It was smart to stay in a new part of town this trip. I wandered the streets and got myself turned around by going straight. Yup. But that landed me in front of Takashimaya just at the time my feet were competing with my belly for attention. That, of course, put me right up the escalator to the 7th floor restauran gai where I’d found Kenzan eight years ago.
I’m sad to say that the lovely chawan mushi with sour plum, salad and sushi underscored that no matter how much we love it in Vancouver, what we get is a second cousin to the finest on offer here. No comparison in complexity, depth or nuanced flavours. Even Vancouver’s finest can’t touch it, though some come wonderfully close.