Kyoto ¨C At Kodaiji Wakuden, a two-Michelin-starred kaiseki (Japanese haute cuisine) restaurant in Kyoto, steps from Yasaka Shrine, my meal features hollowed-out yuzu filled with bai (Japanese ivory shell snail) and urui (plantain lily), crab sushi and a side of soramame (broad beans) ¡ª an ingredient associated with Setsubun, the February holiday best known for its mamemaki (bean-throwing) ritual to drive away demons, while also marking an unofficial transition toward warmer days.
To underline this sensitivity to the movement of the seasons, the dish is complemented by a card with an illustration and a classical waka poem by Emperor Koko, who reigned from 884 to 887: ¡°For you / I wander spring fields / picking young greens / as snow falls / on my robe sleeve.¡±
Though Kodaiji Wakuden has been a fixture in Kyoto¡¯s fine-dining scene for more than 150 years, this is no ordinary kaiseki. Instead, the combination of classical poetry and a cuisine closely attuned to seasonal ingredients transforms a?fine-dining affair into an aesthetic and cultural feast.
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