Polite to Stranger
Cultural · Dining
会席料理は、先付から始まり水菓子まで、ゆっくりとお出しいたします。 — Kaiseki cuisine begins with sakizuke and ends with mizugashi, served at a leisurely pace. (Cultural · Dining, Polite to Stranger, JLPT N3)
You
会席料理は、先付から始まり水菓子まで、ゆっくりとお出しいたします。
かいせきりょうりは、さきづけからはじまりみずがしまで、ゆっくりとおだしいたします。
Kaiseki cuisine begins with sakizuke and ends with mizugashi, served at a leisurely pace.
Romaji: Kaiseki-ryouri wa, sakizuke kara hajimari mizugashi made, yukkuri to odashi itashimasu. / Reply Romaji: Tanoshimi de gozaimasu. Yoroshiku onegai itashimasu.
Reply
楽しみでございます。よろしくお願いいたします。
たのしみでございます。よろしくおねがいいたします。
I look forward to it. Thank you in advance.
Gesture & etiquette
Said by the female server (仲居さん, nakai-san) upon seating guests. She kneels in seiza beside the table, hands folded on lap, eyes lowered. Customers acknowledge with a small bow and proceed leisurely. Never rush the courses—the pace is part of the experience.
Typical kaiseki course flow: 先付 (amuse-bouche) → 椀物 (clear soup) → 向付 (sashimi) → 焼物 (grilled) → 煮物 (simmered) → 揚物 (fried) → 蒸し物/酢の物 → 御飯/留椀/香の物 → 水菓子 (seasonal fruit). 10 courses over 2 hours is standard for formal ryotei. Each dish reflects season and the chef's choices.