Way back at the start of this funny business called Covid, I had my dream trip to Japan planned. Three weeks of ryokan-hopping, onsen-dipping and kaiseki-dining. Alas, it was not meant to be, and I have spent a lot of time since trying to emulate the experience from afar.
So you can imagine my excitement at the opening of a new kaiseki restaurant in London: Roketsu. Kaiseki, considered to be the highest form of Japanese cuisine, refers both to a traditional multi-course meal consisting of a sequence of small dishes, and the skills required to prepare them. Originally served to Buddhist monks before tea ceremonies, the 10-course menu is usually centred around dashi (Japanese stock made from dried fish), guided by the flavours of the seasons and dictated by the philosophy of “wabi-sabi”, which is all about capturing the elusive beauty of imperfection. At least, that’s my barbarically simple understanding of its long, nuanced history and deep cultural importance…
