lyukum

What is mi cuit? A clear explanation of the French term, how it’s used in cooking, and a simple fish preparation that captures its delicate, in-between texture.

These two dinners stayed with me in a way very few meals have in recent years. Not because they were perfect. But because they did something much more valuable: they made me want to go back to my own kitchen and try again. Try differently. Reopen things I thought were already finished topics for me. For someone like me, that’s the highest compliment a restaurant can receive.

Chawanmushi is a deceptively simple Japanese savory egg custard—but in the right hands, it becomes something much more. After two very different experiences at Kappo Kappo, I found myself revisiting this dish and discovering its depth: dashi, texture, technique, and a touch of luxury with uni and ikura. A simple custard, made complicated—and worth every step.