth.
to prepare rice balls. Today, a wide
legacy that honors the wonders of
myself and my customers. Starting a
Today, the word umami has found its
variety of prepackaged lunches is
Japanese cuisine.
conversation with the seasons, talking
every day. Japanese cuisine features a
way into use even overseas, further
readily available. Kids today even show
surprisingly wide range of ingredients,
proof that the rich flavors of Japanese
up for field trips or athletic meets with
from the stars of the show to the bit
cooking are appreciated by people the
store-bought lunches. The problem is,
players. Many of them play an important
world over.
none of the foods sold at convenience
I get all kinds of ingredients delivered
role even though they seldom get a 2014 May&June
top of that, his prices are fairly high.
best ingredients better than me select
When I was a child, we didn t have
peel is indispensable to the
Dashi is at the Heart of Japanese Cuisine
18
formed into the classic boat shape (the
By letting someone who can spot the
stores tastes bad; neither is any of it
In Pursuit of the Ultimate Dish One thing Kobayashi has learned in his
about places where their favorite foods are produced or memories they associate with them, I ve learned to understand each individual s upbringing and lifestyle. Even if I see them only
DATA Seika Kobayashi At the owner-chef s request, address and phone n umber have not been provided.
2014 May
19