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An elegant taste of Japan
arrives in Albany Park
BY LEAH A. ZELDES
Daily Herald Correspondent
Posted Thursday, October 27, 2005
Exquisite. No lesser word does justice to the food and the experience
of Matsumoto, a new Japanese restaurant in Chicago’s Northwest Side
Albany Park neighborhood. Put yourself into chef Seijiro Matsumoto’s
hands and prepare to be transported to another realm. Matsumoto
is Chicago’s only restaurant offering traditional kaiseki — an
elaborate, seasonal meal of small courses. The menus change daily, but
all are made from fresh, premium ingredients, all beautifully prepared,
artfully arranged and presented in a sequence dictated by Japanese
custom. The chef learned his art in Japan more than 30 years ago.
He’s since had a long career, working at Schaumburg’s Daruma, among
other places. Owners Chiyo and Isao Tozuka, longtime friends of
Chef Matsumoto, also own Chicago Kalbi Restaurant, a yakiniku
(Korean-style barbecue as practiced in Japan) place a block away. They
opened their new venue in August with no publicity, but two weeks
afterward the first excited message appeared on LTHForum.com, Chicago’s
premier food lovers’ Web site, and from there word has spread rapidly,
rather surprising the restaurateurs who’d anticipated a mainly Japanese
clientele. Some of the excitement stems from the reason Chiyo
Tozuka said she and her husband decided to open this style of
restaurant: “There are a lot of Japanese restaurants in Chicago, but
nothing serving this kind of food.” Those who’ve been there, though,
are even more thrilled by chef Matsumoto’s consummate skill. The
artistry of his tasting menus, with their gorgeous flavors, textures
and colors, easily equals those of the city’s foremost chefs, including
Arun Sampanthavivat, Rick Tramonto and Charlie Trotter. Kaiseki,
which translates as “warmed stone” and means, basically, belly warmer,
has its roots in Zen Buddhism and the meals that accompanied ancient
Japanese tea ceremonies. Menus progress with the seasons, and each
course has a specific role. Matsumoto’s menus change daily, so your
meal won’t duplicate mine, but you can expect a similar progression of
courses. Friendly servers speak English and explain the dishes as they
arrive. Our dinner began with a study in orange: a crystal
martini glass filled with cleverly cut squiggles of delicately chewy
squid, brilliantly colored and flavored with a coating of savory sea
urchin and topped with bright, jewel-like globes of salmon roe.
Alongside this sakizuke, or appetizer, came the sunomono, or vinegared
dish: a kind of slaw — a marvel of textures and flavors — with shreds
of cucumber and seaweed and thin strips of omelet, set off by slivers
of crabmeat, all sprinkled with crunchy flying fish roe in a mild
rice-vinegar dressing. (Traditional kaiseki tends to be heavy on
seafood; however Tozuka said that, with notice, Matsumoto could prepare
a fish-free menu or even a vegetarian one.) Mukozuke, the raw
course, followed: a stunning presentation of sashimi, dusted with real
gold leaf and accompanied by house-made soy sauce and a little mound of
freshly grated wasabi root, almost as precious as gold. Its clean
sharpness will ruin you for the green horseradish paste served at most
sushi bars. So will Matsumoto’s fish — utterly pristine,
precisely cut and tasting of the sea. Our dazzling plate contained a
rosette of subtly flavored flounder; a plump sea scallop bisected by a
thin slice of lemon; a square of white squid dolloped with unctuous sea
urchin; a tail of moist sweet shrimp, curled around its chitinous head;
and several heavenly cubes of translucent pink toro, the highest
quality fat tuna; the whole garnished with a fresh shiso
(beefsteak-plant) leaf. I have distinct memories of the first time I
tasted sashimi, some three decades ago, and this is the best I’ve eaten
since. Just exquisite. The suimono, smoky tasting, clear mushroom
consomme, came in a ceramic teapot with tiny cups. Inside the pot, to
be picked out with chopsticks, floated fresh shimeji mushrooms, chunks
of mild white fish and a green ginkgo nut. Close behind, a hot, ceramic
bowl of three large, meaty oysters — stewed in velvety white miso sauce
with matsutake mushrooms and burdock — formed the hearty nimono, or
simmered dish. The hassun course traditionally offers “morsels
from the land and the sea.” An oblong, black lacquer tray held four
little items: thin slices of tender rare duck breast in gingery sauce;
a trio of crunchy grilled moroko, sardine-like fish, in teriyaki glaze;
a green cube made of faintly sweet bean paste; and a bright yellow,
sweet chestnut. Exquisite. (Did I say that already?) Things began
to wind down with the wanmori, another soup: a wide bowl of
mushroom-dashi broth holding a circle of tofu crepe filled with crab,
and topped with spicy radish, and garnished with spongy, brilliantly
colored shapes made from fu, or wheat gluten. Two lovely pieces of
horse mackerel came next — the agemono, or fried course — crisply
breaded in multicolored crumbs with a wedge of lemon, a deep-fried
shiso leaf, a tender morsel of fried Japanese eggplant and little
mounds of seasoned salt and tart, powdered dried plum for seasoning to
taste. The hashiarai (“chopstick wash”) is meant to refresh your
mouth at the meal’s conclusion. We received slices of delicately
flavored raw grouper in a piquant sauce made from umeboshi, Japanese
salt plums, surrounded by a colorful array of fresh seaweed. Tomawan,
or dessert, a warm soup made from red adzuki beans, with chewy rice-gum
dumplings, formed the only course that didn’t appeal to me, though it’s
a common treat for Asians. Finally, cups of hot green tea brought
satiety. Our dinner cost $100 per person before drinks, tax and
tip, and it was worth every penny. Every course was revelatory.
Afterward, one of my companions sighed and said, “We should have gone
for $150 — I want to know what else he’d do.” Matsumoto, a very
special, special-occasion restaurant, is not for everyone, but those
looking for delicious adventure shouldn’t hesitate to make reservations. When
you call, you’ll be asked how much you want to spend — the kaiseki runs
from $80 to $150 for seven to 11 courses. You should also state whether
you have any dietary restrictions. Reservations should be made at least
a day ahead; calling earlier would be smart if you have special
requirements. Also, the restaurant is small — about 40 seats — and as
its reputation grows, reservations may be harder to come by. (If you
can’t plan ahead, Tozuka said that if the reservation list wasn’t full,
they might accommodate last-minute callers with smaller omakase —
chef’s choice — meals.) Although the kaiseki’s progression is
formal, the restaurant isn’t. With its lavender walls and simple decor,
there’s little in the dining room to distract you from the food. Again,
I found myself reminded of Charlie Trotter’s. However, neither the
staff nor patrons dress formally. Fortunately for Westerners,
given that dinners here last two hours or more, the dining room affords
regular tables and chairs instead of Asian-style floor seating. Lovely
tableware features at every course. The stage is set with bamboo
chopsticks presented in origami paper sleeves, shaped like birds, and
diners receive damp towels for their hands before and after dinner. Matsumoto offers beer and wine, as well as a wide variety of sakes, served chilled in crystal glasses. •
Restaurant reviews are based on one anonymous visit. Our aim is to
describe the overall dining experience while guiding the reader toward
the menu’s strengths. The Daily Herald does not publish reviews of
restaurants it cannot recommend. Matsumoto 3800 W. Lawrence Ave.,
(773) 267-1555 Cuisine: Traditional Japanese kaiseki tasting menus Setting: Simple and serene, with Zen-like minimalism Price range: Fixed-price menus $80 to $150 Hours: 5 p.m. to midnight Sunday through Tuesday and Thursday through Saturday; closed Wednesday Accepts: Major credit cards Also: Beer, wine and sake available; limited free parking behind the restaurant; street parking available; reservations required
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