THE SENSE

A ‘sugidama’, a traditional ball made from sprigs of Japanese cedar, hangs from the eaves of a house with a unique green décor. The restaurant is the creation of Milan-based Yoji Tokuyoshi and the concept is ‘Italian food with Japanese ingredients’. To draw out the delicious flavour of ingredients in season, preparations are kept simple. A menu focused on à la carte selections encourages guests to enjoy freely. The richly seasonal menu offers something new to discover on every visit.

Hideki Ishikawa’s guiding principle is ‘mui-shizen’: serve cuisine that is true to nature, free from artifice. Flavours are light, respecting each ingredient. Simplicity makes presentations all the more impressive, with consideration for harmony among flavours. Niigata rice is cooked fresh and served in earthen bowls, imparting the taste of the chef’s homeland. Kitchen and service staff work together with the practised solidarity of a well-rehearsed team.

Experimentation with new flavours blows winds of innovation into Japanese cuisine. The chef’s purview extends to Western ingredients such as truffle and caviar. Reverence for dashi, however, keeps his dishes within the bounds of Japanese cuisine. The chef treads a unique path, weaving creativity and Western flamboyance into Japanese fare. The counter seats are always fully booked but, with luck, a cancellation might make the private dining room available.

Chef Guillaume Bracaval expresses the Japanese landscape in his cuisine. Travelling across the country to familiarise himself with ingredients, he experienced its abundant nature first-hand. The map of Japan indicating where all his ingredients come from traces his journey. Wanting to create delicate and healthy dishes, he limits his use of butter and cream. Desserts inspired by contemporary art are highly original. Perched on the hotel’s top floor, the dining room affords stunning views of the city below.

‘Circular gastronomy’ from the chef of Mirazur in southern France. Prix fixe menus are composed from four themes—roots, leaves, flowers and fruits—expressing the beauty of nature and the cycle that happens in our world. The fare is modern French woven from Japanese ingredients, but it also beguiles with influences from the chef’s native Argentina, such as tapas and asado. Having stretched out his roots in southern France and budded leaves of creativity, the chef has blossomed in Otemachi.

Novel ideas meet time-honoured craftsmanship. The signature snack is cream croquette of tiger prawn, dressed in a reduction of shrimp miso. Deep-fried items are also offered, bringing a satisfaction rarely found at sushi shops. For its part, the sushi is prepared traditionally: brined, marinated or simmered. In part because of his language skills, the chef was tapped to cater a dinner meeting between the Japanese and American leaders.

Amid the refinement of a dignified tea arbour, the chef cooks with sincere devotion. His attentiveness derives from his early work at a ryotei, where he was a doorman in charge of footwear. Tanimoto’s forte is charcoal grilling, preparing each ingredient with the strictest attention. The meal ends with a generous lineup of various rice dishes including, white rice, takikomi-gohan and chazuke, followed by tea poured by the chef himself. The spirit of graceful service brings satisfaction to the depths of the soul.