MUJŌ
JANUARY 2024
BY THOMAS CULWELL
AS I OPENED THE TOWERING BLACK DOOR...
I was immediately met by the host who kindly hung our jackets and seated us at the cocktail bar. Meanwhile, preparations for the impending Omakase evening resonated in the background. After a glass of water and a brief exchange with the bartender, we were seamlessly moved into the dining room, now sitting amongst the tapestry of diners. A few housekeeping items: add-ons, beverage pairings, a la carte cocktail options. We settled on one classic beverage pairing, a queue of a la carte cocktails, and one special add-on.
SAKIZUKE
We started with a petite appetizer – a marinated turnip tart crowned with a smoked fish soufflé. This delightful dish was accompanied by a champagne from Cumieres: Vadin-Plateau “Cuvee Renaissance”. From there, in true champagne fashion, the real fun began.
TURNIP TART
ZENSAI
The following three courses made up the Zensai portion of the menu, translating to “starter course of small dishes”. The first dish was paired with the same champagne from the Sakizuke portion of the menu, while the following two were paired with “Seven Spearsmen”, a rich and dry Junmai from the Shiga prefecture in the Kinki region of Japan. The brewing company, Tomita Brewery, was founded in 1534, making it the third oldest brewery in the country.
CHARRED CABBAGE
Cabbage adorned with karasumi shavings, miso sauce, and sesame – a smoky, earthy, and subtly sweet dish that engaged all of the taste buds.
GINDARA SHIOYAKI
A charcoal-grilled sablefish served with soubise and citrus. The sablefish’s skin was seared to perfection, boasting a savory, crispy shell.
CHAWANMUSHI
Japanese savory steamed egg custard featuring seared scallops, marinated shitake mushrooms, gin-an, and chives.
SUSHI
For the initial three dishes in the Sushi portion of the menu, the chosen beverage pairing was “Fosilni Breg”, a mineral-forward Sauvignon Blanc from Slovenia just beyond the border of various Austrian Grand Cru vineyards. The vineyard lies on long-receded waters that left limestone-enriched sediment – prime grounds for the grapes to flourish.
NOBBUKO — Blackfin Seabass
MADAI— Sea Bream
MEDAI— Bluenose
For dishes four and five, we had the most distinctive wine of the evening, “La Rumbera”. Crafted by Oriol Artigas, a native of Alella in Catalonia, Spain, is a skilled enologist and has been dedicated to non-interventionist winemaking since 2011. “La Rumbera”, a combination of 80% Pansa Blanca and 20% Garnacha Blanca, was remarkably funky, fermented with wild yeasts and filtration-absent in the bottling process.
MEBARU – Rockfish
YAGARA – Cornetfish
Halfway through the menu, the next beverage was an Isle of Harris gin-based cocktail with Motoko Honkaku Shochu, Cesar Florido Fino Sherry, house yuzu cordial, and Japanese bitters. This was served alongside an intermission dish of miso shiro (miso soup).
GIN COCKTAIL (½ full)
MISO SOUP (¼ full)
With plates six through eight was “Tintos de Mar”, a blend of Caiño (40%), Espadiero (20%), Loureiro (20%), and Sousón (20%) from Forjas des Salnes in Spain. Aged in French oak barrels, this wine had a spicy and floral nose while silky and fresh on the palate.
AJI – Horse Mackerel
EBODAI – Butterfish
BURI – Adult Yellowtail (Not Pictured)
For the final two sushi courses, the sommelier presented us with “Pretty Horses”, a Tempranillo, Garnacha, and Graciano blend by Enfield Wine Co. The deeper, darker notes of cacao and cherry complimented the final two fattier dishes.
TORO – Fatty Tuna
UNI – Sea Urchin
ENCORE
In addition to the standard courses, we had the opportunity to experience several supplementary dishes.
Firstly, we tried the A5 Wagyu, seared by charcoal, retaining it’s cool, rare center. This was served with fresh wasabi, pickled carrots and daikon, ponzu sauce, and citrus soy sauce. Not only was this the best beef I have ever tasted, but the pairing of citrus and vegetal elements made it extremely dynamic and lively as well.
A5 WAGYU
Fortunately for us, our server knows my brother Carter very well, so he brought us a few items that were not being served as part of that night’s menu – a massive shout out to Gusan. The second of the supplementary dishes was Japanese Shad. This silver-skinned fish undergoes a fascinating transformation as it matures. In its youth, it is referred to as “Shink,” but as it grows, it transitions into a new stage known as “Kohada,” eventually reaching adulthood, or “Nakazumi.” We were served Shink, which roughly resembles anchovies in looks and taste.
KOHADA (SHINK) – Shad
The second gift (and third encore) was Kinki, or Thornyhead, a fish found on the coastline of Hokkaido. This fatty and sweet fish was my favorite of the night, followed closely by the fatty tuna. Which brings me to the fact that we both ordered another fatty tuna prior to the final dish.
KINKI – Thornyhead
Atsuyaki Tamago, a sweet, multi-layered shrimp and egg omelet / cake, concluded the sushi portion of the menu.
ATSUYAKI TAMAGO – Sweet Omelette
Throughout the night, we also enjoyed several a la carte cocktails, seen below:
DESSERT
To consummate the experience, we were served a roasted sesame ice cream with miso rum caramel, satsumaimo, and puffed rice. As a lot of people know, I have a huge sweet tooth, and this was simply the perfect way to end the experience.
ROASTED SESAME ICE CREAM
CONCLUSION
Mujō was nothing short of excellent. The experience from start to finish was fantastic. The music, ambience, service, architecture, and décor all meshed extremely well to provide an elevated atmosphere without creeping into haughtiness. The attention to detail was the best I’ve experienced, the staff was well educated and prepared, and the food itself was world class. An evening I won’t soon forget – I look forward to going back to Mujō.
