umu

oh wow oh wow. I have these beautiful hazy memories of last night - the most amazing meal I have ever had. Food so divine that I wish I could have taken a picture of every bite.

Not having seen my ex for probably a month at least, I thought it would be good to get together to celebrate his imminent entry into the world of Finance IT. As a surprise, I booked a table at Umu, the first Kyoto kaiseki restaurant in London. I had already checked out the prices, and winced a little but when you're going to celebrate, you've got to do it properly.
I wasn't disappointed.

kaiseki is a special art-form of cooking in Japan where everything from the season, to the colours of the plates is considered and presented to perfection. For this reason it's quite costly to have it, even in Japan. In Kyoto you can order it in a traditional japanese inn (ryokan) and enjoy it in the peace and tranquility of your own room.

First course was a wonderfully presented green tea tofu. The waitress explained every single dish to us, the ingredients and the seasonings. I don't really like tofu but this was pretty amazing. Delicate and with the perfect texture. The second course was probably my favourite - oyster tempura. I have never ever eaten oysters as perfect as these two. They melted in the mouth like butter and if the chef could have seen my expression, he would probably have felt rather smug. Of course, by the 7th course, with my small appetite every plate become my mortal enemy and it was all I could do to try and do justice to the effort that had gone into everything. In between all this, the waitress kept us constantly topped up with the £50 a bottle vintage sake that we had ordered. Needless to say, we staggered a little after the meal to make our way home, stomachs full and wallet feeling almost £400 lighter. Was it worth it? Oh yes. I'll be back one day - to try the wagyu beef.

As an aside, I thought that it was going to be awkward to spend an evening with my ex. He has a new girlfriend now and seems happy enough. And I'm happy for him. After the time spent apart doing separate things, we've both returned to our usual selves. There is no bitterness or awkwardness, just an easy friendship.
This makes me happy.