I tried this reservation only Japaneses omikase reboot of Kappo yesterday at lunch. It opened in October. I "snuck" into their "reservation only" Kappo once before, so, I thought I would give it a try here on such a cold day and it worked. I grabbed a seat at the second lunch seating. It began at a little after 1pm. I believe it cost around $55. They don't provide physical checks. I think my initial total was around $59. I believe that included a hot tea that was supposed to be a cold tea. The final total was $74 and if you work backwards the minimum 20% tip and 6% sales tax gets you back to a starting point around $60. Yelp says it is a twelve course tasting menu. I think it's ten sushi pieces and a soup and dessert (macha dusted chocolate truffle and yuzu cookie). Let's see if that is right. I had: a type of Jack (Skip?), Amber Jack, Horse Mackerel, Sea Trout, 2 Big Eye Tuna, Blue Crab, Striped Bass, Sea Urchin and Salmon. Plus a fish soup and a dessert plate. Seems right. Now we can quibble about the way they flavor the different fish (I prefer to have them as is), but, you can't complain about the quality. Everything is fresh as can be. It also doesn't hurt that the selection is a bit esoteric from what they offer in most sushi places in town. Now this play list isn't THAT unusually, but, you can see that it could become adventurous with the seasons. I can't remember every combinations, but, (I believe); the salmon had tobiko on it, the sea trout was heated and topped with a great garlic butter and walnut "sauce", the blue crab had salmon roe and dried sea weed on it. I can't remember the rest. Yuzu for sure on some. The main flaw was the rice. It was a bit too warm and a bit too mushy. But, it was weird. Half the grains were firmish and half seemed blown out. I'm not sure if it was an overcooking or over stirring issue. Maybe even and under stirring (residual heat/steam) issue. I only had a side bowl of rice at Kappo and I think that was cooked properly there. In any event, it forced me to compare it to Kappo. My larger sashimi meal there was around $40. And it also came with a soup and dessert. Now, $6 a piece ($60 divided by 10) isn't that outrageous for some of the delicacies (like uni), but, compared to the old place, it didn't quite measure up. Part of that is also out sized expectations and part is nostalgia. But, that is what the sequel has to deal with. I still like the Godfather better than Part Two even though it is thought to be inferior. The first iteration is always more fresh and exciting to me. You aren't ready for the trope. No matter how good the sequel is (Empire fans start squawking), you are always somewhat prepared for the experience..
I also didn't love that they are now using the most presumptuous "booking" application for reservations. I believe it is called Tock. It forces you to pay in advance for your meal. I know why restaurants love it and I realize that it is probably the future, but, it still challenges my manhood. Open Table and Resy (deposits) are bad enough. I would never use these apps. Thankfully, Kadence still allows you to "crash". They said they even keep an extra chair for Elijah. Just kidding. For a party crasher. And at least you probably won't be giving them a six month (if that is how far in advance you have to book) no interest loan like some places are getting. The 20% minimum gratuity is also a bit silly. The owners prepare the food. They are basically the only "staff". Just add it to the price of the meal if it isn't profitable enough for you. It really shouldn't be going to the one girl who brings in the drinks. That's not a twenty percent worthy contribution.
The place resides in the old Winter Park Brewery space across from Stardust Coffee. The public areas are all the way up front. There are two narrow rooms - the bar/waiting area on the right and the sushi counter on the left. The place is mostly modern and white on the inside. The outside was some kind of brown. They put the windows at foot to knee level for natural light and privacy reasons. They provide pillows for your back (wooden seats). You eat with your fingers (for the most part). The plate is slate. They have a little moist napkin in a bowl for clean up. They provide a glass of water. They encourage you to cleanse your palette with ginger after each piece. Lunch takes place in over an hour. No dress code. The "core three" of Kappo are still gregarious and inspired. The meal is performance art. The atmosphere is intimate. They even solved the parking issue (never enough) by keeping the seatings at ten. They have a more substantial dinner service. They sell some of those fish filled rice triangles in the bar area. They have a funky half cold and half hot kappo meal on Sunday. They sell (via email) "leftovers" every Wednesday night. They are closed Tuesday and Wednesday. Wednesday is the prep day, so, I think that is why they do that "email sale" at that point. And I heard them chatting about "special" days. So, keep up with their social media accounts. *And it's social media accounts. Not "social media". It's not your "social media". It's your social media ACCOUNT! Learn grammar!
All in all, they are still very good. Whatever rice issue there was was probably a one time deal. I still would prefer to relive that $40 sashimi plate and the haphazard energy of the little food stall, but, we can't always get what we want. But. If you try sometimes. You get what you need.
*I just recalled that they also served a raw shrimp. I believe it was a sweet shrimp (amaebi)
No comments:
Post a Comment