COTO Tokyo Shibuya 3

A trattoria where à la carte dining is encouraged with a comprehensive menu of regional cuisines. Pici served with tomato ragú laden with garlic and vegetable sformato are all flavours learned in the Italian countryside. A marble bar counter and Tuscan-style stone walls create a stylish space inspired by interiors in Tuscany. Steps from Shoin Shrine, this is Italian food culture with deep roots in daily life.

‘Muku’ means ‘immaculate; innocent; pure’. The keynote white of the interior and the focus on the inherent flavours of ingredients are hallmarks of Tatsuki Mishima’s approach. In his native Shimane Prefecture, the chef worked at a fishmonger’s to learn about fish. He now gets his crab, abalone and rosy sea perch from that very shop, deepening relations between the two. Takikomi-gohan (rice dish seasoned with soy sauce and boiled with various ingredients) is followed by somen noodles or curry to fine-tune the palate. Tradition preserved, but with a playful spirit.

Creative dining focused on affinity with sake. Appetisers are served as a combination platter, the better to keep the libations flowing. Tsukuri feature ingenious arrangements of condiments. Uniquely, meat dishes are an indispensable part. Each dish is generous, making every morsel an unforgettable memory. The collection of sake and shochu, amassed on visits to breweries, is impressive; as the shop specialises in local tipples, the wine and whisky selection is also strictly Japanese.

Tempura at its most colourful, drawing from various disciplines in Japanese cuisine. Tempura shrimp is wrapped in nori; bamboo shoots are boiled, then deep-fried. Other ideas are borrowed from kaiseki tradition. Wagyu tempura and ‘Tenbara’, seasoned rice topped with mixed vegetables and seafood tempura, are distinctive offerings. Familiar items such as sillago and conger eel are woven into the mix, varying tone and pace. To ensure lightness of flavour, a blend of sesame oil and rice oil is favoured. Fertile imagination and Japanese elements fuse in this unique tempura approach.

The chef’s parents ran a tempura shop, so he followed in their culinary footsteps. After learning the techniques from his father, he enhanced his wares with elements from other Japanese traditions to evoke colours and seasons that tempura can’t express on its own. ‘Ten-Masa Kaiseki’, as the chef calls his menu, strikes a balance between tempura and kaiseki. Dishes are served in the style of appetizers, soup, or sashimi, while tempura is prepared and served one piece at a time. In an elegant touch, haiku penned by the chef adorn the menu.

Ensui means ‘flame and water’, celebrating the two starting points of Japanese cuisine: charcoal flame and water for soup stock. The pride of the house is its stew. Using water brought all the way from Kagoshima, dashi stock is drawn from aged kombu and high-grade bonito flakes. The soup ingredients are suffused with the aroma of charcoal, completing the theme. With the practiced hands of a craftsman, the chef weaves the soup ingredients and the soup broth into a harmonious whole. A natural curiosity drives him to scour producing regions for the best ingredients. A personal journey expressed t

The names of producers the chef deals with are listed on the menu. He visits his suppliers, building bonds of trust with farmers and fishermen. The chef brings each dish fresh from kitchen to table and describes it with enthusiasm, building a bridge linking food, guests and restaurant. Prix fixe meals are modern in preparation while classic in concept. A unique touch is that different breads are paired with different dishes, pursuing unity of flavour between the two.