Customer Reviews

Shunju: New Japanese Cuisine

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

Charlie Trotter may be super hyped, but don't let that dissuade you from picking this one off a shelf and at least look at it first. I was turned off when I misunderstood an earlier review stating that "Both authors are not chefs but designers..". While this is true, the chefs who performed these amazing dishes mini bios are in the back of the book. I think there were 4 different chefs. Many of the recipes are "sublime" to say the least, and some of the ingredients are almost impossible to find in most of the US. For example fresh bamboo shoots, matsutake mushrooms, and kinome sprigs. This book is probably useless for the casual reader, but someone immersed or interested in the culture and cuisine will find it a creative reference. I should know, I'm a Japanese-trained Chef working in the US. For other power references more with more accessible ingredients look to works by Thomas Keller "Bouchon" and Alain Ducasse's work. Pick one up and flip through it first to see if it's useful to you.

I was put off buying this book because of two bad reviews that speak very poorly of it. But after finding it in a bookstore and looking through it, I was blown away by how beautiful it was. It is exactly the type of Japanese cookbook that I have always wanted and has quickly become my favorite cookbook.
Arranged into seasons, it has elegant modern Japanese dishes of the type found in classier izakayas. Dishes range from bamboo, sesame, and green tea tofus made from scratch, various Japanese dumplings, grilled ginkgo nuts, wild fruit and herb-infused tonics, and exquisitely beautiful but simple vegetable and meat / fish dishes. The dishes are very trendy and up market, and quite sophisticated. People that I have cooked for using this cookbook have been very impressed and I absolutely love the fact that it is arranged into seasons, keeping alive the tradition of eating seasonally as they do in Japan.
Some ingredients are exotic, but substitutions are included and there is also a mail order list of companies that sell Japanese ingredients in The US.
This book would best suit the type of person that likes elegant Japanese food and has some cooking experience with a base knowledge of Japanese ingredients. It is not really that suitable for beginner cooks, nor anyone unfamiliar with Japanese food.

The book seems to be based on the untenable premise that Shunju, a not very good chain of izakayas, are some of Tokyo's finest restaurants. This is just not true and though I live in Japan and am blissfully ignorant of the hype surrounding Charlie Trotter, the man has revealed himself as either shameless, or an ignoramus in an embarrassing introduction in which he claims Shinju has launched a culinary revolution in Japan--trust me it is not even on the radar here. The food at these places is not very good and the book is very badly written and edited, but it must be said that the restaurants and this book are very well designed and photographer Kawana has taken some excellent photos.

If you have ever visited one of their excellent restaurants, Shunju in Tokyo, you know what I mean. Not only their simple, yet very creative Japanese food, this book introduces you the essence of what makes their food special. If you want to learn and appreciate the sprit of Japanese food beyound Sushi and Tempura, this is the book for you. The photographs are beautiful, and cooking methods are very easy to follow. I highly recommend this book for any food lover.

This book is fantastic. Tonight I made the lotus root dish and it was wonderful. I also followed the book for Dashi and it was one of the best dashi's I have made. If you are into Japanese cooking and really want to explore something creative and fresh, this is a fantastic book to add to your collection.

BTW i think a lot of the "hard to find" items will easily be located a an Asian market if you have one near by.

Shunju may not be the most practical or challenging book out there however it should serve to remind us of the core philosophy of Japanese cooking. Simple is better.

I absolutely loved this book. I noticed other reviews here lamenting the dearth of ingredients and technique written for the recipes. However the focus of Shunju is on exactly that, minimalist elegance that celebrates the inherent flavors of local organic ingredients, with as little possible alteration of nature. Some of the passages introducing the ingredients do seem a bit under-edited and perhaps amateurish (translation perhaps?), however the dishes speak for themselves. I love that it reads like a book. Every recipe has a gorgeous photo and a story...and each section is divided by the seasons. It is worth the money if your have an eye for art and a love for healthy Japanese cuisine.

This is a wonderful book to own...and give as a gift, which I have done several times. The text explaining the cuisine philosophy of Shunju's owner, Takashi Sugimoto, the exquisite sense of design - architectural, table, book - and breathtaking photography make this book a treasure to have and share.

The forward of this book by Charlie Trotter should have been a warning to me to avoid purchasing. But I didn't based on the stars. For those of you who haven't been to Trotter's or have been living on Mars, Charlie Trotter is the king of hype in restaurants. This book is also the king of hype. Both authors are not chefs but designers, the recipes are short on technique (if at all)and long on art signifying absolutely nothing! Example: 'Grilled Oysters on the Half Shell': Open the oyster and place shells on the grill until cooked, add a drop of soy and serve with Sudachi(Japanese Citrus). Recipe is on one whole page and poorly shot picture is on the facing page. Need I say more. Avoid this book at all costs. -Dick

This is one of the most beautiful and outstanding japanese cook book.