The artistic meal at La Kanro is made up of 10 stunning courses. It typically begins with consomme, followed by amuse bouche, finger foods, vegetable dish, 2 seasonal appetizers, risotto, fish and meat. To wrap up the evening, he puts together an assortment of desserts.

“I haven’t raised the number of courses over the years, but how much work I put into each course has definitely increased,” the chef says, adding to the excitement for the meal to follow.

The finger food platter is one of the most memorable dishes for the guests at La Kanro. Plated beautifully around with colorful flowers are onion gratin soup guimauve, mushroom meringue, Japanese corned beef sandwich, caprese, celery root chips and white fish tartare, sea lettuce and rice chips on sea urchin, marinated horse mackerel and couscous salad, sakura shrimp quiche, and squid tartar soup.

The day’s amuse is egg yolk confit topped with caviar and smoked cashew nut sauce. The seasonal vegetable dish brings together 15 different kinds of ingredients such as zucchini, asparagus sauvage, brussels sprouts and mini okra.

The grilled tilefish is an adaptation of uroko-yaki, a traditional Japanese fish-grilling method where the fish is cooked with the scales intact. Between the crispy skin and flavorful meat are layers of shirasu whitebait and Japanese ginger mousse. Served with aromatic shiso sauce, every bite is just divine.

The meat dish elevates Chateaubriand to a new level. The tender meat is melded together with foie gras and draped with a striped layer of red paprika and green chive sauces.

The evening ends with an assortment of sweets. The passion fruit mousse is light and refreshing, followed by chocolate, fruit and 8 tiny sweets.

INGREDIENTS
For Nakamine, the quality of the ingredients is top priority. He only purchases produce that are in season from vendors he knows and trusts. He also looks for new ingredients from different regions and cultures.

“It’s important for guests to enjoy different flavors, aromas and textures,” he explains. “We incorporate many kinds of vegetables and herbs to create a dish that surprises them from the first bite to the last.” The flower spring rolls is one of the dishes that made Nakamine famous. Seasonal vegetables such as paprika and champignons are mixed into potato puree and wrapped in flower-decorated skins. This recipe was inspired by what he learned at Astrance in Paris, which he evolved using Japanese ingredients and techniques.

He curates a superb wine pairing menu from his ample collection of more than 1,000 bottles. Many are of French vintages, with a particular focus on Burgundy. All of the wines are from cool regions, with a refreshing taste and low alcohol content.