IKIDANE Residential Hotel Komagome

The chef studied the art of kaiseki multi-course meals. In addition to omakase set meals, he serves prix fixe meals to which à la carte items can be added, so diners can enjoy Japanese cuisine as they please. Sashimi is accompanied by a dipping sauce of malted rice and fish sauce; mixed platters of drinking snacks include grilled and fried items prepared with care. The shop name is inspired by grammatical particles used to form sentences in Japanese. Cuisine, people, drinks and interior blend agreeably together, so relax and let time flow by.

‘Nakiryu’ means ‘roaring dragon’. The name is rich with meaning: it’s a reference to the dragon of Yakushido Hall in the Nikko Toshogu Shrine, to hopes for business growth, and to the couple who craft bowls of ramen together in perfect sync, both born in the Year of the Dragon. Dandan noodles create a synergy of flavours—layering meat miso, Chinese sesame paste, and chilli oil for a deep, amplified umami. Soy-sauce ramen owes its elegant flavour to its soup, drawn from whole chicken and oysters. À la carte items such as steamed chicken with spicy sauce and shrimp wontons exemplify experience w

From the north, butter chicken; from the west, pork vindaloo; shrimp curry from the south – such a lineup of flavours from every region of India adds breadth to the joy that is Indian cooking. Tandoori chicken and vegetables are cooked using the radiant heat of a tandoor. For spices, the basic triad is cumin, coriander and turmeric. To keep the flavours of meats and vegetables at the fore, the number of spices is kept to a minimum.

The chef opened a small restaurant, Ma Poule to celebrate the appeal of Jura, in eastern France. This region, with its beautiful forests, valleys and wetlands and its wonderful ingredients and people, made a profound impression on the chef. Chicken and morels in sauce vin jaune is a Jura dish in which the chef takes great pride. This dish is paired with specially produced yellow wine. The façade and interior, and even proprietress’s clothing, are yellow as well. A restaurant filled with love of Jura.

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.

Rooted in the fundamentals of Japanese cuisine, the chef brings individuality to simple presentations. Ingredients arrive from his native Nagano. Sarashina soba from Matsumoto is paired with seasonal produce, while Koshihikari rice from northern Nagano is prepared as takikomi-gohan. The meal concludes with a tomewan, a closing soup, enriched with Shinshu miso. The restaurant’s name is the credo his mentor left him, to cook with ‘simple honesty’, an approach that shines through in every dish.