COTO Tokyo Shibuya 7

‘Lien’ is French for ‘connection’. The chef, a native of Aomori Prefecture, uses both ingredients and crockery from that region of northern Honshu. Serving salmon from the Tsugaru Strait and Aomori Shamorock chicken on Tsugaru Kanayama Yaki pottery, the chef connects guests with producers through his cuisine. The comprehensive prix fixe menu is imbued with this sense of human connection. ‘Lien’ may mean a feeling of connection, but it also means a bond.

The chef’s parents ran a tempura shop, so he followed in their culinary footsteps. After learning the techniques from his father, he enhanced his wares with elements from other Japanese traditions to evoke colours and seasons that tempura can’t express on its own. ‘Ten-Masa Kaiseki’, as the chef calls his menu, strikes a balance between tempura and kaiseki. Dishes are served in the style of appetizers, soup, or sashimi, while tempura is prepared and served one piece at a time. In an elegant touch, haiku penned by the chef adorn the menu.

The names of producers the chef deals with are listed on the menu. He visits his suppliers, building bonds of trust with farmers and fishermen. The chef brings each dish fresh from kitchen to table and describes it with enthusiasm, building a bridge linking food, guests and restaurant. Prix fixe meals are modern in preparation while classic in concept. A unique touch is that different breads are paired with different dishes, pursuing unity of flavour between the two.

From down a back alley in Ikejiri, light beckons from a counter bistro. Draw closer and a crowded blackboard lists such a range of items, from French regional cuisine to Western-influenced dishes like hamburger steaks and croquettes, that you’ll hardly be able to choose. The menu doesn’t change, to keep quality consistent and high. ‘Glouton’ refers to someone who enjoys their food whole-heartedly. Every item here will tickle your fancy, and once you’ve sampled the food here, you’ll want to return.

Customers flock to Yakumo for its famous wonton ramen. Two types of wonton, one with pork infused with the tang of ginger and the other with shrimp cooked to delightful texture, each play their part in the dish’s popularity. To enjoy both, order the special ‘Tokusei’ ramen. The choice of soups is ‘White dashi’ made with white soy sauce, ‘Black dashi’ using rich, dark soy sauce, and ‘Mix’, a mixture of the two. And choose from thin noodles or flat. This flexibility to tailor your order is a special pleasure of Yakumo.

Ensui means ‘flame and water’, celebrating the two starting points of Japanese cuisine: charcoal flame and water for soup stock. The pride of the house is its stew. Using water brought all the way from Kagoshima, dashi stock is drawn from aged kombu and high-grade bonito flakes. The soup ingredients are suffused with the aroma of charcoal, completing the theme. With the practiced hands of a craftsman, the chef weaves the soup ingredients and the soup broth into a harmonious whole. A natural curiosity drives him to scour producing regions for the best ingredients. A personal journey expressed t

Tempura at its most colourful, drawing from various disciplines in Japanese cuisine. Tempura shrimp is wrapped in nori; bamboo shoots are boiled, then deep-fried. Other ideas are borrowed from kaiseki tradition. Wagyu tempura and ‘Tenbara’, seasoned rice topped with mixed vegetables and seafood tempura, are distinctive offerings. Familiar items such as sillago and conger eel are woven into the mix, varying tone and pace. To ensure lightness of flavour, a blend of sesame oil and rice oil is favoured. Fertile imagination and Japanese elements fuse in this unique tempura approach.