Since 2022, Palace Hotel Tokyo in Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo has been holding an event called "Essence of Japan" with the aim of providing the "highest quality of Japan."
Last year, it was realized in collaboration with Yamanashi Prefecture. This time, Ryo Horiuchi, the chef of Fukui Prefecture's restaurant "Le Jardin," is leading the way in the three Hokuriku prefectures, and he is the 8th generation brewer of "Kokuryu Sake Brewery," which brews the prefecture's representative sake. It will be a collaboration with Naoto Mizuno, and it has just been decided that it will be held next spring. Greeting them at the Palace Hotel Tokyo is executive chef Masatoshi Saito, who was awarded the Chevalier of France's Agricultural Achievement Award.
Fukui Prefecture is a treasure trove of seafood and vegetables, and although it is not well known, it is also a land rich in fruit trees such as plums, pears, and mandarin oranges. Prior to the event, seats were set up to sample the actual menu, so I would like to report on the experience.

Fukui's rich ingredients explode on your plate

The first thing served was an amuse bouche prepared by Masatoshi Saito, which consisted of ``Echizen shrimp and snow crab tartlet with crustasse consommé''.

First of all, the tartlet on the left of the photo is about 4.5 centimeters in diameter. The main ingredients inside are shrimp and snow crab, but other ingredients such as seaweed seaweed, lime jelly, lemon-flavored olive oil, and perilla are minutely incorporated into the dish, making it seem like a microcosm. As I chewed and chewed, the shrimp and snow crab were the main ingredients, but a variety of flavors shot through my mouth like a shotgun. It is so delicious that you will be slightly shocked. The consomme is based on beef consomme, and the essence of Echizen shrimp and snow crab is also overflowing, making it extremely rich. One cup is just not enough.

I should also mention the paired alcohol. Most of the pairings are sake from “Kokuryu Sake Brewery,” but the first one that came out was a sparkling sake called “ESHIKOTO AWA Etra Dry 2020.” It's a dry dish with a mix of refreshing sourness and bitterness. Especially suitable for seafood.

The next cold appetizer, also made by Mr. Saito, is ``Echizen Bluefin Tuna, Purple Vegetables, Oscetra Caviar, and Higashiura Mandarin Orange Vinaigrette.'' Echizen tuna marinated in kelp and grilled is packed with purple vegetables from Fukui Prefecture, such as beets, purple carrots, antibes, purple cabbage, and chrysanthemums. Reddish-purple tuna topped with caviar and various purple vegetables come together as one. It is seasoned with vinaigrette made from Tsuruga-produced Higashiura mandarin oranges and boiled balsamic vinegar, allowing you to enjoy the variation in taste of each ingredient. I paired it with the Junmai Daiginjo ``ESHIKOTO Narcissus Junmai Daiginjo,'' which has a mellow yet fruity flavor.

<Le Taittinger Prize> Marvel at the world's best cuisine

The most surprising dish was the ``grilled brioche-wrapped beef with 20-year-aged Porto Rouge sauce'' that was served as the main dish that day.

Beef tongue coated with yuzu and pepper is sandwiched between domestic beef fillets. It is a very elaborate dish that is surrounded by a thin layer of chicken and garland chrysanthemum mousse, wrapped in brioche dough, and then baked in the oven. It may seem difficult to pasteurize, but both the fillet and tongue were perfectly grilled, resulting in a wonderful result. The rich port rouge sauce sprinkled with truffles perfectly enhanced the flavor of the meat. Furthermore, when I heard that it was yuzu and pepper, I was worried that it would go well with it, but it was just an unfounded concern. The yuzu pepper had a tingling sensation on the tongue, giving it a layered flavor. The result is extremely delicious.

From the back right of the photo, there are three types of garnishes: a hollowed-out small onion stuffed with finely chopped beef tongue, a special garniture made with onion and shiso puree on top, potato pomsoufflé, and truffle and Jerusalem artichoke flan. , each of them was beautifully executed, and each one had such a strong presence that it was hard to believe that they were supporting characters.

In fact, this dish was the one that Chef Horiuchi made when he won first place at the 2022 Le Taittinger International Signature Cuisine Competition world competition, and the more I heard about it, the more I felt the level of perfection.

The pairing was as expected with "Gevrey Chambertin 2017 Chanson", and I couldn't help but sigh with each sip. This was chosen by Palace Hotel Tokyo Chef Sommelier Takamasa Sato.

The dessert was also spectacular. This is ``Fukui Plum'' by Takahiro Kudo, chef pastry chef of ``Le Jardin.'' Although the name is simple, the content is complex. The sphere on the right of the photo is made from cubes of plums soaked in Kokuryu Sake Brewery's plum wine and a compote made by boiling Fukui plums in syrup, wrapped in plum-flavored cream, and then coated with white chocolate around the outside. If you scooped out just the plum inside, it would have a very sour taste, but if you eat it with ice cream and chocolate, it has a truly exquisite flavor. The rosemary and plum sorbet on the left in the photo is refreshing and will refresh your palate.
This course meal was a combination of Palace Hotel Tokyo's original strengths of chef, sommelier, and service, with the addition of a new breath of ``Le Jardin'', and the sense of a mutually increasing vibration was felt to the fullest. Next year's actual event will include hot appetizers and fish dishes, and there will be a total of five types of alcohol available, so I'm really looking forward to it.

Collaboration event overview

Date and time: February 2024, 18 (Tuesday) 30:XNUMX~
Location: Palace Hotel Tokyo 4F Banquet Hall “Yamabuki”
Price: 42,000 yen (meals, drinks, service charge, consumption tax included)

1-1-1 Marunouchi, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo
Contact: 03-3211-5326 (Palace Hotel Tokyo event reception)