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1. In a mixing bowl, beat 4 eggs with 1/8 teaspoon of salt and a sprinkle of MSG until they are well combined. With a pastry brush or paper towel, lightly coat the bottom and sides of a heavy 10-to 12-inch skillet with 1 tablespoon of oil. Heat over moderate heat until a drop of water flicked onto the surface evaporates instantly.
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2. Pour about ¼ cup of the eggs into the pan, and tip it back and forth gently for a few seconds until the bottom is evenly covered and the eggs have coagulated into a thin film.
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3. Tilt the pan up over the heat, and with chopsticks or the side of a table fork, roll the omelet into a tight, thin cylinder. Then slide it on a paper towel to drain and make similar rolled omelets with the remaining eggs.
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4. One at a time, place the omelets on the edge of a bamboo mat or heavy cloth napkin and roll the omelet in the mat 2 or 3 turns. Squeeze the mat tightly around the omelet roll to firm it, then remove the mat and set the omelet roll aside to cool.
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5. In a 2-quart saucepan soak the shiitake in 4 cups of water for at least 1 hour. Then bring to a boil over moderate heat. Add ½ teaspoon of sugar and 1tablespoon of soy sauce, and boil 20 minutes uncovered, or until the liquid is a deep brown and has reduced to about 1/3 cup. Cool to room temperature.
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6. Drop the carrot shreds into 1 cup of boiling water and boil 2 to 3 minutes. Pour off the liquid and replace it with ¼ cup of the niban dashi. Add a pinch of salt and a sprinkle of MSG and cook another 2 to 3 minutes, stirring from time to time. Set aside.
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7. Drop the 6 shrimp into 1½ cups of boiling water, add 1 teaspoon of salt, and boil uncovered for 5 minutes. Drain and plunge into a bowl of cold water to cool them quickly.
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8. Shell the shrimp and, with a small, sharp knife, devein them by making a shallow incision down their backs and lifting out the black or white intestinal vein. Set the shrimp aside.
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9. Sprinkle the fleshy side of the fillets with ½ teaspoon of salt and dip them into the cornstarch to coat them lightly and evenly. Shake them to remove the excess cornstarch, and then drop them into 2 cups of boiling water.
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10. Boil 1 minute, and then add ½ cup of niban dashi and 1/8 teaspoon of salt. Cook another 3 to 4 minutes, remove the fish from the water with a slotted spoon, and set aside on a plate.
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11. Slice the rolled egg cylinders crosswise into rounds 2 inches long and place 3 pieces in the bottom of each soup bowl. Add 1 shrimp per bowl, 1 sliver of fish, 2 sprigs of spinach or watercress, ½ shiitake and a few strips of the carrot.
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12. Heat the 6 cups of sumashi to the simmering point. Fill each bowl three quarters full with the hot soup, pouring it carefully down the side of each bowl to avoid disturbing the decorative arrangement; garnish with a circle of lemon rind and serve at once.
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