A garden of flavors “Ed ible f lower s make for bold and excit ing presentations,” Lee said. “Not only that, they contribute great f lavor” to the restaurant’s sushi and California- inf luenced Japanese dishes. Micro Marigold blooms, for example, impart bright, citrusy notes to the eatery’s award-winning Sushi Muffin, a seafood creation one Yelp reviewer called “a big bite of amazing f lavor.” Micro Orchid, instead, tastes like cucumber and often adorns sushi rolls, whereas lavender f lowers are intensely aromatic and f lavorful, Lee said. Bright sprays of amaranth blossom enliven the Spicy Tuna Canape. And an array of microgreens—the young, nutrient-rich seedlings of vegetables and herbs—complete the f loral look while packing in flavor. A generous portion of Micro Cilantro, for example, is served atop the steamed bao bun and soy-braised pork belly of the Piggy Bao. “The whole sensory experience begins with the presentation and ends, hopefully, with fulfilment of the promise that what looks good wi l l indeed be delicious,” Lee said. For these essential components in creating edible masterpieces, Lee doesn’t have to look far. The nation’s leading producer of edible f lowers and microgreens, Fresh Origins, is located a few miles away.
David Sasuga, above, who grows a wide variety of edible flowers at his farm, Fresh Origins, picks a basil blossom. Employee Juan Vazquez Merion, below, harvests squash blossoms. Alma Montalbo, right, packs nasturtium flowers.
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September/October 2021
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