Ichimiya’s luxurious full-course menu centers on Tajima beef, a bloodline of Japanese Black breeds that is officially certified as Kobe beef. The meat is loved for its high percentage and best quality marbling.

The first appetizer offers an assortment of bite-size delicacies, introducing the guests to the charm of Tajima beef. Served with Ossetra caviar and pancakes are pieces of grilled, smoked and broiled meats, and a spoonful of tartar. Each morsel is flavored in their own way to show off the different characteristics of the top-ranked beef.

The day’s pasta is the prosciutto linguine. The perfectly al dente pasta is covered with a heap of shaved Italian white truffles and Parmesan cheese. The rich aroma of the truffles fill the room. The beef cutlet is simple yet flavorful. Served with a rich demi-glace sauce, the crusty breadcrumbs and moist meat create a satisfying bite. Sea bass poêlé is cooked to perfection, served on top of turnip puree and beurre blanc sauce.

The star course of the evening is the Tajima beef sirloin steak. Grilled over Kishu Binchotan charcoal in a furnace kiln, the meat is heated gradually, allowing the excess fat to drip off. The surface is crisp and golden brown while the inside remains moist and juicy. The meat is seasoned simply, with just salt, pepper and mountain wasabi on the side.

For dessert, homemade ice cream, made from freshly-squeezed milk from Kuzumaki, is served with sweet La France pear from Yamagata Prefecture. The cold sweet cleanses your palate and wraps up the enchanting evening.

INGREDEINTS
Ichimiya only uses meat sent from Oogiya, a Kobe-based store that specializes in Tajima beef. For over a decade, the chef has worked closely with Shuichi Kakimoto, the owner of the butcher, and trusts his careful selection of top-quality beef. The chef prefers to select meat from female cows, which has a low fat melting point and softer texture.

For the seasoning, he likes to use salt and pepper from Yonaguni Island in Okinawa. The fresh mountain wasabi and black pepper come from Hokkaido.

The chef is also selective about ingredients other than meat. He finds high quality produce such as large black abalones from Chiba. Vegetables are purchased directly from Akiya Farm in Chiba Prefecture. The fish is sourced directly from fishermen in various regions.