Created by drinks pioneer Tony Conigliaro and the Drink Factory team, The Prairie Oyster evolved through the collision of three concepts, underpinned by Tony’s continued exploration of the umami flavour.  The team analysed the original Prairie Oyster where an egg yolk is drunk with a shot of tomato juice and spices; the classic oyster, which divides opinion due to the way it slides down the throat and tastes of the sea; and the Bloody Mary, a popular savoury recipe, ubiquitous with cocktail culture.

The Drink Factory’s Prairie Oyster combines the three concepts in one pioneering cocktail.  The serve recreates the experience of consuming an oyster.  Using a centrifuge, the team clarifies tomato juice and adds a natural yellow food dye to create a yolk-colour liquid.  Using a specific spherification process, an outer-casing for the tomato juice is created, resulting in an egg yolk replica.  The remaining ingredients for the Bloody Mary are added to the dish including a Horseradish Vodka, Oloroso Sherry, clarified celery juice, red wine vinegar, Worcestershire and homemade-pepper sauces.  The yolk is placed within this mix and garnished with micro-herbs and shallots to add texture whilst also reflecting the traditional oyster serve.  Before serving, the drink is topped with an Oyster Leaf providing a genuine oyster flavour.

It’s delicious and surprisingly refreshing. I wondered how an oyster leaf – a herb could taste of oysters – you have to try it to believe it.

It’s available between 5-8pm so get there early

More information on the vessel can be found here: http://cargocollective.com/reikokaneko

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The chef owner, Kobayashi san explained how he pairs the crockery and presentation with food and seasons. The photo books of previous years came out, explaining that he not only contemplates the four seasons, but sub-season themes and festivals also.

He lost 80% of his crockery in the Earthquake which was worth £100,000. But we got to see some of his skills in ‘kintsugi’ which is an art of filling in the chips and cracks with gold and lacquer. Beautiful.

An example of a dish that is inspired by the Karatsu ware, above. Our courses were monotone in colour as the cooking reflects the season and it was mid-winter so it figures. We’d had the first snow of the season that day so he chose a dish for a our sashimi dish (pictured below) which has specs of snow glazed into it.

The burned strawberries and ice cream in a lovely blue seiji dish which has been damaged but fixed by Kobayashi san. The combination of gold and pale blue is lovely enough but with the bright red strawberries, beautiful! (Japanese strawberry season is in winter.)

We thought this looked like a deep fried Christmas tree, but weren’t disappointed when we found out it was tempura shiso leaves stuffed with prawns.

A summer course where the food rested on plates that look like flowers of morning glory which rests on a wooden structure which they often climb up in Japan. Underneath is another plate of food which is hidden under the construction.

Thank you Kobayashi san, the chef and owner of the wonderful restauran,  Koto, in Koriyama for explaining your ceramics and even bringing the photo book out.

Photography by Toby Summerskill

Thank you Andrew an Mitsuko!