/ Reviews / Japanese
In Praise of Corrected Assumptions
by Mary Weeks
on Friday, July 30, 2010 12:00 AM
When people in Japan go home at the end of the day, they pull out a stool and flip on the conveyor belt, from which they pick out small dishes of moving hamachi sashimi and California roll, or perhaps a bento box assortment. No, not really? How about another silly assumption: tofu is bland and textureless, its only real flavor originating from whatever spice or marinade it's been used to bulk out. Japanese restaurant Dao Jiang Hu will revolutionize a lot of previous presumptions you may have about what good Japanese food is.
This cool and cozy eatery has, for the past month, been developing its menu around the theme of "Japanese home cooking", or what people in Japan really eat when they want to eat well. It's a great food-stop without a sushi roll in sight. The futuristic, industrial-chic decor - all bare concrete walls, yellow vinyl seating and hanging light bulbs - makes this place feel relaxed, unpretentious and inviting.
That it's stylish without being superfluous means less to distract you from the food, which is good, because the grub here is superb. The surprise hit of your visit may even be the Nigari Tofu, a chilled, plain tofu with grated ginger, chives and light soy (RMB45); bready, subtle and delicious, the ingredients are freshly imported from Japan and better than anything you'd ever find in a supermarket. It's tofu, Jim, but not as we know it.
Everything on the menu is original, thoughtful and inspired in its simplicity. The kitchen team really cares about what they do and how they do it, from sourcing their ingredients, to preparing each dish and serving it with flair; whether it's the salad of vegetables Julienne with sesame dressing (RMB32) - a light, palate-refreshing treat - or a chilled bowl of soba noodles served with dashi stock, soy sauce, ginger, sesame and nori seaweed (RMB32). For an equally inspired contrast, try the Maopo Tofu with cream cheese (RMB35); it's a Sichuanese-style stew with a real kick that will have you reaching for the crumbly cream cheese to quench the fire.
When everything is pared down to the basics, it leaves room to appreciate the important; with Dao Jiang Hu, this makes for a fundamentally satisfying dining experience, appropriate for anyone at any time.
The Bottom Line: The latest cuisine craze attempted by the Ginger group manifests itself as a venue that thrives on investigating sidelined Japanese cuisine, while throwing in a handful of pan-Asian tricks.
