1. get your sake!
we had a creamy nigori sake and a dry crisp sake throughout the evening. the beautiful ikebana arrangements were done by my friend carolina.
2. cucumber, radish, basil salad
the vinaigrette was rice vinegar, fermented rice malt, sesame oil, and sesame seeds. simple! great combo of sweet-sour in a small package.
3. spicy peanut roll
this small roll consisted of a layer of sriracha, cucumber, toasted-salted peanuts, and peanut oil. the dipping sauce was a sweet chili sauce (fresh-squeezed pineapple juice, sriracha, sugar). the serving tray was sprinkled with crushed peanuts. spicy-sweet good!
4. salmon course
salmon nigiri and a smoked salmon roll
the salmon nigiri was topped with roe and drizzled with a caramel-lime-ginger sauce. the sauce was fantastic with the sweetness of the caramel paired with the acid and pungent flavors. i want this salmon nigiri again!
the large roll consisted of smoked salmon, cream cheese, and asparagus. yum!
for all the sushi courses, we sat around the coffee table which made for a more intimate setting.
this course went fast!
5. umeboshi roll
a small roll featuring umeboshi paste and basil. interestingly, basil is a great substitute for shiso leaves which i find difficult to source, other than those in syrup. this was paired with wasabi mayo. i used the CS mayo recipe as a base for the mayo dips in the dinner.
the flavor combo of plum and basil will also be featured in the dessert round.
6. tuna course
tuna cubes and a spicy tuna roll
cubes of rice with wasabi and tuna and topped with a sliver of ginger, saffron threads, and black salt. these flavors each took their turn coming to the foreground with saffron coming last. shredded daikon was served.
the outside roll consisted of minced tuna with sriracha and green scallions. the outside had black and white sesame seeds. this was paired with a spicy sriracha mayo. tuna and sriracha go so well together!
it did not take us long to devour this course!
7. scallop nigiri
butterflied scallops topped with masago (capelin roe) and chive. CS japanese (kewpie-style) mayo for dipping. the scallops were soft, buttery, and sweet which contrasted with the crunchy and salty masago. this is the first time that i have had scallop sushi and i like it!
8. small fish course
sardine nigiri and white anchovy nigiri
on the left, the rice was topped with coriander leaves, followed by the sardine, nori belt, and topped with ginger and garlic.
on the right, the rice was topped with a marinated white anchovy.
the serving tray was sprinkled with wasabi peas.
this course went slow probably because many people have not acquired a taste for these small, overabundant fish. i like 'em!
after this course we switched from the coffee table to the dinner table.
9. purple and green
dessert course
the dessert course focused on the colors purple and green. i chose purple plum for dessert one and green matcha for dessert two. carolina made the flower arrangements, tabled specifically for the dessert course, that featured these two colors.
dessert one was a plum sorbet with basil, candied ginger, and nutmeg. this was a great flavor combo. interestingly, i needed to use very little sugar in this sorbet to bring the sugar brix value to the 28 target that i wanted, probably because i used a plum wine reduction along with a strained plum puree. however, the pH level was 9. i added citric acid to bring it down to 2.5. the sorbet was paired with plum wine. amazing!
dessert two was a white chocolate and matcha truffle sprinkled with matcha powder and adorned with dried purple penta and pink verbana flowers. the creamy white chocolate combined well and mellowed out the assertive matcha flavor. this dessert was paired with a jasmine green tea.
there was enough truffle left to give as a parting gift.
