Katsuo Shokudo

Second visit to Katsuo Shokudo . They now have a booking system, so the worst part of visiting is now gone- the long queues. The place is a love letter to bonito(katsuo). Breakfast( and this is ostensibly a breakfast meal, even if it is served up until mid afternoon) begins with an exquisite, almost unseasoned, dashi, followed by a chawanmushi that is so white I thought it was made with only egg whites, but it turns out the eggs used are from chickens that consume mainly rice. Next comes the katsuo in its various forms. Sashimi, then boiled(the first step in making katsuobushi), arabushi( the second step, where the fish is smoked and dried), and then finally a bowl of rice, topped with freshly shaved, by hand in front of you, of honkarebushi( the final stage, where the fish is coated repeatedly in a koj mould- this final step takes 6 months). I did learn that most of the shaved bonito you see in a bag is made with arabushi. An utterly delicious, singular meal, almost evangelical in its devotion to one ingredient. All for around $30 Australian.