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2011-11-26
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I came to know about "Kanizen" when I was discussing with a colleague about the (soon-approaching) end of the hairy-crab season. It was just praises and praises. I knew I had to pay a visit. I have always been a seafood lover. I guess the inherent love was planted by my parents (both in my DNA and the way I was brought up). I knew I would have to be paying a visit with my parents. ENVIRONMENT"Kanizen" had a trendy entrance. Pressed a button, the door slid open and I was in. Immediately, I saw: t
ENVIRONMENT
"Kanizen" had a trendy entrance. Pressed a button, the door slid open and I was in. Immediately, I saw: the CRAB POOL!!!
This certainly set my expectation level up high!Walked deeper into the restaurant. It was not big at all. - there were normal tables (4 mid-size tables only, at least from what I saw) and the shabu-shabu "bar table" type seating area (around 15 seats). We were seated at a "normal table" (as per my request).
I found the lighting somewhat a bit too romantic though, especially for lunch....
SERVICE
Very courteous staff. Always ready to serve and to explain.
FOOD
The four of us ordered and shared 2 "Crab Shabu Shabu Lunch Set" ($288) and 2 "Executive Mixed Set" ($338).
For drinks, I ordered Yebisu. Happy and impressed that more than Asahi and Sapporo were offered! Still an Asahi fans for japanese beer; the aftertaste of Yebisu was somewhat a bit too "wheaty" and bitter to my liking.Edamame as appetizer. Nothing to rave about. Goes well with my Yebisu. ;)
Very nice steamed egg custard. Flavour just right. Texture super smooth. Crab meat certified real and genuine (not crab sticks).
Creamy Crab Roe Paste served with fresh cucumber slices. The contrast of the mouthfeel worked very well. I never had raw crab roe like this. I thought it would feel something like uni, but I was wrong! It felt and tasted like pâté - extremely distinctive, creamy and flavorful. The FRESH aftertaste of the crab roe paste was long-lasting. YUM!
Crab and assorted Veg Tempura was good! I enjoyed the crab tempura more than I expected (there were a few pieces of crab-leg tempura and a crab-claw tempura). The distinctive crab taste was admittedly not as overwhelming as other dishes, but there was no doubt as to its freshness. The highlight for that plate though was the "soft-boiled-quail-egg" tempura!! Very impressed that the tempura coat around the egg was crisp but the egg yolk remained runny. The waiter reminded me to enjoy the entire quail egg in one go - simply GREAT!
The main course - half a horsehair crab! I must admit that I was slightly skeptical whether I would be full by the end of the meal. It did not look like a lot of crab here, but it was actually just right! And, indeed, it's about the quality not about the quantity. The "cooking" (or boiling) part was easy to handle. It did not take long and obviously, you would not want to over-cook the very fresh crab!The taste was SO DISTINCTIVE!! It was so FRESH and unique; simply refreshing!
A very generous portion of veg was also served! (not posting a photo because I am reaching my photo upload limit of 8 pics for this post ><.. ...) There were mushrooms, enokitake, tofu, cabbage etc~ The presentation of the veg was neat; each and every type looked and tasted FRESH!
The lunch set gave us a choice of rice or inaniwa udon. When the plate of horsehair crab was served, the waiter immediately reminded us to keep the head-piece for later use. We ordered two portions of rice and two portions of udon~!
Choosing rice meant that a pot of crab-congee would be prepared by the waiter at your table. Using the resulting soup (from cooking the crab and veg earlier), the waiter added rice and started preparing! The waiter then added the head-piece and mixed and melted the roe into the congee. Slowly, the congee became thicker and creamier and the aroma of the horse-hair crab was overwhelming!! The waiter completed the congee by stirring in egg yolk. Dry seaweed was served separately giving you the choice whether to mix some in with the crab-congee.IT WAS AWESOME! The congee was extremely smooth and it was SO TASTY AND FRESH ! The roe, the best and the essence, of the horse-hair crab did the MAGIC! My whole family enjoyed it so so much!!
As for the udon, you would be the chef; just have to boil the udon and the head-piece together. Again, the roe did the MAGIC! The waiter specifically reminded us not to scrape the roe off the shell while boiling (as you could see in the picture); but to enjoy the roe directly with the udon when eating. SO SOOO GOOOOD! If you are a crab-lover, this place definitely worth a visit! You would be REFRESHED by the FRESHNESS!! It is not about fancy or complex cooking, the crabs themselves did the magic (*not intending to undermine the chef's work*)!
When I started working, I used to grab my friends to splurge and try out exciting restaurants... to me, family was family (and stability, and the same old restaurants). My experience here reinstated and brought to me a different dimension of thinking and act - bring the freshness and be the force in your family life as well =)
~~You don't choose your family. They are God's gift to you, as you are to them~~
張貼
