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[danandesther]

Tóng Lè Private Dining offers a taste of autumn in Niigata.

If you’re a foodie but you’ve not experienced the wonderfully fresh produce from the Japanese prefecture of Niigata, well, that needs changing immediately. We first tasted specialty ingredients from Niigata last year at Lewin Terrace brought in by Niigata City in collaboration with OISHII Magazine, which Chef Kaisuke Matsumoto transformed into some of the most beautiful and tastiest modern French-Japanese dishes we’ve ever had the fortune to put lips to.

This year Chef Ken Ling from Tóng Lè Private Dining was invited to visit Niigata City, and chose various signature Niigata produce to be specially flown in for a six-course “Niigata City Set Menu” that’s available for just two weeks at the premium Chinese restaurant.

Situated on along Japan’s northwest sea coast, Niigata City is home to one of the richest varieties of seafood so it’s no surprise that Chef Ken has opted to use the prized delicacy that is the sazae (サザエ), or the horned turban shell, in his starter. While the shellfish is normally served just grilled, Chef Ken chops it up cooked sazae and tosses it in a ginger and coriander dressing, and served atop umi somen (kelp noodle) that’s been marinated with mirin, bonito and yuzu. It’s a refreshing starter, but eat it quickly before the ice bowl it’s served in melts into your food.

Then there’s his take on a tomato consommé, rendered from a combination of fresh and stewed tomatoes that’s spiked with Japanese ginger flower and lemongrass. It comes with delicately flavoured maitake and nameko mushrooms whose flavours are somewhat overwhelmed by the robustness of the soup, as well as slices of fresh lobster.

Another seafood dish is the medai, or blue nose sea bass. Here Chef Ken gives it a local twist in the style of sambal stingray, grilled with a hearty spice paste - made from dried shrimp, turmeric, garlic, shallots and lemongrass - and calamansi on the side to give a little citrus piquancy. We’re not sure if this treatment is the best way to showcase the delicate flavours of the fish, but that charred spice bits that fall off the fish are certainly addictive.

We particularly love the Kurobuta pork collar, a perfectly grilled piece of chop that’s altogether juicy and flavourful from the almost Vietnamese Thịt nướng-style treatment. The star of this dish though isn’t the pork - which incidentally comes from Kyushu - but the frittered Niigata fig that accompanies it. After spending some time in the fryer the flesh of the fig attains a creamy, jam-like consistency that pairs wonderfully with the grilled pork. The dipping sauces - grated radish, yuzu soy, and sea salted with grated yuzu - pays tribute to its Japanese roots.

Niigata is best known for its rice, and with good reason too. Its koshihikari rice is prized all across Japan, and here Chef Ken upturns tradition - the Japanese prefer to eat their top grade koshihikari simply with some pickles and a bowl of miso soup on the side - by moulding cooked Uonoma rice into a dumpling with yamaimo (Japanese mountain yam) and serving it ochazuke-style in a delicious broth that’s topped with crunchy popped rice and a piece of seared scallop. Judging by the oo-ing and aah-ing from some Japanese guests, we’re guessing they approve of this culinary sacrilege as we do.

Finally you can’t mention Niigata produce without touching on its Niitaka pears or Okesa persimmons. Chef Ken cleverly makes a tartlet topped with stewed persimmon and almond paste that you eat with a piece of the fresh fruit, and likewise serves a fresh slice of pear alongside one that’s been poached in red wine. Finally, there’s a custard of persimmon purée topped with pear jelly. 

Chef Ken tells us that the ingredients have been kindly sponsored by Niigata City, which is why the price of the set menu isn’t as expensive as it should have been; for those of us who haven’t yet tasted the wonders of Niigata produce, this is one good way to do so.

Tóng Lè Private Dining’s special Niigata City Set Menu will be served from 27 October to the 11 November 2017, for lunch between 11.30am to 3pm and dinner from 6pm to 11pm (priced at $120++ per person). Reservations recommended.

- Daniel

[mayadearest-blog]

I’ll be with you @yumi0426korin next time if the fanmeeting will be held. Pinky promise😇😘 #Reposting @yumi0426korin with @instarepost_app -- 오늘 10월 24일은 7년 전에 일본 FC가 결성되어 처음으로 팬 미팅을 한 기념일이네☺😉 요즘 팬들이 에너지가 부족해서 쓰러져 버릴 것 같아서 도움을 주었으면 해🙏😂😅 #mediajapan#イムジュファン#limjuhwan❤️#japanofficialfanclub#ファンミーティング (at New York, New York)

[lifeistravels]

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