Keihanna Plaza Hotel

The chef here is a culinary master who never sways from his devotion to his craft. His daughters lend their strengths to his efforts, providing gracious service as a family. Bringing the true flavours of ingredients to the fore is the restaurant’s forte. Simple dishes such as boiled vegetables topped with bonito-flavoured soy sauce and vegetables reflect the family’s sincere devotion, embodying the chef’s adage that ‘cuisine reveals the person’. Heartfelt fare that is a true testament of the chef’s nature.

This house, surrounded by bamboo, welcomes only one party per day. The refined gate, elegant room and tasteful garden are all the work of the proprietor. Devotion is paid to every aspect of cuisine and service in the spirit that each meal is a once-in-a-lifetime encounter. Meals incorporate seasonal flavours from across Japan. To convey the proprietor’s feelings for the food directly, ingredients are brought to the table and sometimes even prepared before guests’ eyes. Western ingredients are also used, charming diners with creativity beyond Japanese cuisine.

The white-walled house in Nara’s Ayameikeminami district catches the eye. Inside, the colour scheme of chalk-white walls continues, enfolding diners in a clean, refreshing ambience. Lunch is limited to a simple prix fixe, with beef steak a standard offering. In the evening, the lavish à la carte menu is recommended. The menu takes a bistro approach, featuring dishes such as confit of duck leg and cassoulet de Toulouse. One plate holds enough for two, because sharing is fun.

Pursuing ‘Japanese food for all five senses’, the chef makes fish and rice the pillars of his menu. To ensure guests can fully experience the cooking process, kitchen staff and diners face each other over a counter. Smoky aroma wafts from fish on the charcoal grill; steam billows from the rice pot. The rice dish ending the meal is Nara’s Hinohikari, freshly cooked and presented in bowls made by the chef himself. A chance to give thanks for the blessings of Yamato and to enjoy them with all five senses.

The restaurant’s name combines the owner-chef’s surname with ‘wa’ (harmony), expressing both his reverence for Japanese cuisine and his wish for guests to relax over the meal. His culinary techniques and spirit of hospitality were honed in a ryotei. Flowers are personally arranged and seasonal tableware selected to welcome guests. The cuisine is kaiseki, visually refined. Sashimi is presented in a bowl of ice, while the hassun is variously arranged with cherry blossoms in spring or seasonal leaves in autumn, evoking the changing seasons.

‘Nikon’, meaning ‘live to the full in this moment’, was the principle advocated by Zen master Dogen Zenji (1200–1253). Every day in his kitchen the chef displays the sincere devotion to Japanese cuisine he has had ever since he began at the bottom of the ladder. He focuses above all on the right timing for handling his ingredients: when to prep, when to slice, and so on. Serving at just the right temperature is vital as well. This craftsman’s spirit of applying every ounce of effort in the present moment is reflected in the name of the restaurant.

‘Akordu’ is Basque for ‘memories’. Chef Hiroshi Kawashima invokes memories from his ingredients, encapsulating messages in his cooking. Each course in the prix fixe meal comes with a card; menu names are akin to story titles. Kawashima interprets the history and cultural topography of Nara through a modern Spanish sensibility cultivated in Basque country. Cuisine bursting with creativity, beautifully prepared and arranged.