Lexington, KY - In "Kitchen Confidential: Adventures in the Culinary Underbelly," the best-selling book by popular culinary personality Anthony Bourdain, the author devotes a chapter to detailing a trip he took to Tokyo relatively early in his career, possessing a love of sushi but not much else regarding Japanese food or culture. Marked by debilitating jet lag, heavy drinking, graphic visions at the Tokyo fish market, and a particularly eventful dining experience involving 20-plus courses that left Bourdain reluctant to return to New York, the experience -
like most of the book -
is described in vivid, explicit detail, and is quite engaging and memorable to the reader.
For reasons I can't exactly pinpoint, my recent trip to Yamaguchi's Sake and Tapas reminded me of this section of Bourdain's book - perhaps it was the sense of adventure and abandon within the menu, which is unlike that of any other local Japanese eatery that I have seen, or maybe it was the exhilaration of experiencing a side of Japanese culture outside of sushi and hibachi grills.
To be clear, Yamaguchi's is not particularly easy to discover, and one gets the sense this is intentional. Tucked into a shopping center, the restaurant bears no overhead sign, and the phone number is unlisted, which the menu insists is done in order to enhance the "cozy hideaway experience" of the restaurant. This intimacy alone makes Yamaguchi's worth the search -
the interior is small, with fewer than 10 tables, and the decor is simple but aesthetically attuned, with gorgeous solid wood tables and booths, simple Japanese cushions, and low hanging lanterns with bamboo lampshades.
My guest and I were immediately impressed with the menu, and somewhat overwhelmed by the options. Though not extraordinarily lengthy, the menu is filled with intriguing items that neither of us were used to seeing on a Japanese menu - bacon-wrapped asparagus, Japanese mountain yam, deep-fried tofu - and trying to nail down our selection proved difficult. Fortunately, portions are small (tapas style), to encourage sharing and sampling. We finally settled on the Spare Rib and Daikon Radish ($9), the Asazuke (an assortment of pickled vegetables, $4), the Kurobuta Aburi Yuzukoshu (broiled Berkshire pig loin, $10) and a daily seafood special, the Hobo Fish (a.k.a "sea robin," prepared to our specification, $23).
We later hit a wall while trying to decide which of these offerings was our favorite. The spare rib was
tender and juicy, perfectly flavored in a pool of Japanese broth; the pork loin, thinly sliced and broiled alongside a flavorful green pepper, had the flavor and consistency of thick, crisp bacon, minus the grease and fat. The fish was served on the bone, head and tail intact, lending a fresh and tender deliciousness to the dish.
We were so impressed with our initial selections, we had to try the karaage (Japanese-style fried chicken), which is billed on the menu as "everyone's favorite." It was delicious and filling, but not near as daring or exotic as other menu items.
The restaurant is a small operation -
the food prep area, exposed to the dining room, was occupied by only one chef, and only one server was on duty on a recent Monday evening. Though the small tables are closely placed, they somehow retain a sense of intimacy. The small staff contributes to the slow, relaxed atmosphere that is paramount to the Yamaguchi's experience; our meals were coursed appropriately and we never grew antsy between courses.
While our meal was decidedly meat-heavy, Yamaguchi's offers plenty of vegetable, seafood and tofu-based dishes. Our meal, which included a higher end bottle of warm sake ($20), two other adult beverages and a dessert (green tea flan with sweetened red beans and vanilla ice cream, $5) came to $98 prior to tax and tip.