L酒店与成长 南砂町

A genre-defying cuisine paired with tea-based cocktails. While rooted in French techniques, the chef seamlessly weaves in elements of Chinese and Japanese cuisine. The duck dish, for instance, is prepared by ladling hot oil over the skin, much like Peking duck. The tradition of serving tea and sweets after a meal, known as ochauke, reflects Japanese hospitality. Chef and mixologist work in harmony, refining the distinctive world of ‘wither and decay’ or ‘kokyu’.

The motto on the noren, ‘After having tempura, finish with soba’, declares the personality of Sonoji. The chef learned the arts of both soba and tempura when he ran a shop in his native Shizuoka. For tempura pieces, he focuses on the bounty of Shizuoka’s Suruga Bay and traditional Edo seafood. Vegetables shipped directly from farmers accentuate each season. The soba served at the end of the meal is topped with kakiage of sakura shrimp, ‘the jewel of Suruga Bay’. The unique menu reflects each stage on the chef’s gastronomic journey.

The theme is fusions of Japanese and Chinese influences. Soy sauce, which determines the flavour, is infused with kelp, dried bonito flakes and dried shiitake mushrooms. Mouth-watering chicken, seasoned with this soy sauce and black vinegar, is served with seasonal vegetables for a creative twist. The leftover sauce can be used to accent the flavours of gyoza and shumai. In summer, the signature dish is unagi stir-fried with chilli peppers. Another great point is how you can tell the chef what you like, and he will improvise a dish for you.

The chef loves the culture of soba-mae, which refers to enjoying sake and snacks before the soba arrives. A full range of drinking snacks are available to tempt you, including baked devil’s tongue coated with miso, and simmered beef sinew. Tempura varies with the seasons, ranging from shrimp and conger eel to edible wild plants, young sweetfish, mushroom and oyster. Soba is 100% buckwheat noodles, cut thin. Dipping sauces are varied as well, including sesame, grated yam and curry. Meoto, meaning ‘married couple’ is a popular dish combining soba with udon.

An old-school soba shop founded by a Katsushika-born chef. With ‘good food requires good ingredients’ as his credo, he scours Japan end-to-end to find the highest-quality buckwheat, vegetables and seafood. Among his à la carte offerings, he takes pride in temptations such as conger eel, either fried as tempura or simmered. Juwari soba, handmade from raw buckwheat flour, is fine and silky smooth. Everything here, from the crockery to the food to the interior, oozes old-time soba-shop charm. Amidst the old Edo ambience of Ryogoku, a food culture of deep roots and subtle traditions lives on.

‘O2’ (‘oh-two’) is a play on Chef Otsu’s name. Like his bow tie and denim apron, the pun is an Otsu trademark. Presented as Chinese cuisine, the fare at O2 really defies easy categories, making use of both Western and Japanese ingredients. The chef’s code is to use Chinese elements in both technique and seasoning. The playful interior also expresses Otsu’s unique vision.

A chef who is a disciple of gastronomy opened this bistro. Keen on making French cuisine accessible to a general audience, Watanabe Ryouri-mise fosters a casual atmosphere, greeting guests with à la carte offerings. French techniques are on display in the charcuterie of pâtés and hams, and in the beef cheek stewed in red wine. Seafood offerings make full use of Japan’s advantages as a country surrounded by oceans. The chef draws on his experiences and lessons from working at Toyosu Market.