Vegan Sashimi at Yasaitei

Service: excellent and very friendly

Facilities: great cleanliness overall

Prices: reasonable, good value.

Strong points: Very fresh local ingredients extensively used. Seasonal ingredients only. All-ladies staff.

I’ve been an unconditional fan of Yasatei in Shizuoka City for quite a while.

Some might say I’m attracted to the all-female staff, but they would be sorely mistaken as I take my Missus there from time to time!

The reasons are very simple:

Yasaitei (The Vegetables Inn in Japanese) makes the extra effort(s) to serve whenever possible produce from Shizuoka Prefecture, including sake and shochu! The only place, as far as I know, which offers shochu from three different Shizuoka breweries/distilleries!

Vegan and vegetarian friends have complained to me unaccountable times that they would not be able to survive in Japan. How far the truth they are!

Vegetables, including organic and biologically-grown, are plentiful in this country. I must admit we are blessed with a very special situation here in Shizuoka Prefecture as this is the mildest region in Japan in spite of the snow falling around mount Fuji. Our Prefecture has become a national reference when it comes to vegetable and fruit agricultural research (omnivores will be glad to hear that it is also at the forefront of marine life sustainibility!), notably in natural environment.

The staff at Yasaitei always keep an extra eye and ear open for any new information concerning vegetables. Many a time I have brought them heirloom tomatoes, burdock roots, potimarrons and what else grown by lady farmers up Abe River just for the fun of it. On such occasions some surprised patrons find themselves served with an extra “service morsel” (meaning free of charge)!

Yesterday evening, I needed a “quick fix” in between two work sessions and pedaled to their restaurant only five minutes away.

I just said, “Yasai sashimi no moriawase/Plate of vegetables sashimi, please!”

Written or not on the day’s menu, it will always be prepared with an extra care.

The set I was served consisted of the following (See above pic):

-Cucumber (kyuuri/胡瓜)-the Japanese like them young, narrow and crunchy!

-Japanese long radish (daikon/大根)-Juicy, crunchy, almost sweet (bear in mind that the extremity is astringent!).

-Perilla leaf (shiso/紫蘇) behing the daikon and sitting on a bed of onion (tamanegei/たまねぎ). The onion were thinly sliced and left in cold water for a while to take away the astringency.

-Guapara leaves (grapara/グラパラ) in the middle. I will talk about this later!

-Sweet Ameera tomatoes (ameera tomato/アメーラトマト). These tomatoes were originally grown in Shizuoka Prefecture, but are slowly expanding all over Japan. They are so sweet that they almsot taste like strawberries!

-Celery (serori/セロリー). Shizuoka Prefecture grows half of them in Japan! Fresh, juicy and crunchy!

-Myoga ginger sprouts (myouga/茗荷) just behind the celery.

These grapara leaves are gron in Chiba Prefecture, north of Tokyo.

For people who can read Japanes, check their homepage!

Crunchy but with a juicy and tender inside, they are sweet and taste somewhat like pineapple!

Vegans and Vegetarians, do not worry!

Yasaitei does not serve mayonnaise with such beauties.

They will accompany this plate of super fresh vegetables with a small saucer containing sesame oil (goma abura/ゴマ油), dark miso (kuro miso/黒味噌) and natural salt (shio/塩)!

Expect more reports!

YASAITEI

Shizuoka City, Aoi Ku, Tokiwa-Cho, 1-6-2 Green Heights Wamon 1-C

Tel.: 054-2543277

Business hours: 17:30~22:00

Closed on Sundays

Reservations highly recommended

Seating: 6 at counter + 20 at tables

Set Courses: 3,000, 4,000, 5,000 yen

HOMEPAGE (Japanese)

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