You Have 3 More Days to Taste This Food!

The Iconic Japanese Brand Everyone’s Been Talking About

If you’re from Japan, you’ve probably heard of Kayanoya, or at least seen its iconic bag — a dark blue one with a giant circle on it. The brand’s signature dashi is a high-quality staple in many Japanese households, and this past Monday evening, it made quite a splash in Midtown.

Taking place at Raku Midtown, it was an evening celebrating all things dashi — a five-course meal showcasing Kayanoya’s famous soup base, with each course created by a different Japanese chef in NYC.

Over the past month, I’ve had the privilege of visiting all five restaurants to photograph the chefs and their special limited-time menu items featuring Kayanoya’s dashi.

RICE & MISO

Mika Hatsushima’s chicken and corn rice balls are not only a hit with her daughter, but with restaurant-goers as well! She mentioned that she’s been a longtime Kayanoya user — when she first moved to New York years ago, her mom would ship her Kayanoya from Japan so she could have a small taste of home. Now, the story’s come full circle!

Chef Mika’s Daikon & Abura Age Miso Soup is some of the most flavorful miso I’ve ever had — incredibly comforting and nostalgic, perfect as we enter the colder months. Stop by Rice & Miso for some of the richest miso soup made with Kayanoya Original Dashi and Vegetable Stock Powders.

TAKU SANDO

If you haven’t yet been blessed with the amazing housemade shokupan that Chef Hisa’s been baking in Greenpoint, you’re truly missing out. Their bread is some of the fluffiest around, and through this Kayanoya collaboration, they’re serving up equally fluffy Tamagoyaki Sandos made with Kayanoya Original Dashi Stock Powder and Black Pepper Sea Salt. This might truly be the closest thing to biting into a cloud. The height and texture that Taku Sando achieves with the multiple folds in the tamago are seriously impressive.

BESSOU

The one smell that left the strongest impression last Monday night was the unmistakable aroma of Bessou’s Curry Karaage wafting through the air. I’m not a reliable source when it comes to curry — I’m totally biased toward all things curry — and when it’s paired with fried chicken? Game over.

Bessou’s famous double-fried chicken was dusted with Kayanoya’s Vegetable Dashi Curry Kit and paired with a refreshing cilantro chutney dipping sauce.

RAKU

We ended the evening with a Matsutake Hamaguri Udon made by our host for the night, Raku. Honestly, it was the perfect finale — a calming, clear broth where you could taste the freshness of the clams and the deep umami from the mushrooms.

On top of that, Raku’s ever–al dente (or as the Taiwanese part of me would say, QQ!) udon made for a delectable finish to the meal.

KATO SAKE WORKS

Perhaps the most intriguing and inventive take on dashi came from Delaney Benstead at Kato Sake Works. For the final course, we were served a savory cocktail made with Kato Sake Works’ Junmai sake, infused with Kayanoya Vegetable and Mushroom Stock Powders, topped with a boozy foam, and dusted with chocolate, toasted sesame, and dashi powders.

It had a playful balance of sweet and savory — a fun interplay of richness from the darker, nuttier flavors of both the chocolate and the dashi.

All of these items are only available in stores for three more days before the collaboration ends — so hurry down to try these amazing creations and stock up on this stock as we head into soup season!

*All photography by Calvin Hu