it s really good. today s sashimi course is cod, salted and pressed between leaves of kelp for two hours, coated with sake cured codfish roe. next to it, flounder. its skin gently rubbed with grilled tomato the day before. masa: [ speaking japanese ] anthony: finally, a super luxurious clam hot pot. rice is steamed with clam and a bonito broth. then topped with plump torigai, plum, and manju clams, as well as creamy sea urchin and a japanese broccolini blossom for good measure. simple. perfect. wow. anthony: uni? masa: uni. anthony: awesome. masa: oh the umami hold into the rice. right? anthony: right. so, i wanna know the stereotypical japanese mentality. the, the salaryman. you join the company, you stay with the company. masa: well, some people go that way. anthony: most people go this way, yes. they, they choose security. masa: yeah, yeah. maybe. anthony: it s an unusual way of thinking. i have to make my own way. masa: yeah, i agree with that. older broth
catherine: [ speaking japanese ] masa: very different food, right? this is the country food. [ laughter ] kanpai. welcome home! ishi: [ speaking japanese ] anthony: you don t get this in new york. masa: no. mm. [ speaking japanese ] anthony: this is really good. i see why you love this. catherine, by the way, is a pastry chef at the great restaurant, the french laundry, in the napa valley. so high level cooking seems to run in the family. anthony: you grew up sitting in the sushi bar. catherine: i did, yeah, sitting on a milk crate with a cheeseburger in front, and i d watch my dad prepping, and i d call out, dad! and he d be like, i m not your dad here! i was like [ gasps ]. anthony: oh, that s funny. what did you do for fun back there? catherine: i was eating. [ laughter ] anthony: well, your father was in the fish business. wholesale masa: fish business, yeah. no, no. retail. he d make sashimi, right? anthony: mm-hmm.
so good, huh? anthony: yeah. i feel healthier already. masa: yeah. where s the beer? cheers. anthony: it is suntory time my friend. it s time to relax. masa: beautiful color, huh? anthony: looking good. masa: right? anthony: get together with some friends and cook up some al fresco, mountain style sukiyaki, bitches. maybe a little tempura made from foraged wild asparagus and fukinoto. yep. masa: beautiful. anthony: and when it s sukiyaki time, after a whole lot of, shall we say, home brewed sake you just kick back, stir
masa: nice, beautiful, huh? anthony: beautiful. this is a hard thing to do. masa: oh yeah, yeah. anthony: a lot of masa: they need to learn a lot of stuff. thanks. anthony: play music, tell stories masa: dance. yaeko: [ speaking japanese ] masa: [ speaking japanese ] yaeko: that s ok. anthony: a lot of work. masa: a lot of work. cheers. anthony: so what brought you here first? masa: when i was young, i didn t know this kind of world color wise, artist, beautiful i ve never seen that kind of stuff. big kind, kind of shock. i was a country boy, here is very sophisticated. people are sophisticated. i learned from her culture, what the secret is, spiritual wise. they teach me, you know? that s why the kanzawa city, this is my second country.
masa: his is an artist, great artist. izakura: [ speaking japanese ] masa: gave me a lot of idea. izakura: [ speaking japanese ] masa: more than 40 years he s doing this kind of art. izakura: [ speaking japanese ] masa: i learned that simple, clean line. izakura: [ speaking japanese ] masa: then we became great friends. izakura: [ speaking japanese ] [ laughter ] masa: then i started designing, too. i have an image in my head, i start drawing. [ speaking japanese ] izakura: [ speaking japanese ] masa: then, i come all the way here to talk with mr. izakura. izakura: [ speaking japanese ] maza: [ speaking japanese ]