Seven-course dining

Pickings

More than any other cuisine in the world, Japanese food, is a complete aesthetic experience "" a delight for the eyes, the nose and the palate," read the introductory lines on the menu at Sakura, the Japanese restaurant at Delhi's Nikko Metropolitan.

And to further the splendour of the cuisine, the restaurant has introduced the "ultimate in Japanese cuisine" "" the kaiseki meal.

The cuisine, though originally served during traditional tea ceremonies, was humble to start off with, rose to its lavish and creative best under the eighth shogun,Yoshimasa Ashikaga.

The first course of fruit salad is consumed with miso soup and rice, which are meant to stimulate the appetite.

The second course, or nimono, the heart of the kaiseki meal, consists of delicately laid out morsels of food in seasoned broth.

The rising steam from the bowl carries the delectable fragrance of lemon grass, while the broth contains steamed fish, shiitake mushrooms, and parboiled spinach leaves.

Thereafter follow courses of sliced raw fish (sashimi), grilled fish (salmon is the popular choice), a simmered charcoal broiled entree and a fried dish. All stimulating the taste buds in true Japanese style "" subtle, mellifluous, yet rich in texture.

The sixth course, consisting of pickles and a last serving of rice, signals the end of the meal. The rice which has been cooked slowly is now crunchy and brown. Pickles, chosen to reflect the season, cleanse the palate for the seventh and final course of sweets.

And if it seems that a seven-course spread will leave you all stuffed and heavy, forget it. The Japanese even have a proverb to serve as a yardstick for fine dining ""a stomach four-fifths full knows no doctors.

The set menu served at Sakura is priced at Rs 1,500 and Rs 2,300 for its two variants "" the Sakura kaiseki and the Nigiri sushi kaiseki (which has an additional sushi platter).