Our little celebratory "snack" at Ryugin closed memorably — and very sweetly indeed.
Following in the much lauded footsteps of the famous Ryugin Candy Apple, this is Chef Yamamoto's new Candy Strawberry.
Just as with the apple, the "strawberry" is nitro-frozen — all the way down to -196° Celsius. That burnished outer shell of candy contains a frozen powder that literally melts in your mouth as it warms up.
And it's served with a hot "jam" — with lots of chunks of the actual fruit — heated to an almost bubbling-hot +99°.
It's such a jewel-like creation it seems a shame to crack it open. But the combination of textures and of course temperatures — a differential of almost 300 degrees — gives for a remarkable taste experience.
Here's what it looks like as the jam gets ladled over the candy...
Truth to tell, I think the apple works better. The strawberry is every bit as beautiful, but it lacks the slight underlying tartness of the apple. That jam is very sweet indeed.
But there was another dessert to come, this one rather more subtle on the palate.
A mikan orange — a thin-skinned varietal from Shikoku, Yamamoto's home territory — carved out and filled with tiny morsels of shortbread-like cake, and topped with wedges of the unadorned fruit.
This one is a winner all the way.
