Chef Schilo | wasabi as Taiko ingredient of the year
The Asian restaurant Taiko of the Conservatorium hotel in Amsterdam has presented a new Taiko ingredient for the coming year: wasabi. Upcoming year the Japanese wasabi plant will cover a huge part of the menu.
Inspired by the Chinese new year, Taiko celebrates its birthday with a so called ‘Taiko New Year’. The tradition continues as chef Schilo picks a new product which will be added to most of the dishes on the menu next year. Last year the Taiko New Year ingredient was the Hida Wagyu meat.
Chef Schilo & wasabi
Chef Schilo’s love for wasabi comes from a memory of his youth, back then his father took him as a little boy to a Japanese delicacy shop. During his visit his father insisted to taste wasabi for the first time. ‘I choose to cook with wasabi the coming year to celebrate the versatility of the plant. Wasabi is a symbol for everything I admire about the Japanese kitchen; mystery, the beauty and the exotic colour. I want our guests to taste how delicious and versatile wasabi is.’
Wasabi as whole
Besides the root of the plant, Schilo will use the flower, stems and leaves as well. Traditionally wasabi is grated and served with sushi and sashimi, in restaurant Taiko the ingredient will show up in number of dishes, like panna cotta, sorbet, soup and yoghurt. In all dishes wasabi is processed.
From today on one can enjoy the new Taiko ingredient and become acquainted with the number of special dishes prepared with wasabi.
