April 5, 2007

Seiji Yamamoto--He Da Man

















Twenty-Five Vegetables is a plate I can't get out of my mind, A "Rites of Spring" on porcelain. A symphonically complex dish with notes of smoked bonito and clean, clear tastes of herbs like kinome and lemongrass. Each of the 25 vegetables had a depth of flavor that is not easily forgotten. The man behind the plate is Seiji Yamamoto of Ryugin, in Roppongi, Tokyo. I could say a lot about this unassuming star chef, but for now I'll just distill it to the essential: "He Da Man." I want to add that I am not a man of means, and I ate at Ryugin on my own dime, (about 200 bucks worth of dimes) it was worth every single yen. More reports to follow as thoughts about this place percolate through my brain.

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