Evergreen hotel ichigaya

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 name ‘L’ÉTERRE’ is a mashup of two French words: ‘l’éterne’ meaning ‘eternity’, and ‘la terre’ meaning ‘the earth’. It encapsulates the restaurant’s determination never to stop gathering the bounty of the earth and crafting delicious cuisine from it. Japan is a country surrounded by sea, and L’ÉTERRE makes full use of this, focusing on seafood dishes. Vegetables and meat highlight the abundance of their terroirs, grilled sometimes over charcoal or firewood, sometimes over straw. Time-honoured cooking methods are eternal as well.

Having been born and raised overseas, the chef chose the path of the sushi artisan out of a desire to work in a field that involves Japan’s traditions and culture. Among the appetisers, standard items include simmered monkfish liver and steamed abalone. Sushi toppings start with the subtler flavours and proceed to bolder ones, paired with white-vinegar or red-vinegar sushi rice according to topping. Pioneering directions in modern sushi include squid glazed with salt water mixed with white birch sap and conger eel paired with an herbal liquor reduction.

‘Fushikino’ is a mashup of two words, one referring to a Zen phrase, and the other meaning ‘mysterious’. Together, they suggest things that never before existed. The restaurant’s aim is to create something unprecedented, an unexpected culinary experience made possible through the trinity of food, sake and utensils. The menu lists familiar items of Japanese cuisine, but one-of-a-kind touches manifest in subtle details, such as onion soy sauce and aged ponzu sauce. Drink pairings of one cup per dish, served in sake cups lovingly produced by modern artists, are an entertaining grace note.

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.

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.

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.’