酒店 Bougainvillea Akebonobashi

Down a narrow blind alley in a corner of Arakicho known for its dining spots, a traditional lantern casts a soft glow. Inside, the intimate space offers counter seating only, where the chef demonstrates the refined techniques of kappo. The menu favours individuality over formality. With the first toast in mind, fried dishes appear early in the meal. Steamed sushi seasoned with red vinegar is paired with seasonal seafood, and house-made soba is another highlight. The generosity of each portion adds to the satisfaction.

Love of shellfish above all else led the chef of Ubuka to tread the culinary path. He has done his homework, and the results show in a menu filled with crab and prawn suggestions. Some items follow kaiseki style, while others are Western in influence. Terrine of hair crab is an idea borrowed from French cuisine; fried prawns are immersed in sauce américaine. The meal concludes with crab and vegetables on rice cooked in an earthenware pot. Portions are generous to ensure guests can fully appreciate their shellfish. No wonder this restaurant is so busy.

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.

The counter spreads like a fan, so guests surround the kitchen. Chef and apprentice serve snacks and nigiri in turn, moving in perfect harmony. The house snack is iwashi-isobemaki, bite-sized pieces of pilchard wrapped in nori. Old-school sushi craftsmanship is woven in, such as spring sea bream topped with sweetened egg yolk flakes and lean tuna paired with mustard. In mutual support between restaurateur and farmers, sushi rice comes from the chef’s native Noto Peninsula. The team keeps the sushi smoothly flowing with deft motions, serving each guest with just the right intervals. ‘Takumi’ me

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.

The totality of this ryotei’s art—the cuisine, the ceremonial furnishings, the service—makes a deep impression. The original owner-chef learned the basics of cooking under the guidance of legendary epicure Kitaoji Rosanjin. The current chef, guardian of the traditions of the Fukuda family, displays his talents with creations that delight guests, squarely focused on respect for ingredients. He puts into practice Rosanjin’s famous dictum: ‘Eight or nine times out of ten, the quality of the ingredients selected determines the quality of a dish.’

This gustatory experience is a journey through Peru. The menu features the culinary traditions of the Andes and the ecosystem of the Amazon basin. Each menu item lists the producing region and, uniquely, its elevation. Taking these altitudes as a guide, the meal traces a route through sea, mountain and river, weaving a tale of diverse natural environments. Dried foods from Peru combine with Japanese ingredients to bring forth a cuisine that is richly imaginative.