Shun (旬)
Nurtured by Winter
A Celebration of Seasonal Strength and Tradition
Dates:
Friday 25th July
2025
Time:
6:30pm
(2 hours duration)
Price:
$130
($110 for in-house guest)
In Japan, winter is a season of quiet resilience — a time to gather warmth, to nurture the body from within, and to reconnect with foods that hold cultural memory.
This winter menu is inspired not only by seasonal ingredients, but also by Osechi Ryori (お節料理), the traditional New Year’s cuisine of Japan. While Osechi is usually served in early January, many of its ingredients — like root vegetables, fermented foods, and symbolic small bites — are naturally at their peak throughout the winter season.
Living in Australia, I’ve come to appreciate how Japanese winter ingredients become available here in the Southern Hemisphere as we embrace the quiet heart of winter. That’s why I’ve added small Osechi twists to this menu — to share a quiet sense of celebration, not of a calendar, but of what nature offers us now.
And in that same spirit of celebration, we are delighted to offer a sake pairing for the first time, carefully matched to this dinner. Like Osechi, sake has long been part of Japanese seasonal rituals — raising a glass is a way of marking joyful moments, honouring time, and sharing warmth with others.
I hope this dinner brings a sense of warmth, care, and gentle joy to your winter evening.
What is Osechi Ryori (お節料理)
Osechi Ryori is the traditional food enjoyed in Japan during the New Year — a beautifully arranged selection of symbolic dishes, each carrying wishes for health, happiness, and prosperity. Presented in special tiered lacquer boxes (jubako), each bite tells a story: black soybeans (kuromame) for strength and diligence, sweet vinegared vegetables for purity, lotus root for clarity and insight into the future.
Shun Winter Menu
1. Winter Appetiser Plate – Inspired by Osechi Ryori
A celebration of colour, flavour, and seasonal intention – 五味五法 in miniature
- Kohaku Namasu（紅白なます）
Sweet-sour marinated daikon and carrot, lightly perfumed with lemon. A refreshing palate awakener and symbol of purity and celebration.
- Sweet Simmered Black Beans on Pine Needle Skewer（黒豆松葉串）
A classic Osechi item, kuromame represents health, perseverance, and quiet strength — simmered until tender and subtly sweet.
- Steamed Winter Greens with Dashi Jelly（冬野菜のお浸し 出汁ジュレ）
Lightly steamed seasonal greens topped with delicate dashi jelly, offering bitter-savory depth and a burst of vibrant green. A gentle reminder of the life that endures even in winter.
- Sakekasu Miso-Cured Cream Cheese（酒粕味噌漬けクリームチーズ）
Creamy, tangy, and umami-rich — cured with sake lees and miso for three days. A modern fermentation twist, bridging east and west on the plate.
- Crispy Lotus Root Chips with Yuzu Shichimi Salt（蓮根チップス 柚子七味塩）
Thinly sliced lotus root, fried until golden and finished with citrusy yuzu and warming spice. Because lotus root has many holes, it symbolizes the ability to see into the future.
2. Black Sesame Tofu（黒胡麻豆腐）
Silky, earthy, and deeply nutty — this handmade tofu is crafted by making sesame milk from roasted black sesame and kuzu, then gently stirred for 30 minutes and set to create a smooth, custard-like texture. A beloved return for many guests.
3. Nasu Dengaku with Walnut Tama-Miso and Homemade Yuzu-Kosho
（茄子の田楽 胡桃玉味噌と自家製柚子胡椒）
Grilled eggplant glazed with a rich, house-made walnut miso, paired with a sharp and aromatic yuzu-kosho for contrast. A harmony of sweet, bitter, creamy, and citrus heat.
4. Wagyu Hachiman-maki with Jerusalem Artichoke, Carrots & Green Beans
（和牛の八幡巻き）
Root vegetables and greens wrapped in tender Wagyu and glazed in a soy-mirin sauce.
Comes with rice and seasonal soup.
A winter take on a classic celebratory dish, combining nourishment and visual beauty.
5. Sakekasu “Rum Raisin”（酒粕ラムレーズン）
A softly sweet finish — raisins soaked in sake lees, evoking the nostalgic flavour of rum raisin without using any rum.
Creamy, gently boozy, and warming, this dessert is a playful nod to Japanese fermentation and Western-style winter treats, all through the depth of sakekasu.
