In a Bamboo Forest, Omakase Matched to the Setting

Japan Culinary Essay & Photographs by Charles Nordlander

“Are you SURE this is the way?”

Even in Japan, a country known for hidden restaurant treasures, my trek to dinner tonight was taking that concept to a whole new level. The sun was setting fast, and as my friend Keiko and I clambered down a steep embankment through a darkening bamboo forest, we found our path blocked by two thick staves of giant bamboo that had fallen, ominously, in the shape of an X. Ironically, it was the lure of a unique omakase meal, featuring dishes made with fresh spring bamboo called takenoko, that had brought us here in the first place.

One of the things I love most about Japanese cuisine is its celebration and enjoyment of seasonal foods. And as springtime comes to Japan, bamboo shoots sprout from the ground, still soft and not yet looking like the hardened stalks they’ll eventually become. This is when they are harvested for eating.

And so this evening, I was in search of the Nakazato Ryokan, where the chef serves an unusual omakase based entirely on different preparations of takenoko.

About 20 minutes before we arrived at the bamboo “X” in our path, we had exited the Gumyoji train station in Yokohama and climbed several long flights of wooden steps that took us high above the street into a quiet park. Once inside, we roamed the paths until we found the nondescript sign we were seeking, which marked the beginning of the path through the bamboo forest.

As we walked, the bamboo seemed to grow ever more dense around us, making it hard to believe that any ryokan could be located here. But no matter – the beauty of the early evening light dappled the towering stalks high above, and the only sound was the hush of their sway in the breeze. We continued walking, more than ready for dinner by now, and finally – through just a bit of a clearing – the Nakazato Ryokan came into view.

What we saw appeared both timeless and magical, with the trees so tightly grown in around the Nakazato that the building seemed to have sprung up from the ground naturally, a part of the forest itself.

After a warm welcome into the ryokan, we were ushered to our own private room for dinner. What we were about to discover was that the beauty we experienced during our walk here was just a preamble to the stunning dishes that would soon follow, nine courses in all.

Takenoko is known for its subtly sweet and delicate flavor, but it doesn’t start out that way. Prior to boiling, it has a strongly bitter, gamey flavor – called aku – which it loses during the cooking process. In the hands of a master chef, like the one at Nakazato, takenoko can take on many different textures, depending on how it’s sliced and served. During our omakase dinner, it ranged from the tenderness of the innermost artichoke leaf to a portobello-like meatiness. As we learned, and you’ll see, the culinary possibilities with takenoko are extraordinary.

First Course: Tako (octopus), takenoko, miso, mozuku (seaweed), cucumber and amazu (sweet vinegar sauce). The suppleness and delicate flavor of the thin takenoko slices worked well with this dish.

Second Course:Kaibashira of hotate (scallops), takenoko, ebi (shrimp), maguro (tuna), daikon, tade sprout, shokuyo kiku (edible chrysanthemum). The crispness and bright flavor of the takenoko perfectly balanced the richness of the seafood choices.

Third Course:Takenoko “3 ways” – a truly brilliant dish, from three different parts of the sprout, which allowed me to appreciate the unique texture of each part. Served with saya endo (snow pea), shiitake, ebi (shrimp), sansho and dashi broth.

Fourth Course:Takenoko with miso. There was almost something squid-like about the firm texture of the takenoko in this dish.

Fifth Course:Tonkatsu-style takenoko. Fried takenoko and pork with panko coating. An especially amazing dish, the meaty texture of the takenoko made me rethink the possibilities of this humble bamboo sprout again.

Sixth Course:Watermelon slice, perfectly presented, and a refreshing palate cleanser after the fried richness of the last course.

Seventh Course:Tsukemono (literal translation: pickled things). Another simple and stunning presentation, featuring takuan (pickled daikon) and pickled komatsuna (Japanese mustard spinach).

Eighth Course:Gohan (rice) with takenoko and sansho. The most quintessential of all takenoko dishes and a favorite in Japan throughout the spring.

Ninth Course:Soup – takenoko with wakame (seaweed) and dashi. Our culinary journey ended as it had begun: with the thinnest of takenoko slices, this time a perfect complement to the simplicity, subtleness and delicacy of this soup.

The amazing takenoko omakase at Nakazato Ryokan left me inspired to try preparing a takenoko dish in my own home this spring. A simple bowl of gohan with takenoko and sansho would be more than just delicious – it would transport me back to that evening walk through a bamboo forest, in search of a meal matched to its setting that I will never forget.