The crab chawanmushi is another example, and when the cover of its vessel is lifted, it becomes clear that it is not as monotonous as it appears to be. The yellow, shiny surface of the steamed egg blooms into airy flowers, resembling very fine tau huay, when the spoon is struck. It tastes clearly of black pepper and is forth without being heavy, with pleasant decorative undertones.
The menuke, a heavy sea stone seafood from Hokkaido with rich fattiness that is carefully seared by applying hot binchotan coal to each cut, is one of the less frequently served fish in the nigiri lineup in addition to the required trio of tuna cuts. With a dash of moshio sugar and an Oscietra caviar topping, the amaebi, or nice shrimp, even hits home. Sasagawa’s personal favorite, however, is the traditional saba rice, which is served with ginger and spring onion and has an pacific flavor.