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Link: http://nymag.com/restaurants/openings/55483/

I normally breeze past the 'Food/Openings' section of NY mag, but somehow this week I looked, and the words 'Japanese' and 'vegetarian' caught my eye. Woah... what was that? "In the Shojin, or Japanese vegetarian kaiseki tradition, devised centuries ago by Buddhist monks..." By this point I had stopped reading and was running around in circles looking for my phone.

I immediately made a booking for the missus and I, and a couple of friends. Friend #1 is Japanese, from Kyoto, and if you've ever been to Kyoto, you'll know the best food on the planet is to be found here. Delectable, refined, pure and infused with artisanship. Friend #2 is a reject from a torturous vegetarian upbringing. When I've dragged him to vegetarian restaurants before, he will stand in the doorway smelling the air, seeking out the 'health food odor' he so detests (yes you know the one) deciding whether or not he dare venture further. Two greater critics could not have been chosen to attend the opening of this new fine dining establishment!

The restaurant is beautifully decorated in minimal Japanese style, with heavyset tables and a counter made from solid blocks of zelkova wood, offering a gentle, soothing fragrance. The walls are treated with what seems to be a combination of sands, clays and other organic matters, apparently changing in color as it matures. The staff were calm, friendly and courteous. Already the stresses of my week had been politely asked to wait outside.

The menu offers two set courses, and reading through it only serves to tantalize you as to what is yet to come. Naturally a selection of fine sakes and wines offers accompaniment for your meal.

The meal itself? A taste sensation. No, in fact, it was the full sensory journey that only the Japanese can execute so flawlessly. The fragrances and smells invite you towards each bite, delicate, complex and intriguing. The presentation, exquisite. Each course a display of pure craftsmanship, expertly packaged and assembled to guide you through the meal at a pace guaranteed to maximize your enjoyment. The textures all expertly combined with the flavors to produce a seemingly limitless palette of tastes in this masterpiece. The only time I have eaten this well was in a particularly expensive Kyoto ryokan. This is the real deal!

I was in vegan heaven the whole time. Emitting uncontrollable 'mm-mm's as my eyes rolled about in ecstasy. All of us, shaking our heads not quite able to believe what our tongues were telling us. By the time I got to the roasted artichoke with grated apple and celery root in the third course I was purring like a cat. The zaru soba (made fresh in house daily) was unadulterated joy. And as I bit into the most sublime piece of tempura cauliflower in the fifth course, I shed a tear - I kid you not. Particular interest points in the menu include the grilled nama-fu, yuba in wasabi soy, burdock root and miso paste grilled onto a cedar paddle. Joy, total and complete.

The service was superb, polite and informative. Attentive yet non-invasive, and most importantly, no clearling of plates until all guests were done - an annoyingly rude trait all too common in New York restaurants and over-eager busboys. An overall refined dining experience.

Candle 79, Hangawi and Blossom are now accompanied by a new high-end vegan eatery in New York city. Kajitsu has raised the bar to a new high, again showing that vegan food is far from bland. Critics #1 and #2 enjoyed it beyond measure. I'm glad. I plan to go often.

Kajitsu - 414 E9th St (near 1st Ave) 212 228 4873