Somerset Ginza East Tokyo - Vacation STAY 12955

Shinji Kanesaka’s watchword is iki, a word spanning a wonderful variety of meanings. Depending on the character it’s written with, it can mean ‘living’, ‘fresh’ or ‘stylish’. Steady, daily accumulation of learning shows in the way the craftsman lives his life. The leadership by which he cultivates his young staff is outstanding. Kanesaka orients his team toward a common goal, burnishing their character, with each team member playing an appointed role. He sharpens his skills and those of his team, knowing that all their training culminates in that single moment – a piece of sushi.

Sometimes our connections intervene to change our lives. Harutaka Takahashi’s mischievous youth in Asahikawa took a turn for the better when, through a tempura master who was a close friend of his potter uncle, he landed a job at Sukiyabashi Jiro. Like Ravel’s Bolero, sushi here is presented with a particular rhythm, building toward a crescendo of sweetness, sourness and temperature in harmony. Destiny is in the taste and texture of every piece of sushi at Harutaka.

A theatre-style open kitchen is centred around a wood-fired oven. Blazing flames flicker as the aroma of burning wood fills the room. All items on the prix fixe menu, from appetiser to dessert, are cooked over this wood fire. Seasonal ingredients from across Japan are prepared through grilling, steaming and smoking. A touch of smokiness and fragrant sauces lend each dish its distinctive character.

The menu card is designed like vocabulary flip cards, inviting guests to flip through the pages with growing anticipation. The enoki mushroom sausage was born from an encounter with a passionate producer, while the consommé, made from spent hens, embodies a deep respect for ingredients. The restaurant’s name means ‘Three Faces’, reflecting the interconnected roles of producers, guests, and staff. Their shared story unfolds through each course.

Katsuhiro Onodera unearths exquisite flavours by combining the barest minimum of ingredients. The starting point for his creativity is his Tohoku hometown of Kesennuma, where he grew up surrounded by mountains on one side and ocean on the other. Turban shell and bamboo shoot soup, served in seashells, is a homegrown greeting to welcome the spring. Crab baked in the shell and hot pots are somehow hearty and delicate at the same time. The dishes engage all five senses, leaving lasting memories of what you ate.

The chef learned his tempura skills at Rakutei, a now-closed Akasaka restaurant. Oil is replaced frequently, paying careful attention to its temperature, the humidity and the nature of the ingredients used. The chef recalls how the series of movements by which tempura pieces are coated in batter and deep-fried was seared into his memory as he watched his mentor, a true craftsman, at work. The flow of the meal is distinctly old-school Tokyo, yet the chef knows how to make his tempura unique with a few novelties, such as mochi rice cake with dried mullet roe.

Fumio Kondo breathes new life into classic Edo tempura by incorporating vegetables. He popularized the idea that tempura is, in essence, a form of steaming. Working backward from the frying time, he prepares ingredients just before frying to preserve freshness and vibrancy. As the coated tempura pieces steam in their own moisture, flavours of coating and tempura piece merge into one. Kondo’s quiet, unwavering focus as he tends to the pot speaks to the pride he takes in his craft.