Innovative Kaiseki – Wakuriya Restaurant Review - Cook With Naseem

Wakuriya Restaurant Review | www.justonecookbook.com

Chef Katsuhiro Yamasaki at Wakuriya has been awarded 1 star by Michelin Guide many years running for its delicate and innovative kaiseki ryori.

wall decoration - Wakuriya Restaurant Photo Tour | www.justonecookbook.com

Located in suburban San Mateo, California, Wakuriya has been awarded 1 Michelin star for its creative kaiseki ryori each year since 2011.  Nami and I actually went to Wakuriya 2 years ago when our friends took us there to celebrate our birthdays.  Yes, this post is really late and it’s because of my fault.  I simply didn’t have time to work on restaurant reviews before.  We look forward to sharing more restaurants we enjoyed with you in the future as I play catch up.

So what is kaiseki ryori (懐石料理).  If you are not familiar with the term, it’s a multi-course Japanese meal that is usually composed of 1o or more dishes and they are served in a curated sequence from appetizer, raw dish, simmered dish, grilled dish, soup, rice, through dessert.

In Japan, it is very common if you stay in a ryokan, a Japanese-style inn, the dinner they serve as part of your stay is usually kaiseki ryori.

Wakuriya Restaurant Menu Welcome Statement - Wakuriya Restaurant Photo Tour | www.justonecookbook.com

Kaiseki Ryori at Wakuriya

In Japan, when ryokans or restaurants serve kaiseki ryori they typically focus on serving fresh and seasonal ingredients from the region they are based in.  It could be a type of fish that you can only get locally or a specific kind of beef or chicken.  The menu changes based on what’s available and in season.

Wakuriya Restaurant Menu - Wakuriya Restaurant Photo Tour | www.justonecookbook.com

Tasting Menu at Wakuriya

Similar to other kaiseki ryori experiences, Wakuriya doesn’t have a permanent menu.  Its 9-course tasting menu is based on the availability of the seafood, vegetable, and meat.  If you are curious what Wakuriya (和厨) means, it means Japanese Kitchen or Harmonious Kitchen.

sake - Wakuriya Restaurant Photo Tour | www.justonecookbook.com

Since the menu is pre-fixed, the only choices diners have are drinks and we started the meal with some chilled sake.  Our sake was served in a interesting glassware with an uneven shape.

Apple sake - Wakuriya Restaurant Photo Tour | www.justonecookbook.com

Apple infused sake

Unlike traditional kaiseki ryori which utilize regional ingredients, chef Yamasaki shows off his creative cuisine and kaiseki training by using a wider variety of ingredients he sources from all over.

trout appetizer with ikura - Wakuriya Restaurant Photo Tour | www.justonecookbook.com

Ocean trout confit with ikura

assorted appetizer - Wakuriya Restaurant Photo Tour | www.justonecookbook.com

Assorted appetizers

Snake River Farm beef appetizer - Wakuriya Restaurant Photo Tour | www.justonecookbook.com

Beef with mushroom sauce

blue shrimp appetizer - Wakuriya Restaurant Photo Tour | www.justonecookbook.com

Black caviar with blue shrimp

As you can see from the photos, dinnerware plays a key role with kaiseki ryori’s presentation as it enhances the food, it’s important to not only tastes good but needs to look good as well.  Wakuriya’s presentation does stray away from the traditional Japanese kaiseki style and leans towards modern fusion.

foie gras chawanmushi - Wakuriya Restaurant Photo Tour | www.justonecookbook.com

foie gras chawanmushi - Wakuriya Restaurant Photo Tour | www.justonecookbook.com

Foie gras chawanmushi

fish with ponzu sauce - Wakuriya Restaurant Photo Tour | www.justonecookbook.com

Japanese medai with ponzu sauce

lobster tempura in matsutake soup - Wakuriya Restaurant Photo Tour | www.justonecookbook.com

Lobster tempura in matsutake soup

Located in an unassuming strip mall, Wakuriya Restaurant has earned Michelin Star recognition with its expertly prepared kaiseki ryori (traditional Japanese multi-course meal). #JustOneCookbook #RestaurantReivew #Wakuriya #MichelinStar

Persimmon ginger sorbet

duck with miso - Wakuriya Restaurant Photo Tour | www.justonecookbook.com

Duck with saikyo miso

tuna - Wakuriya Restaurant Photo Tour | www.justonecookbook.com

Seared maguro (tuna)

sesame cookie with sweet potato mousse - Wakuriya Restaurant Photo Tour | www.justonecookbook.com

Sesame cookie with black sugar jelly and sweet potato mousse

after meal tea - Wakuriya Restaurant Photo Tour | www.justonecookbook.com

Post meal tea

Wakuriya Review

So how was the meal at Wakuriya?  It was really good and if Japan’s too far to travel and you want the kaiseki ryori experience, definitely add it to your list.

We also admire Chef Yamasaki’s courage deviating from traditional “sushi” restaurant and establish success through authentic and delicious Japanese food.  Not only was each dish meticulously prepared, but the order of each dish being served was also taken into consideration.  The contrast in flavor and texture allowed the diners to really taste each individual ingredient based on the chef’s expression.

Reservation at Wakuriya

We lucked out for our visit and didn’t have to make the reservation ourselves.  It is notoriously known for the difficulty to make a reservation as they don’t offer it through email or online booking.  You need to call exactly at 12 am (midnight) San Francisco time 1 month prior to when you want to eat there and leave a voicemail.  And if lady luck is on your side and you happen to be one of the earliest callers, you might just manage to snag a reservation.

Wakuriya Restaurant Summary

Good for: small gathering of 2-4 people, the restaurant is very small.  Max party size is 6.

Price: reasonable for bay area fine dining

Noise level: quiet

Food: memorable and much closer than Japan to enjoy kaiseki ryori

Recommend to try: Yes

Thank you for reading Wakuriya’s Restaurant review. If you are interested in other restaurant reviews or have a restaurant recommendation for us to try, please leave a comment below.



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