Maximum effort, minimal meat. All that shell-cracking, nitpicking and digging, for pittance of crab silvers. Since there are only two pincers per crab, most people end up with the crabby 2% lean meat legs. Oh and don’t get me started on how messy crab eating can get!
As a result, no one was more surprised than myself when a trip to Osaka's iconic Kanidoraku Honten begetted a more than memorable experience. The JRI restaurant specializes in crab (well one doesn’t exactly come to KANIdoraku looking for chicken) but it kept preparation style minimal, allowing for the natural taste of fresh seasonal crabs to fall through.
We opted for the kaiseki ryori, where everything, from serving time to choice of ceramics, has been meticulously planned for that ceremonial effect. The performers were undoubtedly the dishes themselves, a light tasting menu made up of several grazeworthy dishes.
First up, we were presented with a dish of cold crab, followed by a platter of grilled crab and sashimi. Our starters served as barometers of freshness; in particular, the sashimi was blessed with such delicate sweetness and malleable texture.
Next up, we had a chawanmushi. While most may dismiss the chawanmushi as nothing more than just pedestrian steamed egg, this chawanmushi was not to be sniffed at. A layer of broth tops the softer-than-foie-gras chawanmushi, which made us launch into one of those long exaggerated “oishii-nays” often seen on Japan Hour.
Heat was soon introduced with tempura, gratin, kamameshi and miso soup. The tempura was pleasantly marked with a light crisp batter. The baked crab and cheese jutted out from the rest of the courses with its rich creaminess. Cooked in an iron pot, the crab kamameshi was another simple but well-executed dish.
We were weaned off our crab fiesta with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, drizzled with intense green tea for dessert. The juxtaposition of bitter and sweet served as a satisfying way to end our meal.
ENCORE!
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