Kaiseki, a story through seasonality

Associated with Kyoto as far back as the 16th century, kaiseki’s origins are rooted in Japanese tea ceremony, chanoyu, and embody the art of wabi in cuisine and the broader dining experience. It has evolved into a haute dining tradition of its own, typically involving seven to 14 curated and ordered courses. It’s an interplay between produce, presentation and philosphy, anchored in the current moment and a chef’s agrarian expertise. Each dish is an exercise in artful reverence, but the meal itself is a creative, harmonic symphony of flavour, style and temporality.

The philosophy of kaiseki extends beyond the food. Each piece of delicate pottery – a fundamental component of kaiseki – that leaves the kitchen is meticulously considered for the relationship it has with the food that sits upon it. At London’s Roketsu, Kobe-born chef-owner Daisuke Hayashi changes his crockery monthly alongside the menu. A kaiseki meal should involve all five senses, Hayashi – who trained in kaiseki at two Michelin-starred Kikunoi Roan under chef Yoshihiro Murata – says, with the intent to convey seasonality through the entire dining experience.

“While [kaiseki] has a rich history in Japan, it’s still not widely known in Western countries,” says Hayashi, who opened 10-seater Roketsu in December 2021. Roketsu’s interior was designed in traditional Sukiya style, reflecting a tea-ceremony space, with all materials (some centuries-old) sourced from Kyoto and installed in-situ. Natural light filters in through washi paper overhead and beautiful plates are placed atop a hinoki counter.

Kimitaka Azuma, chef-owner of Azuma in Sydney, has refined his crockery selection over 50 years; his wife Yuki takes great care in explaining every detail of each piece (and each dish) to patrons. In a pair of charcoal-toned bowls sit a single tempura Alaskan crab claw and, separately, a light, clear broth with somen noodles; a blue-tinted plate is the canvas for a rich baton of Wagyu topped with house-grown sansho leaf and soaked peppercorns. On a perfectly round, handthrown ceramic dish, a sparingly seared snow-white Western Australian scampi sits alongside a lightly charred piece of Hirashima kingfish and a claret-coloured slice of akami tuna.

Kaiseki is a culinary art form that connects flavour, texture and appearance of seasonal, locally-sourced ingredients in a multi-course dining experience, says Azuma, who grew up in Kyushu: “The quality of said produce should speak for itself.”

Katsuji Yoshino, executive chef at Melbourne’s Ishizuka restaurant, says the essential components of a kaiseki meal – the meticulously prepared dishes – are “all designed to highlight seasonal ingredients and achieve a balanced dining experience”. Those courses might include variations of sakizuke (appetizer); zensai (amuse-bouche); mukozuke (sashimi); mushimono (steamed dish); hashiyasume (a soup dish that serves as a ‘chopstick cleaner’ or palate cleanser); yakimono (grilled dish); agemono (fried dish); gohan and kounomono (rice dish and pickles); and kanmi (dessert).

“Diners are brought on a culinary journey,” Yoshino says. “Each course is carefully crafted to tell a story, starting from the delicate and subtle tastes of the first dishes and progressing to richer, more complex flavours.”

Yoshino has just ushered in the spring menu, which features agemono with Paradise prawn and a shiizakana (chef’s choice) of A5 Yamagata wagyu, enjoyed alongside a housemade sherry-esque cacao husk tea.

“Ishizuka has been defined by the Japanese philosophy that a chef should not overwhelm the original flavour of the ingredient,” he says. “The goal is to create an immersive experience that reflects the beauty of nature and the art of Japanese culinary traditions.”

A final course at Azuma, a slice of spongey matcha chiffon cake next to a perfect orb of matcha ice-cream, both produced with Kyoto matcha. A bright swatch of adzuki paste punctuates the pairing. In this, a full circle of kaiseki: roots threading back to the craft’s Kyoto ancestry, tea – in ceremonial tradition, as a celebration of the vibrant, fresh leaf at its core, as an expression of the present – and thoughtful pairings, simply done.

Five must-try kaiseki experiences in Australia

1. Azuma, Sydney: 167 Phillip Street, Sydney, azuma.com.au

2. Ishizuka, Melbourne: b01/139 Bourke St, Melbourne, ishizuka.com.au

3. Ippin, Brisbane: The Garden Pavilion West Village shop 2, Level 2/97 Boundary St, West End, ippin-wv.com.au

4. Koto, Canberra: 1 King George Terrace, Parkes ACT 2600, kotodining.com.au

5. Omotenashi, Hobart: Inside the Lexus showroom at 4/160 Elizabeth Street, Hobart, omotenashihobart.com

Five must-try kaiseki experiences overseas, recommended by chefs

1. Azuma: Hideki Ishikawa, Kagurazaka Ishikawa, 5-37 Kagurazaka, Shinju-ku, Tokyo, kagurazaka-ishikawa.co.jp

2. Azuma: Masashi Takami, Torakuro, B1, Imperial Hotel Tokyo, 1-1-1 Uchisaiwaicho, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo, imperialhotel.co.jp

3. Hayashi: Kikunoi Honten, 459 Shimokawarmachi, Higashiyama-Ku, Kyoto 605-0825 Kyoto Prefecture, kikunoi.jp

4. Yoshino: Myojaku, 106-0031 Tokyo, Minato City, Nishiazabu, 3 Chome−2−34 B1F, myoujyaku.com

5. Yoshino: Esora, 15 Mohamed Sultan Road, Singapore 238964, restaurant-esora.com