Kobachi Small Bowl Service Izakaya Kaiseki

Ingredients

• Kobachi I — Simmered Kabocha
• 200 g kabocha squash, cut into 3–4 cm cubes, skin on
• 300 ml dashi, first-draw ichiban dashi
• 1 tbsp soy sauce
• 1 tbsp mirin
• Kobachi II — Ohitashi Spinach with Sesame
• 200 g spinach, roots trimmed, leaves left whole
• 2 tbsp soy sauce
• 100 ml dashi, ichiban dashi, cooled
• 1 tsp white sesame seeds, toasted, ground to a loose thread
• Kobachi III — Grilled Yuba on Bamboo
• 4 sheets fresh yuba, tofu skin; each sheet folded once
• 1 tbsp soy sauce, for brushing
• 4 pieces bamboo leaf, rinsed and dried, for vessel lining

Method

1. 1
   Kobachi I — Simmered Kabocha. Combine dashi, soy sauce, and mirin in a small saucepan and bring to a gentle simmer. Add the kabocha cubes skin-side down. Lay a drop-lid (otoshibuta) or circle of parchment directly on the surface. Simmer over low heat until a bamboo skewer meets no resistance at the centre of the thickest cube and the broth has reduced to a shallow, glossy pool — enough to fill the base of an 8–12 cm kobachi bowl. Remove from heat and allow to cool in the broth so the flavour is fully absorbed. Serve one cube per bowl, broth spooned to the demi-glace depth — no more.
2. 2
   Kobachi II — Ohitashi. Bring a large volume of well-salted water to a rolling boil. Blanch the spinach for no more than 60 seconds, plunge immediately into iced water, then squeeze firmly into a compact cylinder. Combine soy sauce and cooled dashi to form the soaking liquid. Submerge the spinach cylinder in this liquid for 10 minutes, then remove and slice into 4 cm lengths. This is the step on which the dish lives or dies: the squeeze must be thorough enough to expel all bitterness and excess water without bruising the leaves, and the soak must be complete enough that the flavour penetrates to the core — taste a single piece; it should be seasoned through, not merely coated. Arrange three pieces per kobachi bowl, align the cut ends, and lay a single thread of ground sesame across the top. Serve chilled.
3. 3
   Kobachi III — Grilled Yuba. Heat a dry grill pan or charcoal grill to high. Brush each folded yuba sheet lightly with soy sauce on one side. Grill soy-side down for 45–60 seconds until the surface is marked and the edges colour to pale gold — the yuba should smell of toasted soy and the surface should feel just firm to a light press while the interior remains supple. Brush the upper side, turn once, and grill for a further 30 seconds. Line the kobachi bowl with a bamboo leaf, lay one slice of grilled yuba upon it, and serve immediately at room temperature.