Java That Jiggles

My Japanese friend Kazoo is a globe-trotting photographer who, for the past 20 years, has been my Asian restaurant connection, tipping me off to some wonderful places to feast on noodles and sushi. It was through him that I discovered Ishi’s Grill, a hole in the wall on Beverly Boulevard back in the ‘80s.

“Had the trout at Ishi’s Grill yet? It’s great.” That was all Kazoo needed to say before I was off checking for myself. As usual, he was right. The poached trout fairly swam on the plate over an abstract arrangement of carrots, lemons and peas. Everything chef Masayuki “Ishi” Ishikawa turned out inspired awe. He was a one-man culinary Cirque du Soleil whose modest establishment became L.A.’s Franco-Japanese restaurant of the moment. (Ishi dropped out of the business after five years, then resurfaced in 1990 to open Sawtelle Kitchen in West Los Angeles, where he now occasionally helps former partner Kenji Minamida.)

After hearing me rave about Ishi’s Grill, my friend Kazoo shared another secret. “You should go back and try the coffee jelly. It’s good there.” I did. In its glass dish, the amber-colored gelatin looks more like a child’s science project gone awry than a fabulous dessert. I wasn’t impressed. Then I dug in. A heavenly coffee aroma filled the air and the sweet cream topping flooded the bowl. I was hooked.

For any skeptics out there, there are many reasons to give coffee jelly a try. As desserts go, it’s no great beauty, but it has plenty of cool shine and potent flavor. It consists of only four ingredients--coffee, water, sugar and gelatin--and requires no cooking, so it must be on the Top 10 list of no-brainer recipes. It can be served as is or dressed up in a demitasse with whipped cream. Oh, and you can keep it in the fridge practically forever (or as long as you can keep Jell-O) as an emergency last course for company.

According to Kazoo, chilled coffee jelly has been popular in Japanese coffeehouses since the ‘50s, especially during summer. On its own, it’s low-fat and low-cal, he adds, so models love it. Typically made in Japan with strong French-style brewed coffee, the dessert was modified by Ishi for the American palate. He favored a house blend of Hawaiian Kona, Jamaican Blue Mountain and Mocha coffees and used mineral water instead of plain tap because that’s what he used in Japan.

You can get coffee jelly at Japanese restaurants such as Sawtelle Kitchen, bakeries and grocery stores. But if you’d like to make the dessert yourself, Ishi offers some tips. Be careful not to boil the coffee too long because it will lose some flavor. And though Ishi doesn’t employ instant coffee in his jelly, he suggests using it if you want yours to be clear. Instant coffee has been processed to remove substances that naturally cloud the drink.

Simple syrup can be prepared at home by simmering one part water to three parts sugar or purchased at any gourmet food store. And last but not least, you can forgo the sugar or simple syrup altogether and garnish the dessert with sweetened condensed milk, whipped cream, ice cream or half-and-half.

Coffee jelly may be the ultimate fusion dessert--Juan Valdez meets Bill Cosby at Benihana.

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COFFEE JELLY

Makes 4 (1/2-cup) servings

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1-1 1/2 packets unflavored gelatin

2 tablespoons warm water

2 cups strong freshly brewed coffee

3-4 tablespoons (or to taste) sugar or simple syrup

Sweetened condensed milk, whipped cream, ice cream or half-and-half

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Soften gelatin in 2 tablespoons warm water in bowl. Add hot coffee, stirring until gelatin dissolves. Add sugar, stirring until dissolved. Pour 1/2 cup of mixture into each of 4 dessert glasses. Refrigerate until set. Serve topped with sweetened condensed milk, whipped cream, ice cream or half-and-half.

Variation using instant coffee: Follow recipe, but stir 3 to 4 teaspoons instant coffee into 2 cups hot water and substitute for brewed coffee.

Variation for cappuccino jelly: Follow recipe, then cool mixture slightly and stir in 1/4 cup to 1/2 cup milk, cream or half-and-half. Serve topped with whipped cream and sprinkled with cinnamon.

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Food stylist: Christine Anthony-Masterson