Mar 29,2018
Nakahigashi Atsushi is presently based in New York, where he focuses his energy on pop-up restaurants and events rather than running his own shop. One way he promotes Japanese cuisine is through his One Rice One Soup project, which provides meals centered on white rice and soup. Nakahigashi spells out his mission with conviction. “I want to inform people around the world about the food culture Japanese people have nurtured for centuries that consists of a meal and rice. If this food culture creates interest and excitement and becomes popular in other countries and then is reimported to Japan, I believe people in Japan will become reacquainted with well-balanced meals with rice as the main ingredient.”
His conviction has taken shape at Breakfast Kishin. Naturally, the menus feature freshly cooked rice and a bowl of sumptuous soup. The name Kishin — which literally means joyful mind — comes from the Zen teaching that all aspects of preparing and having a meal are a form of training and that the simple act of living should be respected as a source of joy. Since opening its doors in April 2017, the restaurant has become a hot spot for travelers visiting Kyoto and local residents alike who wish to indulge in a luxurious breakfast on occasion.
Rice and soup. For such simple fare, the key is to select foodstuffs whose ingredients themselves are full of vitality. After tasting numerous varieties of rice, Nakahigashi settled on Tsuyahime rice from Yamagata. The restaurant uses aged Kyoto Nakasei pork for its pork miso soup, Shimamura white miso also from Kyoto for its miso soup, and vegetables and eggs from known local producers.
The mukozuke, or starter, at Breakfast Kishin is kumiage-yuba [fresh tofu skin] from yuba producer Hansho. The rich, sweet yuba is seasoned with salt and olive oil and garnished with seasonal vegetables. Yuba and tofu, being iconic tastes of Kyoto, which is blessed with excellent water, are the type of local flavors you want to sample on a trip. As such, kumiage-yuba is a perfect morning starter that is gentle on the palate and reminds you that you are having breakfast in Kyoto.
As you enjoy your mukozuke, the sweet aroma of cooking rice tantalizes your nostrils. Choose your preferred serving bowl from bowls made by one of Kamakura’s select Utsuwa Shoken ceramists and wait for your rice to cook.
The rice is cooked in earthenware pots made by Ichishirou Gama in Hikone, Shiga. Thick enough to withstand intense heat, the earthenware pots also have a far-infrared-ray effect that brings out the full flavor of the rice. Many cooks swear by Ichishirou Gama earthenware pots.
The first bite of rice dished out is fresh niebana. Niebana is simmered rice that has absorbed plenty of water and is right at the transformation point from uncooked rice to cooked rice. Niebana has a juicy sweet taste and an al dente texture. It has the type of flavor that says you are in for a treat. Next is freshly steamed rice. The rice’s sweetness fills your mouth with each bite, telling you again just how delicious rice is.
Breakfast Kishin offers a welcome choice of soup from three options to suit your preferences or mood that day. The first option is pork miso soup made with aged pork, seasonal vegetables, and white miso. White miso is known to be sweet, but with the rich broth and full-flavored aged pork, it is not sweet at all and instead adds depth to the soup. The other two selections are a Japanese seafood tomato soup with a refreshing tomato flavor and a seasonal soup using vegetables available at the time. It’s sure to be a tough decision, but whichever soup you pick, the mild and gentle flavors are certain to satisfy your stomach and your soul.
The dried whole round herrings served as a side dish are delivered directly from Hagi, Yamaguchi. The somewhat fatty dried whole herrings are charcoal grilled to make them aromatic and fluffy. This dish is also pairs perfectly with rice.
Breakfast Kishin has compelling optional toppings, so you can enjoy the white rice to the last morsel. For example, you can delight in egg-on-rice with a rich egg from Yamada Noen in Ohara, Kyoto, aromatic grilled nori seaweed, or charcoal-grilled additive-free sausages from Ham Kobo Koto. Whichever you choose, you will not be able to put down your chopsticks.
To top off your meal, have some crispy okoge rice straight from the earthenware pot. The okoge, served with a sprinkling of salt, can be enjoyed as is or with green tea poured over it in ochazuke style. Being able to enjoy the spectrum of white rice flavors, from niebana to steamed rice to okoge, is like having a full-course meal made from just rice.
Breakfast at Breakfast Kishin is infused with Nakahigashi’s belief that the essence of cooking is the heart and soul you put into it. In our busy modern lives, it is important to take the time to reflect on what we eat. This, then, is what Breakfast Kishin ultimately provides — quality time that evokes consideration of such things.
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