Disclosure: I was a guest of the restaurant for this avant-première meal.
The last big trip I took before the Great Let’s-Not-Talk-About-It was to Japan with my brother and sister. Unsurprisingly, given the foodie fam from whence we come, we ate a lot of different things. But of all of them – the sushi and street food, the matcha and mochi –, kaiseki was the one I found most dépaysant (a word that belies translation but that I love, in French, and basically describes something that makes you feel out of your element – literally, uncountried – but in a good way).
Kaiseki is a meal style that involves a progression of dishes, kind of like a set menu, but with a far more precise design and format. The meal is as much about the service itself as it is about the food. In short, it’s an experience. And with Chakaiseki Akiyoshi, which opens on January 24, the chakaiseki tradition, which pairs the kaiseki menu and a traditional Japanese tea ceremony, leaves Japan for the first time to land in Paris.
Chakaiseki Akiyoshi is located in the 15th arrondissement, helmed by Yuichiro Akiyoshi, a Japanese chef who trained at three-Michelin-starred Hyotei. I was lucky enough to get a sneak peek for a ten-course meal I’m not likely to soon forget.
The 240 euro lunch menu follows a set format, beginning with the kumidashi, a simple cup of hot water, which a member of the staff and assistant to Akiyoshi informed us was to “warm the mouth and the heart.” It was an excellent way to get into the spirit of the lunch, which, over the course of just over two hours, made me feel like I was back in Japan… with a few lovely winks at the actual location of the restaurant.
But I’m getting ahead of myself, for the first course was emblematic of kaiseki’s roots. We were served a platter boasting a few small dishes, of which we were meant to begin with a small portion of freshly cooked white rice. It boasted a naturally nutty, almost buttery aroma: White rice at its most perfect. It was served with tsubotsubo, a pickle with a touch of sweetness that, the staff informed us, was our “welcome” dish – one that would only be served to us this once, on our first visit to the restaurant.
The sashimi course or mukozuke was served on the same tray. The chef’s creation in this category was a fresh, light brill sashimi rolled in kombu and cucumber and topped with ponzu gelée, as well as fresh wasabi the chef grated right in front of us from a fresh root.
It was also served alongside a soup that proved to be one of my favorite dishes of the day: a Kyoto miso soup with butternut tofu tempura and Japanese mustard. The ideal marriage of sweet and savory with just a hint of spice, this dish was texturally lovely and flavor-wise offered balanced richness between the slightly sweet tofu and creamy soup.
We then moved on to the nimonowan course – a steamed dish typically served in a large bowl. Ours featured monkfish and grated turnip in dashi, and when the chef zested a bit of citrus for the top, the room was suddenly suffused with the fresh scent I most associate with a waterside clam shack, all brine and fresh salt. The dish itself was fresh, light, and pure.
Next up we dug into grilled bass with local organic mustard leaves. This dish had a lovely char-grilled flavor and aroma, and my favorite part was undoubtedly the crispy skin.
Next up was slow-cooked white radish served with mi-cuit scallop tempura and a thick, unctuous spinach sauce. A touch of ginger was a lovely finishing touch, marrying wonderfully with the sweet, tender scallops.
One of our hosts showed off the massive log of mackerel sushi before the chef cut it into generous portions, which he placed atop squares of nori he’d toasted over an open flame before our very eyes and lined with a minty shiso leaf. The resulting bite boasted a wide range of textures, from the crisp nori to the tender rice and fish, between which was sandwiched a secret sesame seed garnish.
In sum, it was, without a doubt, the dish that blew the butternut tofu out of the water for me. I faced off with my final bite for a whole 30 seconds, already mourning it, before enjoying the last morsel.
We then enjoyed a Jerusalem artichoke soup topped with a few chips made from the same “forgotten” vegetable, which lent a lovely, roasty sweetness to the already rich, nutty soup. A pinch of black pepper lent the slightest bite to this dish and reminded me, as though I could forget, with the chef working so hard right before me, how much thought and work was put into each and every small detail.
I am a total Stan for a pickle in any form, but in Japan, I learned how much I love konomono, traditional Japanese pickles. We enjoyed three – black radish, cucumber, and Chinese cabbage with bonito, of which the last one, with its slight hint of sweetness, was my hands-down fave.
Our last savory dish brought the menu full-circle: A yuto made with the remaining rice from the first course, now fully cooked before being topped with tempura zander, fresh onion, and shiso and moistened with dashi.
Our dessert was served out of a traditional Japanese osechi box, which is often filled by the lady of the house on the 31st of December so that she can take three well-deserved days of rest in the New Year. This one was filled with little crêpes, each of which sandwiched a cinnamon-scented sweet potato paste, red bean paste, and a whole raspberry. It proved to be one of the only dishes that wasn’t quite to my taste, mainly because the raspberry felt so out of place in January (and in the marriage with the earthier bean and sweet potato).
In addition to being a wow-worthy chef, Akiyoshi is also trained in the art of the matcha tea ceremony, and this was the final step of our dinner. He prepared matcha in each individual, mismatched bowl, sourced from all over Japan. The bowl is placed before the diner with its prettiest side facing you, all the better for appreciating its beauty before enjoying the tea itself.
A meal at Chakaiseki Akiyoshi is not just a meal – it’s a culinary journey and an experience. Each detail of the lunch was managed exquisitely by the staff, in a dance of flavors, aromas, and traditions. A feast for the eyes, the palate, and the soul, it’s a haven hidden away in the 15th arrondissement perfect for a special occasion.
Chakaiseki Akiyoshi, 59 rue Letellier, 75015