A course in culinary beauty
Faro Shiseido in Tokyo’s Ginza district leads WKH ZD\ IRU YHJDQ ôQH GLQLQJ LQ -DSDQ
Veganism is now mainstream and the word is spreading. In many countries where people have been reluctant to embrace a meat-free diet, attitudes are changing. Japan is one such example.
Championing the cause is Faro in Ginza, Tokyo. This fine dining establishment is owned by cosmetics brand Shiseido and housed in the same building that the beauty giant has called home for the last 147 years. Merging outer beauty with inner beauty, Faro was relaunched in October 2018 under the helm of executive chef Kotaro Noda, of Michelin-starred Bistrot64 in Rome, Italy.
Keeping in line with Shiseido’s principle of “beauty innovations for a better world”, Faro’s primary focus is on vegan cuisine, showcasing the very best of Japanese produce. Non-vegetarian options are also available, however.
Noda’s decision to introduce a vegan menu to Faro stems from his travels throughout Japan and the bonds he has formed with farmers up and down the country who supply to Faro. The beauty of his dishes lie in their deceptive simplicity, always retaining the integrity of each of the ingredients. Noda says his menu largely depends on what produce is sent to the restaurant, and does not shy away from “ugly vegetables” as a result.
“I adjust my techniques according to the ingredients. I think my cuisine should be positioned as ‘gastronomic vegan on a fine dining platform,’” he says, although he accepts that how his cuisine is perceived depends largely on the diner. “Though vegan sounds like a restricted food choice, it’s anything but.”
I can attest to that. My meal began with a vegetable medley: black daikon, celery and Chinese cabbage, with yellow, purple and orange carrot, all served in black garlic and handmade miso pesto with olive oil and charcoal bamboo powder — like the colours of the rainbow. This was one of my favourites.
Next came the small Okinawan Shima banana, batter-fried and served on a cinnamon root. It was accompanied by a bite-size fresh spring roll, stuffed with dehydrated green peas, dried seaweed and hot mayonnaise, garnished with a bitter vegetable from Ehime, Noda’s home prefecture.
Winter is the season for Jerusalem artichoke in Japan and this was the star of the next course. The artichoke is puréed and fried, then brushed with a vinegar made from kombucha fermented with coffee. With artichoke powder dusted on top and plated like a delicate mille-feuille, its appearance is reminiscent of a bunch of blooming oyster mushrooms. A delight!
Faro’s housemade sourdough, served with olive oil, was perfect for mopping up the sauce from the next dish. Fermented beetroot is blended with dried porcini mushrooms and garlic to create the sauce. Then bread, beets, onion and mushrooms are combined to make canederli, a dumpling from northeastern Italy. I’m a big fan of beetroot, so in a word: yum!
A dish that could almost have been dug up straight from the earth is Noda’s special potato spaghetti in a soy cream with celery fermented with salt and soy sauce, served with crispy potato strings and generous shavings of seasonal white Italian truffles. This was followed by another star course: ravioli stuffed with lotus root and seaweed from Saga prefecture in a vegetable consommé, made with tomato, onion, celery, carrot and yuzu zest. It did not take me long to polish off the glistening discs.
The main course was salt-baked turnip, plated up tableside with a cauliflower purée. The purée is mixed with curry powder for a hint of spice, and the turnip is served with a small sprinkling
THOUGH VEGAN SOUNDS LIKE A RESTRICTED FOOD CHOICE, IT’S ANYTHING BUT
of seaweed salt from Ichikawa. Served with a side salad of turnip leaves in balsamic vinegar, it is turnip like you’ve never tasted before. The salt draws out the root vegetable’s sweetness, while the seaweed salt lends it umami.
I did not miss meat or fish, but for those who might, the next course would help satisfy any cravings. Mushrooms from Kunisaki stuffed with soy meat and diced mushroom, drizzled with vinegar, came served in a vegetable demi-glace and porcini mushroom paste. Add, some parsley and rosemary for garnish and Bob’s your uncle. If you think vegan means boring, you are sorely mistaken. There’s even a cheese course: persimmon soaked in grappa, is layered over cashew nut cheese and served on a flaxseed and dried fig disc.
Save some room for dessert. Pastry chef Mineko Kato honed her skills at one of the world’s best restaurants, Osteria Francescana, among others, before returning to Japan. Her first dessert was as gorgeous to look at as it was to eat. Parsnip ravioli is served in a ginger panna cotta, with a delicate rose hip sauce, which lends a blush colour to the dish, and lemon-flavoured olive oil.
As pretty as that was, it had nothing on the main dessert, a contender for best coffee dessert of the year. Japanese bird cherry ice cream is served with a coffee and dark chocolate crumble, and an almond milk and coffee sauce. The ice cream is made with soy cream and under a shiny layer of oblaat. A sugar tuile completed the dish.
Providing a perfect ending to the meal was the almond biscuit slathered with vegan butter, tofu cream and maple syrup, topped with herbs from Okinawa, including my favourite, the crunchy ice plant.
To wash all this down, sommelier Yasu Honda pairs a selection of sake, wine or non-alcoholic juices combining ingredients from all parts of Japan, which was my poison of choice. My favourite was the Okinawan cola, made using getto plant from the island, coriander seed, yuzu, roselle and cinnamon.
Back home in India, we have a long and rich tradition of vegan and vegetarian cuisine. But this was the best vegan meal I’ve ever had. If this is what veganism is all about, count me in!
The vegan tasting menu requires advance reservations. The vegan dinner tasting menu cost ¥12,000++ (3,500 baht) for 13 courses, with lunch being ¥8,000. Faro Shiseido 8 Chome-8-3 Ginza, Chuo City, Tokyo 104-0061, Japan Tuesday to Saturday, 12-3.30pm, 6-11pm Call +81 3-3572-3911 Visit faro.shiseido.co.jp