Concentration

It’s been over a week on my newest culinary audition. The discipline in these Japanese kitchens I have been working in as of late is unseen outside Nippon. Caution, unease and suspicion. Always expecting but never accepting as my pinkish fleshy sausages manipulates their creations. One flinch, a slip of the digits or a loss of concentration delivers what they knew all along:

“He can not do what we do”

Bring it on replies this Chef.

Belly Of The Beast

As I entered the well-lit kitchen I envisioned the impossible standards that each meal must meet. The standards that came from this mixture of fire and ice, 16 hours of hell, 7 days a week under a days sky eternally lit with 3 stars .

The walls arched into one another, polished steel arms reminiscent of the burnt sinewy cuffs juggling pans on pick up, and finally meeting in the center to produce a cage. This room, like being in the belly of a stainless steel dragon, came to harmony as the ceiling offered an easy escape for the aromas produced within. The island in the center of this beast boasted a large cooking range. Flat tops spewing forth blue flames, as pure as the imported designer waters. Copper and steel bulging with the heat to char meats. Discipline, pain and anger balancing on the razors edge.

It is hell for most, and heaven for the select few.

Chefs bustling about, commis by there own admission, but commis with years of experience forged in the belly of this creature.

You see there can only be one Chef, and his voice….

is god.

One Chef, 2 Days, 3 Michelin Stars

I recently had the absolute religious experience of working in one of Tokyo’s only 3 star Michelin restaurants. The epic journey I would face in my short time proved only one thing, I am addicted.

More to come.

Aromatherapy 2.0

It’s raining. It’s been raining since 4am when I let my dog out for his espresso free morning glory. The apartment has been invaded with the sweet aromas Tokyo offers when wet. Musky yes yet also vibrant and somewhat addictive.

On my patio: a nasal mosaic of earthy basil, Italian parsley and chives. Pungent stalks of lemon balm fresh from the volcanic earth have been coaxed into my teapot.

It sooths.

Days like this are meant for reflection and inner thought.

The job search continues. Not for lack of effort but rather a need not to rush into any substandard kitchens, as this is a city that personifies competitiveness.

I loose my train of thought…..like a punch to the face my cat relieves himself in his sandbox…bastard.

I find my thought, only to be plesently interrupted by the tart kisses of steam lunging forth from my closet sized rendition of a kitchen.

It’s dinnertime, my own tomato ragu on shitty store bought pasta.

A dinning room

I miss it, the smell of snuffed candles, bitter as they expire on the departure of my guests.

The warm glow in the air when the dinning room closes.

The yukaflux of women’s perfume in the air staining my whites.

I miss it.    I miss the rush.

A New Journey Begins

With a single tear I complete a six year journey as I serve my last plate at the Official Residence of the Canadian Embassy.

More to follow….

Heat in the Bedroom

Currently reading “Heat” by Bill Buford.

An easy read dotted with the kind of humor only an outsider could see in the kitchen. A fantastic account of a novice’s adventures to becoming a chef in the kitchens of Mario Batali.

I would recommend that you pick it up and give it a read. I’ve truly enjoyed virgin humor found in the viewpoints Buford depicts. It is these experiences that I think many industry insiders loose sight of and in turn loose sight of how important our industry is and the fascination it draws among everyday folks.

We need to honor that.

The Great Unknown

I woke up sometime on a crisp spring morning last year and realized I am not 21 anymore. As I have reached the golden age of 27 I made the decision to exit stage left from the embassy in order to continue my professional development and most of all challenging myself as an individual.

As of March 31, 2008 I will simply be known as Nolan, devoted chef, soon to be husband and a hell of a nice guy. My time in the last 5 months or so has been spent entertaining employment opportunities here in Tokyo, the Middle East, China and North America. I have a preference to stay in Tokyo as one might imagine but temptations are strong to run back to the familiarity of China.

I must resist…

Constantly motivating one’s self is an endless battle that seems to have no presumptive winner. Day after day marching into the aromatic dungeons of the hospitality industry and seemingly receiving the fatal chop each time as I exit the door. At the end of the day it is a game of contacts.  Slowly building up an army of people willing to whisper your name while they lounge and sip elixirs in the darkest cigarette lit havens of the after hours. I have been running my own PR campaign based on the shoelace express and vocalized through my website to promote my craft (thank you all who have taken part and found interest in my rambling’s).

I love my industry and I look forward to beating down every door in Nippon until one finally opens and I can once again prove myself through my passion.

What I Have Been Up Too

Sorry for the delay folks. Many changes happening here in Tokyo. More light to shed in the future, stay tuned. For now enjoy these tasty menus….

Vegetarian Sample Menu

Marler House Tofu
Scented with Yuzu and White Soya
Crisp Chives
***
Potato and Leek Fondue
Fried Shallot Rings
Focaccia Crostini
***
Salt ‘n’ Pepper Roasted Parsnip Confit
Red Onion Marmalade
Sweet Beet Leaves
***
Roasted Tomato and Eggplant Tian
Smoked Parmesan and Basil Emulsion
Truffle Oil
***
Salad of Mango and Lime
Coconut Coulis
Fresh Spearmint

Dinner 32 人

British Columbian Porcini Mushroom Fondue
Toasted Peppercorn Foam
***
Smoked Sockeye Salmon
on Sour Cream and Chive Bilini
with Nama Sake Infused Tofino Pearls
and Crisp Chervil
***
Grilled Rack of Spring Lamb
Roasted Garlic Tian
Dried Olives and Spiced Dijon
***
SauteedFilletof Kampachi
on Tomato and Caper Confit
Fresh Basil
***
Bitter Chocolate and Raspberry Chiffon
Whipped Vanilla Beans
Sea Salt

Dinner 8人

Chilled Cucumber and Mint Frappe
Fried Shallots and Sea Salt
***
Crisp Calamari and Chorizo Sausage
Tomato and Smoked Bell Pepper Fondue
Fresh Basil
***
Slow Roasted Rack of Spring Lamb
Caramelized Garlic and Potato Tian
Spiced Dijon
***
Bitter Endive. Fuji Apples and Emerald Asparagus
Champagne Vinaigrette
Red Onion Marmalade
***
Milk Chocolate Mousse
Paired with Ripe Field Berries
and Maple Coulis

Lunch 15人

Dungenous Crab Bisque
Flambeed with Canadian Whiskey
Saffron Crème Fraîche
***
Grilled Sword Fish Belly
on Basil Aioli
Fava Beans and Fresh Thyme
***
Roast Rack of Spring Lamb
Chive Potato Puree
Sundried Tomatoes and Grilled Bitter Endive
***
Sundried Figs Paired with Gorgonzola
Aged Balsamic
and Fresh Basil
***
Sauteed Field Berries
Milk Chocolate Mousse
Cracked Peppercorns

Currently…..

Currently frothing the Parsnip Fondue for tonight. Never quite a simmer but just below an onsen. Frothing allows the soup to slowly gain volume through the addition of air. If it boils – it spoils.

It will be airy, light and full of earthy goodness. Accompanied with White Truffles and Rosemary, it is becoming one of my signatures.

As well I’m shaken my pet-pet to the groovy rhythms of Jemeriquie

Another Lunch

Luncheon

21人

Salt and Pepper Roasted Parsnip Fondue
Scented with White Truffles
and Rosemary Foam
***
Foie Gras Compression
Purple Shiso and Spinach Strata
Sweet and Sour Gastrique
***
Pressed Tofu Curds
Perfumed with Grilled Matsutake
White Soya and Yuzu Nage
***
Chardonnay Poached Nova Scotia Lobster
On Braised Fennel Bulbs
with Garlic Foam and Winter Herbs
***
Pistachio and Raspberry Semifreddo
Pumpkin Sous Vide
24 Karats