Review of Agedashi Tofu With Obanzai And Onigiri at Fancy Plants Kitchen by iszy

The entree of the October tasting menu is unlike anything I've really had before. It kind of reminded me of ramen without noodles. I wasn't expecting it to be served in a broth. There are really so many components to talk about in this one dish. It almost seemed like a tasting plate in itself! The agedashi is different than what I've had before. It wasn't quite as crunchy out the outside and the inside wasn't as velvety, but I still loved the flavor and appreciated the large chunks. The "pork belly" however was incredibly crispy, but was so soft I could easily split it with my chopsticks. It completely melts in your mouth and I found myself scooping up the super tender pieces with my ramen spoon. The "egg soaked up the broth nicely and had a great sponge texture. Under all this "meat", there were a few prices of Chinese eggplant and sake braised cabbage, as well as a hasselback daikon radish. I really enjoyed those and would have actually appreciated a bit more to break up the heaviness. But I guess with the tasting menu we started with a bunch of vegetables, so now is time for the protein. The one thing I had a problem with was the rice. It was a bit dry and kind of burnt on the bottom. Looking back maybe I was supposed to spoon the broth over it so it could soak up moisture. But I just wasn't really feeling it with all the other great components present.

#tofu #veganmeat #japanese #veganegg #finedining #chicago