CUISINE
because even when we were told what
we were dining on, we knew not what
we ate. The next course of Mozaiku Roll
was served with Hakkaisan Tokubetsu
Honjozo sake served cold. The roll of tuna,
yellowtail, asparagus, tobiko, red shiso
rice with lemongrass ponzu was much
more familiar to us and was as good as it
sounded. Created as a mosaic, it was both
beautiful and delicious. The third course
was a mixture of ponzu crab, toasted crab,
frisée, heirloom tomato, watermelon radish
Tsukemono (preserved vegetables,) leek
gel and sesame pollen in a plum wine
reduction. The toasted crab was crunchy
and novel, the remainder spectacular. Our
next cold sake was Midorikawa “Green
River” Junmai, which blended perfectly
with a serving of Misoyaki Seabass,
Karikari Sushi, Shirasu, Tsukemono,
Toasted Nori, Shimeji mushroom and
ocha dashi broth poured from a teapot. We
would have been willing to keep enjoying
more of this for the rest of the evening,
except that we were not yet halfway
through dining.
Switching to wine, we had a Jean Claude
Boisset Les Ursulines pinot noir with thinly
sliced marinated duck breast, kabocha
squash, edamame, Japanese Mizuna and
cured duck egg yolk in a grape reduction.
It was now time to cleanse our palates with
a cool ginger concoction, as we prepared
for the main event.
Chef Tyler Schmitt has achieved a remarkable
level of excellence at this restaurant.
The intimate Takumi-Tei Water Room offers a nine-course tasting menu.
MARCH/APRIL 2020 | TAMPA BAY MAGAZINE 159
This Mozaiku Roll is
an artistic masterpiece
that will delight any
sushi lover.