11.305 Tora Omakase (Actually Kaiseki)

11.305

5 (Thu) November 2020

Tora Omakase (Actually Kaiseki)

4.0

at Sumitora

-Seongsu, Seongdong, Seoul, Republic of Korea-

with SYJ

Sumitora is a Japanese restaurant. Specializes in high-end traditional cuisine.

Located about a 5-minute walk from the office.

Yet another example of the neighborhood’s gentrification, especially the industrial grunge chic interior.

For my first official work-related social function, I invited the managing director SYJ out to dinner. He’s been with the company for over 20 years, the longest running employee by far, and he now runs the daily operations.

I was a bit worried about how it would go – I’ve kinda known him the whole time, but never beyond a quick hello – but suddenly 3 hours had already flown by.

Omakase is a Japanese food service modality. Typically applied to sushi/sashimi at the counter, the customer pays a set price and receives fish dependent on the chef’s discretion – in theory, the freshest cuts of the day, tailored by the chef to match the customer’s personal preferences. The term means “I trust you.” Our meal was not omakase – it was kaiseki, a traditional full course meal that encompasses a soup dish, a grilled dish, a sashimi dish, a sushi dish, a tempura dish, etc. Like omakase, the composition of items in a kaiseki spread is also dependent on the chef’s discretion.

In any case, the food was awesome. Impeccably fresh ingredients, widely varied in composition, perfectly seasoned and prepared, artfully plated. My favorite was the penultimate dish, essentially negitorodon: steamed rice topped with minced tuna belly, scallions, and dried nori.