for the gravy @ Ichiban

beef fillet and the GRAVY

 

Can you see it?

 

Can you see the gravy in all its thick, shimmery, shiny, delicious glory?

Can you see how beautiful it is laden over the meat?

And can you imagine just how rich and flavorful it must be in its little clay dish, surrounding a thick, yet tender fillet of beef?

 

Yessss...

 

This is precisely what I go for whenever I'm at Ichiban. It could be Ichiban Boshi, or Ichiban Sushi. At either one, if they have this on the menu, this is what I order.

 

Because I love the gravy.

 

I love it as much as I love the beef fillet that it is served together with. No, I'll be honest. I actually love the gravy more. Perhaps because, for me, this, with little chopped onions and chilies and ingredients of which I know not what, is what defines the meal set that's called the Ichiban Gyu.

 

Not that the other items are forgettable.

 

Oh heck no.... absolutely, absolutely not.

 

There's this kawaii piece of cold tofu appetizer with tiny pieces of chopped spring onions on top. There's salmon sashimi that is delightful. There's miso soup and chawanmushi, and there's a plate of three pieces of tempura.

 

I like the chawanmushi. They've got mushroom and Japanese fish cake steamed together with the egg. I like the tempura, normally I seem to get sweet potato, lady's finger and a prawn dipped in batter and lightly fried. And no one ever minds a steaming bowl of miso soup with seaweed and tiny tofu cubes swimming about inside, plus a second appetizer of marinated seaweed.

 

salmon sashimi

tempura

But the main star of this set is the beef fillet. Really, it is.

It is served to you popping and bubbling in its own clay dish placed over a tiny flame. The meat, apportioned out just right just so that each piece absorbs the gravy as it simmers over the flame, is warm to the palate and tender inside out. You pick it up with chopsticks and each piece fits perfectly to every bite that you take.

Is it because of the gravy? Maybe.

Would it have been any more ordinary had it not been for the gravy? Perhaps.

I'm not connoisseur enough to know. What I do know is that I'm magically drawn to it. I dip the meat, take a single bite, do it all over again, until I'm finished with that single portion, and then I start with the next piece, until I've finished the meat.

There's usually some left over in the dish after I'm finished with all my beef portions, so I dribble it onto my rice. And after I've finished my rice there's usually still some in the dish, so I spoon the rest up and sip it like a broth. At times I scrape it up with my spoon. I know, very aunty. But really lar, it's that satisfying. 

So, how else to describe the gravy- and the beef- I'm at a loss, but if you understand what the description of "foodgasm" means, yeah, well, that's it.  

Best part?

I don't even know what goes into it.

And I don't care. :)