NYC: Kajitsu

Shots from the 8-course "HANA" menu at Kajitsu yesterday evening, dinner with the lovely Kayt.

Kajitsu serves Shojin cuisine, offering a four ($50) or eight ($70) course menu, that changes on a monthly basis. The restaurant is all-vegetarian, though many of the dishes were vegan by default. We just caught the tail end of July. Would be exciting to see how the menu changes as we move to fall and winter.

Photo by photo breakdown below:
To start, Frozen Sake Denshin

Chilled Tomato Aspic with Avocado, Fresh Green Peas, Wasabi, and Umadashi Sauce

House-Made Hiyamigu Noodles with...

...Sesame Dipping Sauce, Scallions, Cucumber, and Myoga

Clear Soup with Simmered Watermelon and Shiso Nama-Fu Twists, Junsai Shoots and Shiso

The "main" course, a three-part dish...

Buckwheat Risotto with Porcini Mushrooms, Mitsuba, and Cayenne Pepper.

Panko Fried Zucchini Blossom Stuffed with Corn and Satoimo Yam, Zucchini, Orange-Tomato Paste and Pink Pepper....

...here's the interior of the zucchini blossom - you can see the corn and yam. Beautiful, right?

...and an Array of Seasonal Fruit...figs, grapes, melon, yuzu...everything was perfectly cut and picturesque!

Spaghetti Squash Stuffed with Chilled Summer Vegetable Soup Served over Mixed Tempura. The tempura included Eggplant, Burdock, and Shishito Peppers. The soup was composed of Okra, Nameko Mushrooms, Carrots, Purple Cauliflower, Baby Corn and Celery.

Here's a better look at the spaghetti squash :)

The whole squash was presented at the table, and we were free to help ourselves to more of the "soup."

Sauteed Asparagus Rice served with...

...Aonori Sauce...

...and Ginger Sesame House-Made Pickles.

Fresh Peach Mochi...the filling was a mixture of sweetened white bean paste and diceds

Matcha Tea served with...

...Candies by Kyoto Kagizen-Yoshifusa. Melt-in-your-mouth sugar nibbles, more for appearance sake than taste. I always forget how caffeinated matcha tea is - I drank most of it and could not fall asleep the entire evening. Needless to say, I was exhausted this morning! Next time, will make sure to regulate :)

All in all a wonderful meal, though at this price range, I personally prefer Kyo-Ya, just two blocks down. Will make sure to put up my Kyo-Ya post soon! :)

P.S. Their water glasses are exquisite (imported from Japan, of course ;). Kajitsu is the only restaurant in NYC to use these glasses...certainly the lightest I've ever held!

Kajitsu
414 East 9th Street
New York, NY 10009
(212) 228-4873