

The halibut was fragant, fresh, cooked perfectly and thoroughly enjoyable. I watched as we were given a clay donabe (just like the ones my mother either created or collected that I have all over my house!) The table had a built in electric burner and we cooked the various ingredients ourselves, adding the paper thin slices of beef at the end. We dipped the meat and vegetables in the sauces and I have to admit, I loved it!
The sesame aioli paired with the tender beef was such a great flavor combination. The vegetables, noodles, and tofu were also tasty and soaked up the flavor of the broth after we had cooked the meat. I will prepare some Shabu Shabu as soon as I can, once the weather in Texas cools down. This is not a dish for 100+ degree days we’ve been having. I thought I knew all about Japanese food so it was a surprise to try something new to me and realize what I had been missing. After the hot pot cooking, a cool trio of sorbets and some fresh fruit were very refreshing.
Since it will be a very long time before I can return to the Flying Fish Grill I am going to recreate this experience in my own kitchen and remember the wonderful time in Carmel. Many thanks to Kenny Fukumoto, whom I had the pleasure to meet.