Kuriya Dining

Rather than always going for buffet meals so as not to over eat, we can settle for something different. Like the education system, eating is the same. Less is more. Less teaching more learning. Less food, more taste and quality. Less waste, less over eating, less gluttony.

So a Kaiseki meal would be ideal. It is a traditional multi-course Japanese meal. It refers to a collection of techniques and skills in the preparation of such meals. It is analogous to Western 'haute cuisine'. It is an art form that balances appearance, texture, taste and a myriad of colours in the food with only the freshest seasonal ingredients used. Even the plates and bowls make the food even more enticing. The food is then prettily arranged and well garnished to the extend of using edible leaves and flowers.

It comprises as starters an appetiser just like in French food. The second course would be a seasonal theme and could be sushi or several small dishes followed by the freshest seasonal sashimi. There shall be soup and flame-grilled dish, a more substantial dish and rice with seasonal ingredients as toppings, pickled vegetables ending with the grand finale of dessert such as such as fruits, ice cream or cake and then coffee or tea all at the discretion of the chef.

Even David Beckham and the dog whisperer have been here.

Good Japanese restaurants serve better green tea. I like my green tea like revenge - that it is served cold.

The Kaiseki set explained in detail.

A nice decor of black and dark wood.

They are located at Great World City.

On the top left is the grilled puffer fish. The cod roe is at the top right and it must be taken together with the grated radish while the horsetail look like worms. Finally, the rice cake filled with kidney bean paste and cream has to be taken last. It is sweet.

You don't have to have Kaiseki as there are other food.

The sashimi is in the Kaiseki set and they serve the freshest sashimi in this case, hamachi, salmon and tuna. Not many places gives you good tuna but this one sure does.

Just look at it.

Japanese sashimi are just amazing! Always!

And this seaweed is so wow!

The tempura is unique consisting of firefly squid, ice fish and bamboo shoot. firefly squid are so called because they put on a light show in the deep sea. The icefish is nearly translucent. Bamboo shoots usually comes with a pungent smell and taste but the this one is okay. Perhaps this is why most ''soon kueh'' these days have fillings of turnip instead of real bamboo shoot. It is cheaper and has an easier taste.

You could still see its eyes. 

This is the unbeatable one - wagyu beef in garlic sauce. 

It comes with a slice of sweet potato, a mushroom and a piece of leek.

There are many types of wagyu these days but here it is very good.

The final one here is simmered clams with shiitake mushroom on rice with a small crayfish in the miso soup.

Kaiseki gives you small dishes of different things and bursts full of flavours to the palate. 

As if not enough, they delight you further with the grand finale.

Served in a beautiful plate.

Naoki Tsuzuki, that's him the Master Chef.

This is for me truly great rather than go for another buffet. Quality trumps over quantity anytime. It is totally worthwhile. Let's wait for the next menu.