0:00:02 > 0:00:06I'm at the Japanese Ambassador's residence in London.
0:00:06 > 0:00:10I'm about to prepare and cook a banquet for some of his guests.
0:00:10 > 0:00:17I've got to get it right and yet I've had no experience of cooking Japanese food, apart from tempura.
0:00:17 > 0:00:22So to say I'm apprehensive is a bit of an understatement.
0:00:22 > 0:00:26It's a fine kettle of fish I've got myself into this time.
0:00:51 > 0:00:57As a seafood cook, I'm constantly asked what I think of food in Japan.
0:00:57 > 0:01:04To which I say, "I've never been." "Well, that's like teaching French without having been to France.
0:01:04 > 0:01:11"You must go." So I'm here in Tokyo to find out the basics of Japanese cuisine.
0:01:11 > 0:01:18This will, I hope, help me create a banquet fit for their ambassador in London
0:01:18 > 0:01:24and all his sophisticated guests, where I hope nation shall speak food unto nation.
0:01:25 > 0:01:30'The whole thing started with a day's mackerel fishing off Padstow.
0:01:30 > 0:01:36'I was making sushi for a group of holidaymakers who'd never tried it.'
0:01:36 > 0:01:38Agh! Damn thing!
0:01:38 > 0:01:43'And I thought that no-one could get fresher mackerel than this.
0:01:43 > 0:01:50'But when the Japanese Ambassador saw what I was doing on the television, he told my friend,
0:01:50 > 0:01:57' "Rick Stein can grill a Dover sole, but he doesn't know much about sushi." '
0:01:57 > 0:02:00So what do you think?
0:02:00 > 0:02:02- Rather good.- Yeah.- Hmm.
0:02:02 > 0:02:09- Really nice.- I was just thinking that this is about 30 quid's worth of sushi here,
0:02:09 > 0:02:11all from one mackerel.
0:02:11 > 0:02:16Cost - 5p? You get it on the restaurant straightaway!
0:02:16 > 0:02:23'That's how this banquet idea started. I met Ambassador Nogami and realised he was a true gourmet
0:02:23 > 0:02:30'and suggested the idea of going to Japan and coming back and cooking dinner for him and his friends.'
0:02:30 > 0:02:36Ambassador, what do you think I should be looking out for in Japanese cuisine?
0:02:36 > 0:02:42I think if you could sort of grasp what lies behind Japanese food.
0:02:42 > 0:02:45The, uh... Japanese food...
0:02:47 > 0:02:54..is based on seasonality and we appreciate the quality of produce
0:02:54 > 0:02:58and the freshness of our produce.
0:02:58 > 0:03:05And also our food is always very much closely linked to the seasonal changes.
0:03:05 > 0:03:11This idea of cooking the banquet - I know very little about Japanese cooking.
0:03:11 > 0:03:18- Do you think I'm mad? - No. Not at all. I don't think that the British audience
0:03:18 > 0:03:24would like to see you cooking, you know, exactly like the Japanese do,
0:03:24 > 0:03:28but the spirit of Japanese cooking.
0:03:31 > 0:03:39'And so it was that I found myself in the world of Bill Murray in that lovely film, Lost In Translation.
0:03:39 > 0:03:45'This is where ritual and custom and extreme politeness are the order of the day.'
0:03:45 > 0:03:49Welcome to Japan and Tokyo and Royal Park Hotel.
0:03:49 > 0:03:56'Right from the start, I had an inkling that I was being made a fuss of.
0:03:56 > 0:04:02'I'm sure they think I'm terribly important, more than a TV cook from Cornwall.
0:04:02 > 0:04:09'But what they don't know won't hurt me. I suppose there weren't any princes staying this week.'
0:04:09 > 0:04:11Good Lord!
0:04:11 > 0:04:16'I've just thought of a Japanese saying - "The bigger the room,
0:04:16 > 0:04:22' "the less likely you are to find all the light switches when you turn in.
0:04:22 > 0:04:26' "And there's always one that you left on." '
0:04:26 > 0:04:29Fantastic. Is that the bedroom?
0:04:30 > 0:04:36Blimey. I didn't expect anything like this. Thank you. This is unbelievable!
0:04:36 > 0:04:41Obviously the Ambassador's pulled a few strings!
0:04:41 > 0:04:46Although it was late and wet, I was determined to explore the city.
0:04:46 > 0:04:51A friend said, "Don't bother going to all the up-market restaurants."
0:04:51 > 0:04:58And even the Ambassador said I should try the restaurants in the business quarter,
0:04:58 > 0:05:03specialising in different dishes, like barbecued chicken intestines.
0:05:03 > 0:05:08And this is deep-fried, breaded pork in a dipping sauce.
0:05:08 > 0:05:13Even in the pouring rain, there's a great atmosphere around here.
0:05:13 > 0:05:21Little groups of office workers having a few pints before the long train ride out to the suburbs.
0:05:21 > 0:05:28This is nice, isn't it? Look at that Kobe beef there, all done in sort of shiny plastic.
0:05:28 > 0:05:35It's a much better idea than just having pictures of the food. And there's some sashimi.
0:05:35 > 0:05:42This is eminently collectable, this stuff. It's so bright and cheerful.
0:05:42 > 0:05:50And there's some noodles with seafood. I've got to take these all back and start a collection.
0:05:53 > 0:05:58I was looking out of my hotel room on the 18th floor earlier
0:05:58 > 0:06:04and it just looked like big, high-rise office blocks and a massive city.
0:06:04 > 0:06:10When I got down on the street, I realised that it's not like that at all.
0:06:10 > 0:06:17There's little streets leading off everywhere. And I found this place. It's under a railway arch.
0:06:17 > 0:06:24I can hear the trains above all the time. It's so funky. There's lots of people here in city suits.
0:06:24 > 0:06:29So it's not down-market, but it just looks so informal.
0:06:29 > 0:06:34And the food is excellent. And Japanese beer is a revelation.
0:06:34 > 0:06:39I had a bit of a problem trying to come to an idea
0:06:39 > 0:06:42of what I would choose to eat.
0:06:42 > 0:06:49But I was just having a look at the menu and I saw a little pig, a little chicken and some kebabs.
0:06:49 > 0:06:56So I just pointed to them and then I just said "pickles", cos I know you eat pickles with everything.
0:06:56 > 0:07:03And it's a fantastic meal. I'm really enjoying it. It's very good quality. And I just love the buzz.
0:07:03 > 0:07:08It's one of those places that reminds me of Spanish tapas bars.
0:07:08 > 0:07:15You have a little plate of mussels and a glass of sherry and move on to the next little bar.
0:07:15 > 0:07:22But I'm running out of time because soon the biggest fish market in the world, called Tsukiji, opens.
0:07:22 > 0:07:28Business here means a turnover of 20 million dollars of fish every day.
0:07:28 > 0:07:32It was here that I met up with Taka who became my indispensable guide.
0:07:33 > 0:07:39First we're going to do the frozen tuna before the bidding starts.
0:07:39 > 0:07:41Wow!
0:07:44 > 0:07:51You know that film, Alien? I always thought it had a bit of seafood imagery in it.
0:07:51 > 0:07:58The bottom of the spaceship in that film with all the pods with the eggs in it and that fog hanging?
0:07:58 > 0:08:01That's where they got it from!
0:08:01 > 0:08:06It also looks like a World War Two aircraft hangar, full of bombs.
0:08:06 > 0:08:10And these guys are so skilful with the axe.
0:08:10 > 0:08:16They're chopping a bit out of the tail to tell the quality of the tuna.
0:08:16 > 0:08:22Later, somebody will test the tuna to see how much fat is in the flesh
0:08:22 > 0:08:26and how good the quality of the fat is.
0:08:26 > 0:08:34So this is the fresh tuna room or hall, I suppose you could call it, just prior to the auction.
0:08:34 > 0:08:39Just beautiful fish here. They're checking the quality of the tuna.
0:08:39 > 0:08:46They're looking for the marbling in the tuna and the colour and the more vibrant and intense the red,
0:08:46 > 0:08:52the fresher it is. And talking about marbling, it's a bit like beef.
0:08:52 > 0:08:57I think tuna is... Like roast beef is to us, tuna is to the Japanese.
0:08:57 > 0:09:02And when you think that they sort of live on fish and rice,
0:09:02 > 0:09:07if this ran out, I think it'd be all over for them.
0:09:07 > 0:09:10BELL RINGS
0:09:10 > 0:09:17Most of the money that passes through this market is from the tuna sales.
0:09:17 > 0:09:24And these fish come from all over the world, New Zealand, Chile, Africa, even the Mediterranean.
0:09:24 > 0:09:28There's nowhere the tuna boats won't go.
0:09:28 > 0:09:31SPEAKING IN JAPANESE
0:09:35 > 0:09:42This auction, I think, sums up their fanatic zeal and a voracious appetite for this magnificent fish.
0:09:44 > 0:09:50Because the tuna's so expensive, it goes to specialists who know how to prepare it.
0:09:50 > 0:09:57They leave nothing to waste before it's shipped out to restaurants and sushi bars all over Japan.
0:09:57 > 0:10:02I've seen filleting all over the world, but this man is a master.
0:10:02 > 0:10:08He reminds me of a samurai warrior from the films of Akira Kurosawa -
0:10:08 > 0:10:15that intense concentration where the man is totally at one with the sword.
0:10:15 > 0:10:21When I was little, the fishmonger in Padstow called Mrs Soper used to say,
0:10:21 > 0:10:26"You make your money from the sharpness of your knife."
0:10:26 > 0:10:28This fish cost a million yen.
0:10:28 > 0:10:30That's £5,000.
0:10:30 > 0:10:36You certainly need a sharp knife to get your money out of that.
0:10:36 > 0:10:44I've just found out that this tuna, which is £5,000, by Christmas, will be as much as 20,000 to 25,000.
0:10:44 > 0:10:52And the most expensive tuna on the market, the Christmas market, could be as much as £50,000.
0:10:52 > 0:10:57It's not even eight o'clock yet, but it feels like lunchtime.
0:10:57 > 0:11:02Ever since I arrived in Japan, I've yearned for really fresh sushi.
0:11:02 > 0:11:08And it doesn't come any fresher than this - a sushi bar right in the fish market.
0:11:08 > 0:11:15I couldn't wait to try the tuna, slivers of squid and red bream straight from the market,
0:11:15 > 0:11:19with grated wasabi root, served with vinegared rice.
0:11:19 > 0:11:25Those that know such things say that sushi will take over the world like the pizza and hamburger did.
0:11:25 > 0:11:29Well, it had better hurry up before the fish runs out.
0:11:31 > 0:11:39There are many types of sushi. This is called maki - vinegared rice wrapped in dried seaweed.
0:11:39 > 0:11:46It's one of those dishes that has great theatre attached to it, like making the perfect pizza disc
0:11:46 > 0:11:49or flambeeing a Crepe Suzette.
0:11:49 > 0:11:54Even the way it's presented on the plate means something.
0:11:54 > 0:12:02This sushi is vastly different from the supermarket version back home where they use mainly cooked fish
0:12:02 > 0:12:04for a longer shelf life presumably.
0:12:04 > 0:12:07This is the bee's knees.
0:12:09 > 0:12:14Would you just ask him how long it takes a sushi master to train?
0:12:14 > 0:12:17SPEAKS IN JAPANESE
0:12:20 > 0:12:23IN JAPANESE
0:12:24 > 0:12:31- It takes ten years for normal people, but I was a taxi driver until four days ago myself.- What?
0:12:31 > 0:12:35- SPEAKS IN JAPANESE - It's a joke.
0:12:35 > 0:12:39- Right. Ten years?- Ten years. - Amazing.
0:12:39 > 0:12:47Well, now we are eating this fresh sushi, do you think you'll be making sushi at the banquet?
0:12:47 > 0:12:53No. I haven't got ten years to spare! It's next month we're doing it.
0:12:53 > 0:12:58But I think sushi's really a meal in itself with all that rice.
0:12:58 > 0:13:03I think it'd be too filling. I think I'll go for sashimi.
0:13:03 > 0:13:10- I've just got to learn how to cut it.- We saw a beautiful technique today.- Yes!
0:13:10 > 0:13:17'It doesn't matter what country you're in, this is the way to soak up the nuances of a nation's food.
0:13:17 > 0:13:21'And it helps that Taka is a serious foodie.'
0:13:21 > 0:13:26This is actually wasabi, which is the green horseradish
0:13:26 > 0:13:32that everybody has with sashimi and sushi. I never knew what it looked like before.
0:13:32 > 0:13:36But of course it's a horseradish root just like ours.
0:13:36 > 0:13:44This is a dried fillet of bonito, a type of tuna, being planed into those very fine shavings
0:13:44 > 0:13:50for dashi, the essential stock here. The Japanese are crazy about pickles.
0:13:50 > 0:13:54Here, there's celery, cucumber and salty aubergines.
0:13:54 > 0:13:59Well, this is a sushi knife and it's quite rigid.
0:13:59 > 0:14:01It's incredibly sharp, of course.
0:14:01 > 0:14:07But what's interesting is it's flat on one side and curved on the other.
0:14:07 > 0:14:12So when this knife cuts, it actually cuts like this.
0:14:12 > 0:14:20- But this part remains, which means you get the freshness of the ingredients maintained.- I see.
0:14:20 > 0:14:24That's what I mean about Japanese attention to detail.
0:14:24 > 0:14:29When you slice into a fillet with the straight side,
0:14:29 > 0:14:34it just cuts through those cells without damaging any of the others.
0:14:34 > 0:14:38So you have minimum damage and maximum freshness.
0:14:38 > 0:14:42A large part of the market is devoted to live fish.
0:14:42 > 0:14:49They're sold at a premium because of the Japanese obsession with freshness.
0:14:49 > 0:14:54It's almost like coming to a Disneyland of seafood
0:14:54 > 0:14:58because there's so much variety that it's mind-boggling to me!
0:14:58 > 0:15:05- I like that - a Disneyland of seafood.- Good way of saying it, I guess.- I might use that.
0:15:05 > 0:15:10If I was doing the banquet here, I'd have this boiled octopus.
0:15:10 > 0:15:14And these sea squirts - they're a real bite of the sea.
0:15:14 > 0:15:19I've got to have prawns somewhere, preferably live tiger prawns.
0:15:19 > 0:15:27But maybe I'll use our langoustines. I'm also thinking about clams. These are blood clams.
0:15:27 > 0:15:34They might be good in the sashimi. These look like our whelks back at home.
0:15:34 > 0:15:37But they're much more tender, called Babylons here.
0:15:37 > 0:15:42This reminds me of a samurai warrior, an Arctic snow crab.
0:15:42 > 0:15:48Big money, but perfect for the banquet. Maybe I'll use our local spider crabs.
0:15:48 > 0:15:53This market is a source of inspiration to create a menu.
0:15:53 > 0:16:01I really think it helps to have a serious appetite when you do this type of window shopping.
0:16:01 > 0:16:04But now it's time for lunch.
0:16:04 > 0:16:09Tell me the basics of Japanese cooking. What do I need to know?
0:16:09 > 0:16:16I think typically Japanese food, what we eat, we have about five different flavours,
0:16:16 > 0:16:23which is the saltiness, the sweetness, the sourness, the bitterness, and, I guess, the heat.
0:16:23 > 0:16:30And we try to mix things that we make with these flavours and enjoy those flavours.
0:16:30 > 0:16:35But it's important to remember it's the ingredient that's the star.
0:16:35 > 0:16:40The ingredient is enhanced by these flavours, not killed by it.
0:16:40 > 0:16:45This is a typical businessman's restaurant in the heart of Tokyo,
0:16:45 > 0:16:50specialising in sashimi, with fish straight from the pool.
0:16:50 > 0:16:56The food is prepared very quickly because these office workers eat and run.
0:16:56 > 0:17:00There are so many things to know about Japanese cuisine.
0:17:00 > 0:17:07Colours, for instance. Their favourites are white, yellow, black, green and red in food.
0:17:07 > 0:17:14This is a picture - sashimi made with sea snail, red bream, tuna and prawns.
0:17:14 > 0:17:20I don't think I'll be doing anything quite this elaborate at the banquet.
0:17:20 > 0:17:27I've only been here for 36 hours. And when I arrived, I was utterly daunted.
0:17:27 > 0:17:34Talk about Lost In Translation. You arrive in Tokyo and it just seems like another planet almost.
0:17:34 > 0:17:41Everything about life in Japan is about precision, about really paying attention to detail.
0:17:41 > 0:17:48We were walking through a lot of restaurants with kitchens. Everything's so tiny.
0:17:48 > 0:17:55And I thought it's actually good for human beings to have to think in a confined space.
0:17:55 > 0:18:02When you've got massive space, you don't know where you're going, but when everything's small,
0:18:02 > 0:18:05people rise to the occasion.
0:18:05 > 0:18:11That's what's impressive about the place - its attention to detail.
0:18:11 > 0:18:16And the detail is never more important than in social etiquette.
0:18:16 > 0:18:20Setsuko Yamamoto teaches the art to businessmen.
0:18:20 > 0:18:25- Setsuko, how do I greet you then? - First, it's a little bow.
0:18:25 > 0:18:31- And the head goes like this. Hajimemashite.- Hajimemashite. - "Nice meeting you."
0:18:31 > 0:18:38- And slowly up, the head. Then it's nice smiling.- Nice smiling! - Then it's, "Please take a seat."
0:18:38 > 0:18:42- "Please take a seat"? - Yes.- Oh, we kneel.
0:18:42 > 0:18:44OK.
0:18:46 > 0:18:53So just tell me what the worst mistakes of etiquette Westerners can make, really.
0:18:53 > 0:18:57- When you take off shoes...- Yes. - First you take off shoes.
0:18:57 > 0:19:00Sometimes you can get into slippers.
0:19:00 > 0:19:05- Slippers are not allowed in a tatami room.- It's got to be bare feet?- Yes.
0:19:05 > 0:19:12And also when you eat, the chopstick - you have to break it and then you eat.
0:19:12 > 0:19:19- Then every chopstick you have to put on the side, horizontal. - OK, horizontal.- Horizontal.
0:19:19 > 0:19:27- And what about drinking?- Drinking is always - kampai.- Right. Kampai? That's "cheers"?- Yes, "cheers".
0:19:27 > 0:19:29Kampai means "cheers".
0:19:29 > 0:19:36And always the holding - nice way. Then to bring it to you respectfully.
0:19:36 > 0:19:40- And always double-handed? - Yes. That means it's respect.
0:19:40 > 0:19:45- It's all about respect? - Yes, respect. That's it.
0:19:45 > 0:19:50And as I'm beginning to realise in Japan, respect is the key word.
0:19:50 > 0:19:55Without it, nothing works. And it goes right back into the kitchen.
0:19:55 > 0:20:00Andy Cook has been a top chef in Tokyo for the past two years
0:20:00 > 0:20:07and runs a restaurant for Gordon Ramsay, which is producing Western food for the Japanese palate.
0:20:07 > 0:20:14I thought if anyone could help me understand the preferences of the Japanese, then it would be him.
0:20:14 > 0:20:19I think first of all, the key thing for you is fresh.
0:20:19 > 0:20:26You really need to be getting the best, freshest fish possible. You need to concentrate on the season.
0:20:26 > 0:20:33The Japanese are passionate about being in touch with nature and with what's going on around them.
0:20:33 > 0:20:39You've got things like the Kaiseki menu, which is the monster 18-course menu.
0:20:39 > 0:20:47And each course will be something different. You'll have sashimi. You'll have your grilled dish.
0:20:47 > 0:20:54You'll have your soup. You'll have your meat and your pickles. Then you may have some kind of sweet.
0:20:54 > 0:21:01But you're going to need to have a nice soup, something that's focusing on what's in season.
0:21:01 > 0:21:04Sashimi traditionally is white fish.
0:21:04 > 0:21:09So you're looking at a nice bass or baby rouget or sea bream.
0:21:09 > 0:21:15Sea bream's interesting because the Japanese love anything that's red and white.
0:21:15 > 0:21:22- Anything that represents the Japanese flag, they adore. - Wonderful!- Lobster - fantastic.
0:21:22 > 0:21:28Sea bream - fantastic. We buy it and sell it at a very high price.
0:21:28 > 0:21:32Don't be scared about it being too complicated.
0:21:32 > 0:21:37- You'll not fail to impress the guy. - You reckon?- I reckon you'll be OK!
0:21:37 > 0:21:42Well, I was just going to say, do you think I'm bonkers?
0:21:42 > 0:21:46You probably are, yes. But I think you'll be all right.
0:21:49 > 0:21:56I like to feel I've become a connoisseur of street food over the years I've been travelling around.
0:21:56 > 0:22:03But this just beats it all. I mean, where could you get a dish of first quality tuna like this
0:22:03 > 0:22:08with your own little tea supply and a bowl of miso soup?
0:22:08 > 0:22:13I mean, it's perfect! The variety is endless and it's cheap and fresh
0:22:13 > 0:22:18because they all specialise in one thing or another.
0:22:18 > 0:22:24People come to this one for tempura, beautiful prawns in a light batter.
0:22:25 > 0:22:33And this man makes an old Tokyo dish, like an omelette, full of chilli, coriander, mirin and pork.
0:22:33 > 0:22:38And he doesn't let the egg set. It's poured over boiled rice.
0:22:38 > 0:22:45But best of all, I found this little gem that has cooked the same dish for generations.
0:22:45 > 0:22:50This is a local restaurant. They only serve one dish, Fukagawadon.
0:22:50 > 0:22:56It's also the name of the area because the dish was so typical of the area.
0:22:56 > 0:23:00It's clams and rice served with a miso soup.
0:23:00 > 0:23:06The clams came out of the river, so it's an obvious dish to serve here.
0:23:06 > 0:23:11It just reminds me a bit of sort of eel pie and mash.
0:23:11 > 0:23:17You know, those restaurants that were all around London near the Thames.
0:23:17 > 0:23:22Most of them have died out now and this is very sort of similar.
0:23:22 > 0:23:30They largely serve older people, but it's good that there's still some of these restaurants around.
0:23:30 > 0:23:37And this is delicious. If you find a good eel pie and mash shop, it's good. This is particularly good.
0:23:37 > 0:23:44'Like many dishes of this type, it's all to do with the quality of the stock.
0:23:44 > 0:23:48'My taxi driver took us here as this is where he has lunch.
0:23:48 > 0:23:53'But now we go from one end of the culinary spectrum to the other,
0:23:53 > 0:24:01'a restaurant that has been in the same family for 16 generations, a town north-west of Tokyo, Kanazawa.
0:24:01 > 0:24:06'I've come here to experience a banquet, given in my honour,
0:24:06 > 0:24:10'by the ex-Prime Minister of Japan, Yoshiro Mori.
0:24:10 > 0:24:18'The Ambassador was keen for me to meet him and also to sample some of the best food Japan has to offer.
0:24:18 > 0:24:25'I felt a bit out of my depth and I kept thinking of the do's and don'ts of chopstick etiquette.
0:24:25 > 0:24:30'And I really wanted to know what sort of fish I was eating.
0:24:30 > 0:24:35'It was a relief when Mr Mori suggested we take our coats off.'
0:24:35 > 0:24:38So relax and enjoy the food.
0:24:38 > 0:24:45'Under domes of ice was the prettiest display of sashimi I've ever set eyes on.
0:24:45 > 0:24:52'I'm never going to match this. This was made up of tuna, prawns and sea bream.
0:24:52 > 0:24:58'It was a work of art. I wondered how many days a week Mr Mori would eat fish?'
0:24:58 > 0:25:01THEY SPEAK IN JAPANESE
0:25:01 > 0:25:08- Every day.- Every day?- Every day. Seven days a week. - And how often meat then?
0:25:08 > 0:25:13- THEY SPEAK IN JAPANESE - I try not to eat as much meat.
0:25:13 > 0:25:18Would you ask him if he likes any British dishes?
0:25:18 > 0:25:20SPEAKING IN JAPANESE
0:25:21 > 0:25:25He said, "What sort of cuisines are there in England?"
0:25:25 > 0:25:32'I think that says quite a lot, really. The roast beef of England is still a mystery in Japan.
0:25:32 > 0:25:39'And judging by what we're eating tonight, it will remain so until they run out of fish.'
0:25:39 > 0:25:42IN JAPANESE
0:25:42 > 0:25:45Roast beef, I love. I really do.
0:25:46 > 0:25:53But obviously that kind of does build up on my body, so I try not to eat as much.
0:25:53 > 0:25:58'There were nine courses, all complementing each other.
0:25:58 > 0:26:04'And every chef wants to know how their food is being received at the table.
0:26:04 > 0:26:12'Well, it's oishii! - "delicious". And this is a little boat formed out of kelp, which they call kombu.
0:26:12 > 0:26:16'It's filled with slices of abalone, red snapper and leeks
0:26:16 > 0:26:22'and shredded daikon. The kombu has the taste of the sea itself.
0:26:22 > 0:26:25'But it also has other prize properties.'
0:26:25 > 0:26:30The people of Okinawa, the island at the southernmost part of Japan,
0:26:30 > 0:26:34live longer than anybody else in Japan
0:26:34 > 0:26:41and people in Japan live longer than anybody else cos they eat so much fish.
0:26:41 > 0:26:47But they eat ten times more kombu than anyone else in Japan and live longer.
0:26:47 > 0:26:51And it's very good for slimming. I wish I could eat this.
0:26:51 > 0:26:55- SPEAKING IN JAPANESE - The Japanese eat kelp quite often.
0:26:55 > 0:27:00When we eat kelp, it actually helps to grow your hair.
0:27:00 > 0:27:03Keep your hair nice and colourful.
0:27:05 > 0:27:08And I'm going to be 70 next year.
0:27:08 > 0:27:13- 70?- Yes, 70. - I thought he was younger than me!
0:27:13 > 0:27:16THEY SPEAK IN JAPANESE
0:27:16 > 0:27:1971.
0:27:20 > 0:27:23Look at our hair.
0:27:23 > 0:27:25It's the kelp.
0:27:25 > 0:27:32- Was it nice? Did you like it? - Well, I would like to say it was completely a revelation to me.
0:27:32 > 0:27:39I don't think... If it wasn't for this, I would never have tasted food like that.
0:27:39 > 0:27:46I don't believe you could go to a Japanese restaurant outside Japan and eat food like that.
0:27:46 > 0:27:50I mean, it's better than the top three-star French food.
0:27:50 > 0:27:56For me, it's the perfect food, simple, delicate, incredibly complex in the kitchen,
0:27:56 > 0:27:59and my thanks to the chefs.
0:27:59 > 0:28:07But so effortless here. I just think, to me, it's sort of what Japanese culture is all about,
0:28:07 > 0:28:12this sort of seeming simplicity, but behind it so much complexity.
0:28:12 > 0:28:17Thank you very much. < Thank you very much.
0:28:17 > 0:28:24'What I want to do next is get to grips with the essential pillars, if you like, of Japanese cuisine,
0:28:24 > 0:28:30'the ingredients and the flavours that keep recurring in each meal I have.
0:28:30 > 0:28:34'If it was Italy, well, pasta, tomatoes and basil.
0:28:34 > 0:28:39'Here, it's a little bit more complicated than that.'
0:28:39 > 0:28:42OK. He's just going to get a bag.
0:28:45 > 0:28:52I've only been here under a week, but I think I've got the essentials I'm going to need for the banquet.
0:28:52 > 0:28:57That's the main flavouring ingredients in everything.
0:28:57 > 0:29:04We start with soy sauce. A soy maker told me, "It's as important as water in Japanese cooking."
0:29:04 > 0:29:11I think that's absolutely right. And next is mirin. That's the main sweetener in all Japanese cooking
0:29:11 > 0:29:18and sweetness is very important. Next, sake. Well, this isn't a great sake. It's just cooking sake.
0:29:18 > 0:29:23They use it with soy to cut down the strength of soy.
0:29:23 > 0:29:29So you always start with soy and sake to vary the intensity of the sauce.
0:29:29 > 0:29:35Rice wine vinegar. Pickles are so important in Japanese cooking,
0:29:35 > 0:29:38with salt, the essence of a good pickle.
0:29:38 > 0:29:46The one herb I've picked out is shiso, or perilla as we call it in England, such a distinctive flavour.
0:29:46 > 0:29:52Bonito flakes. Dashi is the basic stock that all soups come from.
0:29:52 > 0:29:59And with bonito flakes, the classic dashi is made with kombu which is kelp, which is seaweed.
0:29:59 > 0:30:03Kombu is used in pickling, particularly pickling fish.
0:30:03 > 0:30:09I could not fail to mention wasabi. For the Japanese writing, it's that way up.
0:30:09 > 0:30:13It's that really hot, green horseradish.
0:30:13 > 0:30:20They like to do the whole spectrum of all the flavours and all the tastes, so that is very important.
0:30:20 > 0:30:25And lastly and by no means least, the mighty daikon -
0:30:25 > 0:30:31a really strong radish that gives you the hot flavour in a lot of Japanese cooking.
0:30:37 > 0:30:45The thing that's worrying me is my food is quite simple, just relying on very simple presentation.
0:30:45 > 0:30:51Japanese is simple, but there's a lot of work that goes on behind the scenes there.
0:30:51 > 0:30:54That's where I'll find it difficult
0:30:54 > 0:31:00because I wouldn't say I'm a basic cook, but I like things straight down the middle.
0:31:00 > 0:31:07I'm gonna have to get into that whole idea of making things look simple when in fact they're not.
0:31:07 > 0:31:11I've got as much information as I could cope with.
0:31:11 > 0:31:16I've learnt a lot and all I can do now is to go back home and do it
0:31:16 > 0:31:20and hope that Ambassador Nogami is a kind and forgiving man.
0:31:20 > 0:31:23Well, this is my menu for tonight.
0:31:23 > 0:31:28First, sardines - a Mediterranean dish, but it looks Japanese.
0:31:28 > 0:31:32Next, clear soup with langoustines and shiitake mushroom.
0:31:32 > 0:31:38Then sashimi, the ultimate Japanese dish, and I had to have the ice igloo.
0:31:38 > 0:31:42To follow, a tempura of lobster, red mullet,
0:31:42 > 0:31:46and for that seasonal touch, chanterelle mushrooms.
0:31:46 > 0:31:53Afterwards, a savoury egg custard called chawan mushi, and that's made with spider crabs.
0:31:53 > 0:31:59This is grilled bass with porcini mushroom and a spear of ginger shoot.
0:31:59 > 0:32:02No meal is complete without miso soup
0:32:02 > 0:32:07and, of course, those lovely pickles and a bowl of rice.
0:32:08 > 0:32:11And finally, poached autumn fruits
0:32:11 > 0:32:14with quince syrup, and that's it.
0:32:16 > 0:32:21I've designed this banquet menu, but I could not have done it
0:32:21 > 0:32:25without the expert skills of Inoue-san and Koike-san.
0:32:25 > 0:32:30I hadn't met these chefs before and I was pretty nervous
0:32:30 > 0:32:34as chefs hate strangers coming into their kitchen,
0:32:34 > 0:32:41blunting their knives, burning their pans and getting in the way. And I don't speak the language.
0:32:41 > 0:32:44They don't have handles on their saucepans here!
0:32:44 > 0:32:51This is the basic stock made with bonito flakes for the soups and dipping sauces.
0:32:51 > 0:32:58The most important thing I've learnt about Japanese cooking is the quality of the raw materials.
0:32:58 > 0:33:05I've tried to have the fish brought from Cornwall because I know the quality of my local fish.
0:33:05 > 0:33:10I'm just looking through it. This gurnard is in perfect condition.
0:33:10 > 0:33:14Absolutely dead fresh, lovely smell about it.
0:33:14 > 0:33:18And just looking at this sea bass...
0:33:18 > 0:33:24When you're cooking, if your raw materials are OK, everything falls into place.
0:33:24 > 0:33:31When I look at that bass with that tag on it saying, "Line-caught wild bass from Cornwall,"
0:33:31 > 0:33:38I just feel so reassured and my apprehension about cooking this banquet starts to fall away.
0:33:38 > 0:33:45And I wanted live spider crabs and they are because they'll taste that little bit better.
0:33:45 > 0:33:49I know that the Japanese members of this banquet tonight,
0:33:49 > 0:33:54and probably the British too, will taste that extra freshness.
0:33:54 > 0:33:58And the lobster's got to be alive when we start with it.
0:33:58 > 0:34:01Perfect, very reassured.
0:34:01 > 0:34:06So for the sashimi and the tempura, I'm using brill and red mullet,
0:34:06 > 0:34:11a symbol of autumnal seafood because they're at their prime.
0:34:11 > 0:34:17To start the soup off, we poach shiitake mushrooms in the bonito stock.
0:34:17 > 0:34:20These are the young shoots of the ginger plant.
0:34:20 > 0:34:26They've been blanched, cooled and dried quickly, so they don't lose their crunch.
0:34:26 > 0:34:31Next we make the dipping sauce and that starts with sake,
0:34:31 > 0:34:34reduced sake with the alcohol burned off.
0:34:34 > 0:34:37The kelp aroma comes through nicely.
0:34:37 > 0:34:41To add to that, I've chosen a fantastic bottle of soy sauce
0:34:41 > 0:34:47which I discovered in Kanazawa and it's flavoured with kombu or kelp.
0:34:47 > 0:34:53This is flavoured with bonito flakes - just like wood shavings disappearing in a bowl of gravy!
0:34:53 > 0:34:59Very good mackerel. We can't get this kind of quality that often.
0:34:59 > 0:35:06Mr Inoue, the head chef, has just complimented me on the quality of the mackerel, so I'm very happy.
0:35:06 > 0:35:11He said it's very hard to get mackerel of this quality in London,
0:35:11 > 0:35:18so it's paid off bringing it up from Cornwall because the mackerel is where it all started from.
0:35:18 > 0:35:23This is what I was doing wrong on board that boat off Padstow.
0:35:23 > 0:35:30The Japanese coat their mackerel fillets in salt and set them aside for two hours to firm them up
0:35:30 > 0:35:32and take away any fishy odours.
0:35:32 > 0:35:39Before they're sliced up for sashimi, they're seasoned in a marinade of mirin, sugar, water
0:35:39 > 0:35:44and kombu, a seaweed I'm getting to like very much indeed.
0:35:44 > 0:35:47I've just had these sardines delivered.
0:35:47 > 0:35:54I was hoping to get Mount's Bay sardines because when Ambassador Nogami said about seasonality,
0:35:54 > 0:35:59my immediate thought was of a very nice night once out fishing
0:35:59 > 0:36:05about this time of year in Mount's Bay, pulling up sardines with Stephane.
0:36:05 > 0:36:10I asked him to go out, but the weather's been appalling.
0:36:10 > 0:36:14They still went out to try and catch some but they didn't get any.
0:36:14 > 0:36:19These are from the Bay of Biscay. We'll see what they're like.
0:36:19 > 0:36:26They smell all right. I'm gonna be a bit red in tooth and claw and take a little piece off there.
0:36:26 > 0:36:31I hope you don't mind. I'll just put a bit of soy with them.
0:36:31 > 0:36:35It looks good. I'm sure these chefs won't approve of me doing this.
0:36:37 > 0:36:42That's really good. They're lovely. They'll be fine.
0:36:42 > 0:36:45It's for the first course.
0:36:45 > 0:36:50I was hoping they'd be the Penzance ones, but it'll still be fine.
0:36:50 > 0:36:54It's the only western dish in the whole banquet.
0:36:54 > 0:36:58This brill is up there with turbot and halibut.
0:36:58 > 0:37:03It will be perfect in the sashimi because it's a really firm fish.
0:37:03 > 0:37:07And gurnard is no longer thought of only as lobster bait.
0:37:07 > 0:37:12Now it's as sought after as red mullet or John Dory.
0:37:12 > 0:37:18The last course will be an autumnal fruit compote and the centre piece will be quinces.
0:37:18 > 0:37:24Quince is very hard to eat in its own right, but it makes a lovely syrup.
0:37:24 > 0:37:30Not only does it taste very nice and astringent, it also has a deep russet colour
0:37:30 > 0:37:36and that clear juice right over the top of my compote will make it really perfect.
0:37:36 > 0:37:43I'm going to simmer these for as long as it takes to get these bullet-hard fruits to soften,
0:37:43 > 0:37:45then break up with a potato masher.
0:37:45 > 0:37:49I only want the juice and none of the pulp.
0:37:49 > 0:37:54I wonder if this lovely fruit will be popular again? Perfect.
0:37:54 > 0:38:00Inoue-san is expertly cutting up the bass into equal pieces ready for grilling.
0:38:00 > 0:38:03I could after my visit to Japan eat that raw.
0:38:03 > 0:38:07These are ceps or porcini, as the Italians call them.
0:38:07 > 0:38:13They don't use them in Japan. They use a really revered mushroom called matsutake
0:38:13 > 0:38:17which are quite similar in appearance and in price.
0:38:17 > 0:38:23I just thought it would be very interesting to use our most revered mushroom
0:38:23 > 0:38:26and do it in a Japanese way.
0:38:26 > 0:38:32What I'm really keen on about porcini is the look of them sliced like that.
0:38:32 > 0:38:35It has a Japanese elegance about it.
0:38:35 > 0:38:42What I'm hoping to do is just grill them along with the bass. I think they'll go very well indeed.
0:38:42 > 0:38:48I could watch Inoue-san for hours. Every cut is done with one continuous action.
0:38:48 > 0:38:53He's preparing the red mullet for the tempura.
0:38:53 > 0:38:56This is the tempura dipping sauces.
0:38:56 > 0:39:01I was keen to see the way they do it properly cos I got it out of a book!
0:39:01 > 0:39:06Actually, it's four parts dashi and one part mirin
0:39:06 > 0:39:09and one part soy.
0:39:09 > 0:39:15Then a big handful of bonito flakes. Nice little tip, that.
0:39:15 > 0:39:18Now for the first course - those sardines.
0:39:18 > 0:39:25I got the idea when I saw an old man in Corfu preparing anchovies with lemon and olive oil,
0:39:25 > 0:39:28but how to serve it in a Japanese way?
0:39:28 > 0:39:35If I was doing this in my restaurant, I'd probably put them on the plate like this.
0:39:35 > 0:39:37I can't see me doing that here
0:39:37 > 0:39:44because of the incredible delicacy of the way that the dishes are done here.
0:39:44 > 0:39:52So I'm just going to ask Inoue if he would give me a few tips on how he thinks we should lay it out.
0:39:52 > 0:39:56In Japan we normally take the skin off the sardines.
0:39:56 > 0:40:01We actually do a lot of slices, I guess designs on it.
0:40:01 > 0:40:07- Like a diamond pattern?- Yes. - Will you show me? - SHE TRANSLATES INTO JAPANESE
0:40:15 > 0:40:21'Well, I'd never in a million years have thought of skinning a sardine fillet.
0:40:32 > 0:40:39'This humble little sardine has started to resemble a very expensive watch strap.
0:40:39 > 0:40:42'There seems no end to Inoue-san's skill.
0:40:42 > 0:40:45'I wonder what he thinks of me!'
0:40:52 > 0:40:54Good Lord!
0:40:54 > 0:40:58That's perfect. I mean, that just says it all.
0:40:58 > 0:41:03That is the difference between Japanese and Cornish, I suppose!
0:41:03 > 0:41:09The amount of detail that's gone into that little sardine says it all.
0:41:09 > 0:41:13My spider crabs have been cooking away for 20 minutes,
0:41:13 > 0:41:18but I'll leave them to cool down before I can get at the meat.
0:41:18 > 0:41:23Most of what's caught off Cornwall gets shipped off to Spain!
0:41:23 > 0:41:29Koike-san turns a single radish into half a dozen delightful little butterflies
0:41:29 > 0:41:32to garnish the sashimi.
0:41:32 > 0:41:37If it was left to me, they'd get them in a bowl with some sea salt.
0:41:37 > 0:41:41This is the difference between us - gastronomic origami!
0:41:41 > 0:41:45I've seen tomatoes turned into roses which I detest,
0:41:45 > 0:41:50but this fine detail and precision is meant to be a sign of respect
0:41:50 > 0:41:53for the Ambassador and his guests
0:41:53 > 0:41:57who will be turning up in a couple of hours' time.
0:41:57 > 0:42:02I can't do that, but I've handled a couple of thousand of these!
0:42:02 > 0:42:07When I was in Japan, this bit just outside the Tsukiji Market,
0:42:07 > 0:42:14which is a retail market, if you like, outside Tsukiji called Jogai,
0:42:14 > 0:42:18there was this good fishmonger selling crabs
0:42:18 > 0:42:22and I asked him how much the crabs were selling for
0:42:22 > 0:42:29because there were these lovely, big Alaskan snow crabs there and they were about £150 each,
0:42:29 > 0:42:34so I was thinking maybe I could do something with our spider crabs.
0:42:34 > 0:42:39They're not a crab much used in the UK. They've got a lovely flavour.
0:42:39 > 0:42:44But the problem is you have to really work to get the meat out.
0:42:44 > 0:42:49There's this very lovely dish in Japan called chawan mushti...
0:42:49 > 0:42:53- Is that right, Taka? - Chawan mushi.- Chawan mushi.
0:42:53 > 0:42:58It's like a baked egg custard and you put very delicate things in it,
0:42:58 > 0:43:02particularly some chicken breast, which it often has.
0:43:02 > 0:43:10You make it with eggs, but the prime ingredient in my dish will be these spider crab claws.
0:43:10 > 0:43:14I think it will work very well. As I said, quite a lot of work.
0:43:14 > 0:43:19'I wish I could crack eggs like that. They'd be all over the floor!
0:43:19 > 0:43:23'This is the basis of the dish - beaten eggs.
0:43:23 > 0:43:29'I had this for breakfast in Japan and it inspired me to put it on the menu.
0:43:29 > 0:43:35'It's a very loose mix - half eggs to a mixture of mirin, a sake-based sweetener and dashi.
0:43:35 > 0:43:40'This has been seasoned with light soy sauce and salt.'
0:43:40 > 0:43:42Origato.
0:43:44 > 0:43:48That's very nice, very delicate, very nicely seasoned.
0:43:48 > 0:43:55So to make up the little chawan mushi pots, first a gingko nut - they're really important in Japan -
0:43:55 > 0:44:00followed by chicken breast and chestnuts, a seasonal reference,
0:44:00 > 0:44:06and some sprigs of trefoil, almost unknown at home, but very popular in Japan.
0:44:06 > 0:44:10And now that lovely, sweet crab meat.
0:44:10 > 0:44:17Once people are used to Japanese food, it's the way people like to eat. It's healthy, light, delicate.
0:44:17 > 0:44:24I remember saying when we went to the banquet with ex-Prime Minister Mori
0:44:24 > 0:44:30that it's like Michelin three-star food, but it's the sort of food you want to eat.
0:44:30 > 0:44:33It's not too sort of calorific
0:44:33 > 0:44:40and you'd get up from the tables thinking, "Yes, let's face life! Let's have some fun."
0:44:40 > 0:44:47And now the pots go into this handsome steamer - looks a bit like a Japanese temple - for 20 minutes
0:44:47 > 0:44:52until the egg mixture loosely sets like a little custard.
0:44:52 > 0:44:57We're ready for the sashimi where only the prime cuts are served.
0:44:57 > 0:45:03This is where Koike-san and Inoue-san's knife skills come into their own
0:45:03 > 0:45:09and I sit back and watch with wonderment, tinged with a dash of envy.
0:45:21 > 0:45:25So this is how mackerel sashimi is made.
0:45:25 > 0:45:29The salt in the marinade really firms it up.
0:45:29 > 0:45:35I don't know what the serious aficionados of Japanese food will think about this menu,
0:45:35 > 0:45:38but I'm getting something from it.
0:45:38 > 0:45:43I've learnt such a lot and I'll use that in my restaurant in Cornwall.
0:45:43 > 0:45:47But I'll keep the handles on the saucepans!
0:46:01 > 0:46:06And there goes that little butterfly to sit on the top.
0:46:06 > 0:46:13What he's saying is, "Look at the amount of detail and care that's gone into this sashimi!"
0:46:17 > 0:46:24What Inoue has done is just cook the lobster tails very quickly, about two minutes in boiling water,
0:46:24 > 0:46:29just to set the lobster and so he can take the shell off easily.
0:46:29 > 0:46:33Now he's just portioning them up for the tempura.
0:46:33 > 0:46:40I chose Cornish lobster in the tempura, so everyone could get a taste of it, but back to the quince.
0:46:40 > 0:46:45I'm now adding about half the volume of sugar to juice.
0:46:45 > 0:46:51I'll bring it to the boil and the impurities will rise to the surface.
0:46:51 > 0:46:55I'll skim them off and I'll be left with a nice, clear syrup
0:46:55 > 0:46:59to poach the rest of my autumn fruit.
0:47:02 > 0:47:08It's quite interesting because time is getting a little bit tight here.
0:47:08 > 0:47:13I always think we've only got... I can't remember how many it is,
0:47:13 > 0:47:20but there's a lot of courses and time waits for no man, so I'm just having to go a bit fast now.
0:47:20 > 0:47:25I thought I'd use an English Cox apple to poach in the quince syrup.
0:47:25 > 0:47:31I got the idea of using persimmon from ex-Prime Minister Mori's banquet.
0:47:31 > 0:47:37It's becoming more popular here, the Japanese love it and it looks so autumnal.
0:47:37 > 0:47:40The apples are done in two minutes.
0:47:40 > 0:47:46It won't be long before the first guests arrive and it's time to assemble the first course.
0:47:47 > 0:47:50Good. Tomato?
0:47:50 > 0:47:52Yeah. Perfect.
0:47:53 > 0:47:58- Everything going all right? - Not too bad, Ambassador.
0:47:58 > 0:48:03We're very impressed with the way Inoue has cut them like that.
0:48:03 > 0:48:08We're just working out how best they will look in a Japanese way.
0:48:08 > 0:48:15- We're just gonna put a bit of olive oil on there.- Lovely.- A tiny bit of oregano.- Yeah.- So it should be fun.
0:48:15 > 0:48:22The first to arrive is the lady who taught me the fundamentals of Japanese etiquette,
0:48:22 > 0:48:27an essential requirement for anyone thinking of going there.
0:48:27 > 0:48:29CONVERSATION IN JAPANESE
0:48:32 > 0:48:37This is the miso soup which is the last but one course.
0:48:37 > 0:48:44He's using a dark miso paste which is a soya bean paste, but he's also cooked up the lobster heads.
0:48:44 > 0:48:50Much as I wanted lobster in the tempura, there is so much flavour in the heads,
0:48:50 > 0:48:55I'm very happy that he's using the lobster heads to flavour the miso.
0:48:55 > 0:48:58It will be really special.
0:48:59 > 0:49:03One of the things that was a real revelation in Japan
0:49:03 > 0:49:06was the use of pickles.
0:49:06 > 0:49:12I love these pickles, particularly this burdock and the sour plums and the cucumber.
0:49:12 > 0:49:17They're just sensational. This is going to come with the miso soup
0:49:17 > 0:49:21right at the end of the banquet just before the sweet.
0:49:21 > 0:49:24To me, it's like the cheese course.
0:49:24 > 0:49:29I look forward to these pickles like I would to some nice cheese.
0:49:29 > 0:49:34We're serving various seriously good sakes, but also some wine,
0:49:34 > 0:49:38and with the miso soup I'm going to serve a Pinot Noir
0:49:38 > 0:49:42because it will go really well with these pickles.
0:49:43 > 0:49:45Konbanwa.
0:49:47 > 0:49:51It's a good job us drones can't see what's going on upstairs.
0:49:51 > 0:49:56I'm a firm believer in getting the first course absolutely tippy-top,
0:49:56 > 0:50:00then the rest will go like a dream. I'm also an optimist!
0:50:00 > 0:50:08- Good evening.- Good evening.- Thank you very much for coming.- Terrible traffic, I'm afraid, in this rain.
0:50:08 > 0:50:10- How are you?- Very nice to meet you.
0:50:13 > 0:50:16Rick is working in the kitchen.
0:50:16 > 0:50:23- Who's working in the kitchen? - Rick Stein.- Oh, how wonderful! That's a plus.
0:50:26 > 0:50:31- How are you?- Sorry we're late. - Sorry we're late. Terrible traffic.
0:50:34 > 0:50:41They say the Japanese are inscrutable and now I know what it means.
0:50:41 > 0:50:48The bass is ready for grilling and so might I be if this doesn't turn out as I would like!
0:50:51 > 0:50:55Well, thank you very much for coming tonight.
0:50:56 > 0:51:00Actually, the real host is not here. He's downstairs.
0:51:03 > 0:51:05Origato.
0:51:08 > 0:51:10Superb!
0:51:24 > 0:51:31I was told that you always serve soup as a second course because of its relaxing qualities.
0:51:31 > 0:51:34It puts people at their ease.
0:51:34 > 0:51:37I'm down in the kitchen, oblivious to all this.
0:51:37 > 0:51:44If I could have seen the guests enjoying it, I would have been much happier.
0:51:48 > 0:51:55They make the ice domes by putting water in a bowl, adding a second one and freezing it.
0:51:55 > 0:52:00They have a wow quality that says this sashimi cannot be fresher!
0:52:00 > 0:52:05Is this an innovation of his or is it always served in an igloo?
0:52:05 > 0:52:11- No, no, this is...- This is a Rick Stein-ism.- Look at the butterfly. Isn't that gorgeous?
0:52:14 > 0:52:16Course number four - tempura,
0:52:16 > 0:52:22a popular choice for people beginning to explore the delights of Japanese cuisine.
0:52:22 > 0:52:29The skills shown here are far beyond me. There's no point in me trying to help. I'd be in the way.
0:52:29 > 0:52:34But I did do the recipes and the menu. I'm very happy with it.
0:52:34 > 0:52:40What's interesting about this is you only batter the shiso leaves on the one side,
0:52:40 > 0:52:44so you've got the nice green in the finished tempura.
0:52:44 > 0:52:49In recipes for tempura, they say don't mix it too much.
0:52:49 > 0:52:53There's bits of totally unmixed flour in the batter,
0:52:53 > 0:52:59but that's how you get this lovely light crispness in the finished tempura.
0:53:08 > 0:53:10Oh, God!
0:53:13 > 0:53:17This is a really important part of the banquet to me.
0:53:17 > 0:53:22I love tempura and I just wanted to see it done perfectly.
0:53:22 > 0:53:24I had the idea of what to go in it.
0:53:24 > 0:53:29I wanted some Cornish lobster, some chanterelles, seasonal,
0:53:29 > 0:53:36but to me it's a bit like designing a house and then getting somebody to build it.
0:53:36 > 0:53:40The way they work, the last-minuteness of this tempura
0:53:40 > 0:53:44which is the only way to do it, is absolutely spectacular.
0:53:44 > 0:53:49The dipping sauce is really important for tempura.
0:53:49 > 0:53:55Before I embarked on this banquet and went to Japan, I thought it was just soy sauce
0:53:55 > 0:54:02and not that complex mixture of mirin, bonito and seaweed. It makes all the difference.
0:54:02 > 0:54:06This is a dish we learned from the Portuguese.
0:54:10 > 0:54:17Course number five is the chawan mushi with the crab meat topped off with a warm, delicate sauce
0:54:17 > 0:54:21made with dashi and just a touch of grated ginger.
0:54:21 > 0:54:25This whole banquet is a voyage of discovery for me.
0:54:25 > 0:54:31Nowhere, I think I'm right in saying, have we anything like this in our food -
0:54:31 > 0:54:34a savoury steamed egg custard.
0:54:34 > 0:54:40I had absolutely no idea that people were wolfing it down like no tomorrow!
0:54:42 > 0:54:48All my hopes are pinned on this course. It's the grilled porcini and sea bass.
0:54:48 > 0:54:52I've never tried grilling porcini this way,
0:54:52 > 0:54:57but I'm certain that the Ambassador is a stickler for seasonality
0:54:57 > 0:55:00and porcini it's got to be.
0:55:00 > 0:55:05I'm happy with this. The mistake is because this is the star dish,
0:55:05 > 0:55:09the sea bass, it's a mistake to give him too much.
0:55:09 > 0:55:14That's why we've only got one small piece, one piece of cep,
0:55:14 > 0:55:20and a little bit of garnish there. People will really appreciate that.
0:55:23 > 0:55:29The Ambassador's guests include diplomats, bankers, journalists,
0:55:29 > 0:55:35some old hotelier friends of mine from Cornwall, all people who know a lot about cooking.
0:55:35 > 0:55:40It occurred to me that food is one of the Ambassador's greatest tools
0:55:40 > 0:55:47in creating friendships all over the world, but I suspect Mr Nogami knows that already.
0:55:53 > 0:55:57Now for this all-important miso soup.
0:55:57 > 0:56:03This has been flavoured with lobster and seaweed and it has tofu added to it at the last minute.
0:56:03 > 0:56:08This is traditionally served with pickles and steamed rice.
0:56:08 > 0:56:10It signifies the end of a meal
0:56:10 > 0:56:17and if a Japanese waiter says to you, "Can I serve the rice now?" you know it's the end of the meal,
0:56:17 > 0:56:22but on this occasion we've still got dessert to come.
0:56:24 > 0:56:28For us cooks, we can start to relax now.
0:56:28 > 0:56:35We still don't know how it's gone down, but there's an air of buoyancy about the place
0:56:35 > 0:56:41and there's not much to dislike about the autumn fruits, so I'd say we're home and dry
0:56:41 > 0:56:46and I think the pudding wine will go really well with the fruit.
0:56:53 > 0:56:55APPLAUSE
0:56:58 > 0:57:00CHEERING
0:57:03 > 0:57:08- It was down to these boys, I have to say.- It was wonderful.
0:57:08 > 0:57:10- Thank you very much.- Amazing!
0:57:10 > 0:57:13Wonderful, wonderful.
0:57:13 > 0:57:16- Rick, please...- Oh, thank you.
0:57:21 > 0:57:24- Great.- Great.
0:57:24 > 0:57:27You know how to...how to put it?
0:57:27 > 0:57:30You've done it!
0:57:30 > 0:57:36- Oh, good.- You've done it. - My God, we've done it! - My God, you've done it!
0:57:36 > 0:57:42- They're terribly good, your chefs. I would not have...- Would you give them a job in Padstow?
0:57:42 > 0:57:45Oh, tomorrow, yesterday!
0:57:46 > 0:57:49No, don't do that!
0:57:49 > 0:57:53No, no, no. It's only a joke. It's only a joke!
0:57:53 > 0:57:55We loved it.
0:57:55 > 0:57:59I've loved doing it. It's been such a pleasure.
0:57:59 > 0:58:04It was a bit nerve-wracking, I was a bit on edge this morning,
0:58:04 > 0:58:09but as I realised how good they were and in what safe hands I was,
0:58:09 > 0:58:16I've learnt so much today that it's been a fantastic experience for me and thank you very much.
0:58:16 > 0:58:21- Thank you very much. It was excellent. Let's...- Cheers.
0:58:21 > 0:58:24Oh, good, we've got some... Well...
0:58:24 > 0:58:27- Kampai.- Kampai.
0:58:49 > 0:58:53Subtitles by Subtext for Red Bee Media Ltd 2006
0:58:53 > 0:58:57Email us at subtitling@bbc.co.uk