京阪淀屋桥酒店

The restaurant is tastefully appointed with the ambience of a tea house, with an elegant gate, garden path and waiting area. Chinese medicinal drinks served with waka poetry bring to mind the Kinki region’s history as a centre of medicinal wholesaling. Also telling a tale is the menu, whose chakaiseki offerings incorporate Osaka touches. Sembajiru wharf soup, with dashi drawn from vegetable offcuts, conveys respect for ingredients; tea poured by the chef soothes the soul. This is fare that conveys the richness of Japanese culture.

‘Sinae’ is an acronym for ‘simple, natural, essence’. The chef presents his cuisine with simplicity, naturally using seasonal domestic ingredients to draw out the essence of each. Cooking like this that respects their aromas and flavours requires delicate preparation. Pure-white vessels take on colour from the foods that grace them, making the white of the margins all the more beautiful. The beige keynote of the dining room enfolds the diner in warmth.

Yusuke Takada unravels the mysteries of the classics while pursuing the modern. Takada is the author of a new French cuisine, one imbued with the essence of Japan. Takada’s aim in using traditional ingredients such as kudzu vine, tofu skin, miso and wasabi is to proclaim the goodness of foodstuffs grown and raised in Japan. Cultural elements from Osaka and his native Amami Ōshima weave together into a story that is unique and fascinating.

To mark its half-century anniversary, LE PONT DE CIEL broke new ground, converting to a ‘counter French’ format. The open kitchen buzzes with activity as cooks and serving staff attend customers. The key to the fare here is cooking with firewood. Vegetables are roasted, fish smoked, meat wrapped in flame. The name means ‘bridge across the sky’, reflecting the chef’s desire to foster a culture that connects a relaxing time with delicious cuisine.

The chef interprets the seasons through kaiseki, adding twists and tricks that make the cuisine his own. To express each season, appetisers are accompanied by leaves collected on hill and dale and a slim strip of paper is inscribed with a seasonal phrase. White rice, cooked in clay pots, is specially selected and treated. Rice grown in serpentinite soil, with its rich mineral content, is seasoned with salt and soy sauce to bring out umami and flavour. In a unique touch, scorched rice is served like a rice cracker. The basics of Japanese cuisine are safely guarded, yet imagination has room to r

A willow tree bending to describe an arc is the symbol of the restaurant and the meaning of its name. In this modern sukiya-type interior, the arc bends toward a wickerwork ceiling. Koryu’s location on the river’s edge reminds you that Osaka is known as the ‘City of Water’. The aim of the house is to be true to its Naniwa (Osaka) roots. The sumptuously arranged “Naniwa” sashimi platter is a remarkable sight. Traditional vegetables also befit the Osaka cuisine. Like the willow tree, Koryu applies a supple creative spirit to a solid foundation.

Having honed his creativity through a series of gastronomic contests, the chef serves a unique interpretation of Chinese cuisine. Made using the finest Kawachi duck, the Peking duck is a vibrant and elegant dish, rich in both colour and visual appeal; with impressive attention to detail, the accompanying Kinzanji miso is sourced specially for this dish. The lively sounds echoing from the kitchen and the aroma of freshly made dishes make ‘atelier’ an apt name for this dining room.