Japanese Restaurants in New York

Megu

A zealot's quest for the ideal ingredient

When one sits down with Koji Imai, proprietor of MEGU in TriBeCa, the term otaku comes to mind. In Japan it refers to someone who is fanatic about something that interests him. Originally derided as extreme eccentricity, it is now recognized as a powerful driving force, stretching the present Japanese culture into new dimensions.

People who are otaku in their particular field stoically pursue it to the point of isolating themselves. Amassing resources and devouring information, they surpass others in their specialty and surprise listeners with their profound knowledge and understanding.

Skewered Shishamo smelt grill over a pyramid of bincho-tan charcoal.

At the center of the main dining room, an ice sculpture of the Great Buddha sits on a pedestal in a square water basin strewn with flower petals.

Perfectly marbled Kobe beef kalbi is grilled on a river stone and served with salt, wasabi (horseradish) and soy sauce, and golden sesame seeds and teriyaki sauce.

Imai went on talking without a break in his restaurant's lacquer-finished VIP Chef's Suite. Or, more accurately, he couldn't stop talking because there were so many topics he wanted to talk about. On the subject of ingredients, he really got carried away. All of a sudden, a gloriously plump shiitake mushroom, well over a centimeter thick, appeared on the table. It was a mushroom nurtured in the wild on the Noto Peninsula, part of Ishikawa prefecture on the Japan Sea. It had been placed over a charcoal fire, and richly flavorful juices dripped from the mushroom as if it were being pressed for freshly squeezed juice. The simple preparation perfectly brought out the nourishing taste and aroma.

Asparagus followed. Grown in Hokkaido and measuring more than 2 centimeters in diameter, its thick but graceful stalks were fascinating just to gaze upon. Next came female shishamo smelt from Mukawa, Hokkaido, seemingly ready to burst with roe.

MEGU's kitchens regularly receive such special ingredients. Some are ultra-exclusive such as keiji, young salmon with neither milt nor roe, which are caught in numbers fewer than one in 100,000, and line-caught wild sea bream called tsuri-madai, which is known for soft, rich meat with a delicate silken texture. Though we later searched several high-end Tokyo supermarkets, we found nothing to match the quality of these items in Imai's restaurant.

In the Kimono Bar, silks procured from Nishijin weavers in Kyoto are displayed over the entire surface of the walls.

Two-tone antique silks cover the bar's central ceiling from which hang processions of twinkling temple lanterns.

Perhaps it should come as no surprise. Imai has spent more than five years searching for the ultimate ingredients, items rarely available in markets and known only to connoisseurs. The examples we've mentioned are just the tip of the iceberg. How does Imai obtain so many elusive ingredients?

In Tokyo he has his own private bishoku-kenkyujo (epicurean research institute) conducting research on all kinds of gourmet foods. He receives data from all over Japan. He studies foods, both historical and new, and visits producers throughout the country. Imai's passion and profound knowledge have impressed each producer, convincing them that the vegetables they grow with greatest care, or the fish they catch at risk of their own life, will be used in the best possible way.

Imai's quest for the ultimate cuisine has enabled him to obtain rare ingredients directly. Before he opened MEGU, he lived like an ascetic for months, testing ingredients to further develop his cuisine, from the preparation and arrangement of foods to the design of the dishware. He gives detailed instructions to his chefs, such as how recipes should be made and presented, and which dishware will achieve the most gorgeous look.

The menus of his restaurants, MEGU in New York and Ogon-no-shita (Golden Tongue) near Ginza, are overwhelming. Descriptions read like an ingredient dictionary, giving the diner a hint of his enthusiasm and knowledge. Imai, however, still feels limited in his explanations. The instant one opens the menu, it's clear that he could indeed be considered the true otaku of the new Japanese food culture.

MEGU
62 Thomas Street
tel: 212-964-7777
www.megunyc.com
Open Monday through Wednesday, 5:30 to 11:30 PM; Thursday through Saturday until 12:30 AM.
Appetizers $12-$45, entr°es $18-$180, desserts $7-$12, sushi for two from $120, sashimi for two from $80

Articles from the 2004 SUMMER issue:

Kateigaho International Edition Issues:

2005 SUMMER - 2005 SPRING - 2005 WINTER

2004 AUTUMN - 2004 SUMMER - 2004 SPRING - 2004 WINTER

2003 AUTUMN - INAUGURAL ISSUE