Kajitsu NYC

I hope everyone had a Merry Christmas yesterday! I’m currently in Florida visiting family and enjoying some quiet time away from the hustle and bustle of the city. But before I left town I got to try, Kajitsu, a hidden little gem in NYC. Kajitsu offers a true fine dining experience. Somehow I never came across it in my search for plant-based restaurants in the city, but luckily my friend Heather has got my back and she found this Michelin star holding, completely plant-based restaurant while browsing The Infatuation. Food at Kajitsu is served shojin style, which is vegetarian cuisine that originates in Zen Buddhism. It’s actually regarded as the foundation of all Japanese cuisine, especially Japanese haute cuisine.

In some ways, dining at Kajitsu reminded me of my experience a few years ago at famed-restaurant Alinea. Just like Alinea, eating at Kajitsu is intended to be more than just a meal, it’s experiential. Every detail at the restaurant is thought through from the minimalistic design of the restaurant space, to the impeccable service, the creative presentation of the food, the traditional Japanese dishware and even (so I’ve read) the sound that the servers shoes make on the floor. Dining at Kajitsu is a true culinary experience. The restaurant offers a four-course or eight-course prix-fixe meal, and it changes seasonally. Heather and I opted for the eight-course meal and here are our favorite dishes from the winter menu. This sake kasu soup with porcini mushrooms and scallions (above) was unreal. Heather and I couldn’t believe how good it was. It may have been my favorite dish the whole evening. It was slightly sweet, mostly savory. And so creamy and delicious without any dairy.

The yuzu-miso daikon comes with greens prepared in a delicious broth that’s still boiling when it’s presented to you. It reminded me of an enhanced version of the traditional miso soup we’re used to.

We both loved the stuffed yuba roll, which comes filled with mushrooms, and served with crunchy brussel sprouts. The skin of the roll, aka the yuba, is made from soy during the process of making tofu. It was so scrumptious!

For the sixth course of the eight-course meal the diner gets to choose between sweet potato rice, housemade udon noodles or the black truffle rice pot. Heather chose the housemade udon noodles and raved about it.

I chose the black truffle rice pot, which is in the running for my absolute favorite dish of the evening. Absolutely delicious. It’s prepared for you at the table, with a presentation of the black truffles that are then shaved and mixed into the dish right in front of you.

This rice dish was subtle but perfect. I’m craving it right now as I’m writing this! The flavors were understated but in the best way possible. Just superb!

Overall, my meal at Kajitsu was delicious, with the dishes above standing out as my favorites. It was so exciting for me to find such an extraordinary dining experience that was completely plant-based. I recommend checking out Kajitsu for a unique evening of feasting that proves plants can set the stage for an exquisite dining experience.