The evening was to be a dinner using Kikkoman products throughout and had a very special guest (more on him later). Hosted at the Matsuri Japanese restaurant in Mayfair, London, we were ushered into the dining area and sat around teppanyaki tables. These are the tables with a hotplate in the middle and the chef cooks your meal right in front of you.

We were introduced to our host for the evening Bing, Head of Kikkoman UK. The first part of our evening was to taste Kikkoman soy sauce vs an unnamed competitor. The small bowls of sauce instantly showed a major difference. The Kikkoman product was clearer and “cleaner” looking. The smell was different too, being much more savoury and smoother on the nose.

As for the taste, well this was a major win for the Kikkoman brand. Their sauce was smooth and well balanced, being not too salty or harsh and with a good dollop of umami – that distinct savoury flavour which gets your mouth going zing! By contrast the competitor’s product was harsh and almost vinegary. You would not believe how different brands of soy sauce can vary so widely. The clear winner was Kikkoman.

During the tasting Bing talked passionately about his products, explaining that the reason behind this difference was the care and time that is put into each iconic bottle. It is fermented for 6 months with all natural ingredients – soybeans, wheat, salt and water. For those that are wheat or gluten intolerant you will be pleased to hear Kikkoman make a product without wheat, they simply brew it longer to get the right level of flavour.

The company has been producing soy sauce for 300 years so no wonder they have perfected it and become a major global brand!

Next up was our special guest, none other than Simon Hulstone! Yes the Saturday Kitchen regular and owner/Michelin star chef at The Elephant, Torquay.

Simon prepared our first course, tender stem broccoli from his farm and fresh scallops brought all the way from his Devon stomping ground. He deftly prepared this simple combination serving it with a delicious Asian style dressing. Simple? Yes. Delicious? OMG yes!

It was a real pleasure to see Simon at work, an amazing chef and a great guy too!

Our next course was a sushi plate prepared by the head chef of Matsuri. I am a big sushi lover and dipping those wonderfully prepared maki rolls and sushi pieces into rich soy sauce is always a pleasure. I could have eaten that all night, but the next course beckoned.

Light crisp batter encasing perfectly cooked pieces of seafood and vegetables, there is nothing like good tempura. With a tempura dipping sauce on the side this was a real treat. I have unfortunately been to too many places that ruin the whole concept of the dish by making a stodgy, greasy batter. This was at the other end of the scale, light, crisp and airy and holding together well as I soaked up as much of the sauce as I could for each bite.

For the main course there was an option of fillet steak or black cod. For me a no brainer…black cod all the way! If you have never tried it I urge you to do so. Black cod is nothing like the cod you get with your fish and chips, it has a much higher fat content (similar to salmon) giving it a rich, creamy texture that for me is out of this world. Prepared at the table by our chef, he made it look so easy skimming around the hotplate, flipping the mix of green and white asparagus spears that were to be our side dish so expertly, I swear if I had tried they would have been firing across the room in all directions. The main was served with another, more interesting side dish…a “Japanese style” ratatouille, similar to the traditional, but with the additional of shiitake mushrooms and of course Kikkoman soy sauce.

Desert was even more spectacular on the eye as ice cream (yes ICE CREAM) was put on the hot plate, covered in brandy and ignited into a huge fireball! I was surprised that any made it to the plate. Served with pancakes and caramalised pineapple with a glass of Japanese plum wine, it was a perfect end to a superb night.

I must admit I have used Kikkoman for many years and it truly is a brand I trust. As a premium product it does cost a little more than lesser brands, but if there is one thing I learned from the evening it is that those few extra pennies are pennies very, very well spent.

Find out more at www.kikkoman.co.uk

Michael Robinson

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The Food Curator

The Food Curator (AKA Michael Robinson) is an aficionado of all things food and bon viveur based in London. A passion for cooking and dining has driven him to put fingers to keyboard to bring you his thoughts on the world of food. When not writing, eating or cooking he has a love of American muscle cars. Pop on over to my Facebook page and let's start a Facebook food revolution together: http://tinyurl.com/thefoodcurator

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