Chiyono

I'd been meeting to visit this Japanese home-cooking spot for ages, but I kept forgetting the address. For some reason, it never registered with me that the restaurant was right by the prominent Mara's Homemade. Tonight, I walked by Mara's Arkansas barbeque ad and right into lovely little Chiyono.

A large vase of cherry blossoms decorated the long communal wooden table. (Chiyono pays special attention to the seasons; fried oysters are only available in winter, and fried eggplant in summer.) Since I had arrived between the hours of 5 and 6 p.m., the omakase (special multi-course meal) was still available. But at Chiyono, the omakase is not a special plate of sushi and sashimi; it is a dinner set of three appetizers, burdock soup, a choice of yuzu miso salmon or a fried sardine croquette, special rice, and dessert of the day. Since I have quite a large appetite, I ordered this special meal.

The set of three vegetable appetizers included a julienne of carrots and burdock in hot sesame oil, two chunks of Japanese eggplant, and a wonderful rendition of hijiki edamame salad, neither too sweet nor too vinegary. A well-peppered potato-burdock soup arrived afterwards.

Then, a plate of two large, miso-glazed, citrus-spiked salmon steaks arrived with a side of Japanese potato salad. Interestingly, the salad included golden raisins among the usual onions and cucumbers. I was also served a bowl of seasoned white rice; dried plums provided a smoky saltiness, and there were also sesame seeds and slivers of licorice-like shiso. I was amazed that the slightest sprinkling of these ingredients made the rice so flavorful.

The special dessert celebrated spring. Small preserved cherry blossoms had been baked into the green mugwort "chiffon" pound cake. A subtle sesame pudding, a spoonful of sweet azuki beans, a dollop of whipped cream and some sliced strawberries and apples completed the sweet. I also enjoyed the accompanying cup of roasted rice tea.

Towards the end of the meal, Chiyono herself came over to my table and talked about the special ingredients she cooks with. I was delighted to have made such a charming acquaintance and will certainly be back soon.

Chiyono: 328 East 6th St., (212) 673-3984.