Tsubajin’s cuisine is a celebration of delicacies from both the ocean and the mountains of the region. The seasonal omakase menu is made up of nine to ten plates that are built on historical local flavors. The meal begins with a sakitsuke (starter), followed by hassun (assortment of appetizers), soup, sashimi, grilled plate, vinegered dish, rice and soup and ends with a dessert. Every dish is simple, yet extravagant, luring every guest’s heart.

“In March, for example, I like to think of lovely dishes like chirashi that celebrate Girl's Day and the arrival of spring,” Kawamura says. “Like Children’s Day in May or Chrysanthemum Festival in September, I hope my dishes celebrate our traditional customs.”

A beautifully arranged hassun platter with skewers of Matsukaze chicken loaf, tiger prawns, and thick Japanese-style omelet, chilled cucumber with miso, fava beans, grilled squid with egg yolk, dried mullet roe, cherry blossom sushi, lily root chakin sushi. The lovely lantern on the plate is also edible, made of daikon radish, peeled using katsuramuki technique.

Mounted on a gorgeous kutani-yaki plate are fresh sashimi of ara sea bass, amaebi sweet shrimp wrapped in white battera seaweed, squid, sea urchin, topped with seaweed and sansho pepper. The day’s grill includes tilefish wrapped in oak leaves, bamboo shoots, Kaga lotus root chips, simmered taro potatoes, butterbur tempura, bachiko sea cucumber delicacy.

Jibu-ni, a seasonal stew, is an iconic dish of Kanazawa. The day’s flavor is made of duck, bamboo shoots, shiitake mushrooms and butterfly carrots. The soup is topped with a thick dashi sauce and wasabi. The precious lacquered bowl, made by a craftsman in Wajima, has been used for many years with careful repairs.

Next is another warm dish, served inside a crab shell. Large and moist chunks of smooth crab meat is accompanied with sesame tofu, brussels sprouts and mushrooms, bathing in stock and white miso. The rich creamy sauce brings out the sweetness of the crab.

The beautiful chirashi is like a carpet of spring flowers, layered with colorful seasonal produce. The rice is mixed with boiled shiitake mushrooms and dried gourd and topped with eel, shrimp, salmon roe, abalone, taranome shoots, nanohana stalks, bamboo shoots, kogomi, Kaga lotus root, kinome leaves, eggs and carrots. The mix of flavors and textures is incredible and extremely balanced.

INGREDIENTS
Popular with tourists and visitors from overseas, the cuisine of Tsubajin is all about showcasing the best of Kanazawa. Some of the chef’s favorite local catches are sea bass, white shrimp and crabs. Traditional ingredients such as Kaga lotus root, kinjiso spinach and bamboo wheat gluten are often incorporated in the menu. They procure only the freshest seasonal ingredients from local farmers and fishermen that the restaurant has worked with for years with trust.