东京滨松町湾酒店

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.

‘L’Osier’ means ‘The Willow’. The name comes from the willow trees that once symbolised Ginza and is a nod to the shop’s founding location. When the doors open, guests are greeted by a glass artwork depicting a willow tree. Half a century has passed since the restaurant opened, but it has never stopped innovating. Chef Olivier Chaignon cultivates relationships with producers around the country, creating French cuisine at the cutting edge of the era.

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.

A detached, glass-walled house stands across from a park; ascend the stairs adjacent to the kitchen and you reach a dining room with a Scandinavian interior. The prix fixe menu begins with tea in season. The restaurant’s name refers to ‘friends who will drink tea together always’, referring to the circle of guests, staff and food producers. The chef’s aim is to serve food that is simple yet original. Both service and kitchen staff bring the food to your table.

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 long table bears a close resemblance to the dining tables of European nobility. Dinner is served table d’hôte: guests gather around a single large table, sharing the joy of good food and conversation. Reading the mood of the era, Chef Hiroyasu Kawate serves up delicious food and eco-consciousness, actively incorporating plant-based ingredients. The choice of vegetarian dishes as main meals is a new twist. Whether vegetarian or vegan, the fare blazes a fresh trail in vegetable cuisine.

The chef’s path was inspired by the meticulous craftsmanship of sushi masters. Hearkening back to Edo-period food culture, he strives for orthodoxy, committed to generously sized nigiri with thick-sliced toppings. Simmered clam and anago are finished with a rich nitsume sauce. A former interior contractor, the chef designed the restaurant himself. Traditional elements such as the tsukedai, wooden trays used for serving sushi, and handwritten fish names on the wall evoke a sense of nostalgia.