Osaka: Taian

Today's post is about my dining experience in Osaka at the 3 Michelin starred Taian.

Taian opened in 2000 and is run by chef Hitoshi Takahata, who trained for 15 years at Aji-Kiccho in Shinsaibashi. Seating only 17 people in the restaurant, Taian was one of the smaller restaurants we had visited in Japan.

A little stone garden inside the restaurant.

Regardless of its small size and being quietly tucked away in an alleyway, Taian proved to be an enjoyable dining experience. Chef Takahata mainly focuses on traditional Japanese dishes but on occasion sneaks in more westernised elements to his dishes.

Our night began with a drink. I being a big fan of plum wine naturally had to try their house-made plum wine. It was so nice and sweet, I had to have a second glass.

Our first course was an assortment of dishes. I don't quite recall what everything was... but I remember being really excited to try all the new flavours and textures.

Next was a flavoursome soup with Abalone. That delicate floating thing in the middle is made out of potato, it was softly encasing some more vegetables inside. This dish was a fine example of the chef's creativity with presentation.

Our soup was followed by an assortment of sashimi and a small side of marinated shrimp. As one would expect our sashimi was fresh and delicious and the shrimp was soft but extremely flavoursome. 

At the beginning of our meal, we were asked to choose a main so we decided on Kagoshima Beef and Porks spare ribs with a red wine sauce. We had a lot of good beef during our time in Japan but the beef at Taian left a big impression on me. You can just see the marbling in the picture.

Our beef was perfectly cooked so it was incredibly tender and simply melted in your mouth. The spare ribs were tender and fell of the bone with a lovely sauce that gave more depth in flavour.

Next was Deep Fried Ginseng root with Crab Harumaki. I personally enjoyed the flavour of the ginseng root but my boyfriend found it very bitter. However we both agreed that the crab was delicious and sweet, which was very suitable after the bitterness of the Ginseng root.

Our next dish was Onion soup with Oysters. Although not very traditional Japanese flavours, both the soup and oysters were rich and creamy, which blended together perfectly.

Next was more traditional and humble flavours. A bowl of mushroom rice, some pickled radish and a warm bowl of miso soup. Very simple but distinctly Japanese flavours, simply divine.

We ended our meal with a lovely Pear Jelly with assorted fruit and just a splash of pear brandy. A simple and sweet way to conclude our night.

The restaurant is mainly served by Chef Takahata's wife, who is an incredibly lovely woman. She was dressed in a traditional kimono and showed us courtesy with kindness and grace.

Being the youngest in the restaurant sometimes has its perks as well. Chef Takahata's wife brought out the bottle of pear brandy for us to have a look at, as well as their cute little Michelin man. It was such a small but sweet gesture. 

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Taian was our last fine dining experience in Japan and I'm glad we had such a great time. We enjoyed incredible food, whilst watching the skilled chefs work in front of us. We were shown such courtesy and kindness, it left a deep and lasting impression on me as both the head chef and his wife bowed to us at the door and watched us walk out of the alleyway. The image of them standing together waving goodbye at the doorway of Taian is something I won't easily forget.