东京蒙特埃尔马纳酒店

A man of few words, the chef fixes his attention on his grill. He focuses on every detail of yakitori—the state of the charcoal, how the skewers are assembled and grilled—pursuing the subtleties of a cuisine. His favoured type of chicken is game fowl, prized for its supple texture and rich flavour. It is seasoned with a salt base and modulated with added chicken fat or vinegar, then wreathed in smoke as it cooks on the grill. Skewers are interspersed with chicken-based snacks such as cold chicken breast and mincemeat potato salad. A procession of dishes of lively originality.

A tempura eatery run by a father and his two sons. Supplied with fish in season and fresh vegetables, The chef expresses the turning of the seasons through his ingredients. Items are lightly battered and fried in cold-pressed sesame oil to bring forward the flavours of the tempura pieces. Two friers at different temperatures are used according to the needs of each dish; occasionally an item is double-fried, first in medium-hot oil, and then in hot oil. With the experience and skills of a craftsman honed over many years, the chef unerringly delivers the flavours of each season.

Satoru Asahina pursues a gastronomy of ‘traditional heritage with modern innovation’. He delves into the history of French cuisine to reconstruct ancient recipes with his own interpretations. The prix fixe meal begins with a colourful amuse-bouche and proceeds to plates adorned with multi-layered culinary creations. Consommé pressed through a siphon with a flourish and desserts paraded on trolleys catch the eye. Classic cuisine tuned up to point to the future.

In Kyoto, the chef acquired knowledge of Japanese cuisine; in his native Shiga, the uniqueness of fondly remembered country cooking. The sprouting of flowering plants, the spirit of wild animals, the shifting of the seasons in the rural hillscapes, all have their say in the menu. The vividly colourful hassun platters are lavish yet delicate. The intention in hot-pot cooking is to bring a party together through the magic of a single flavour. Gracious service, sparing no detail, is the true pleasure here.

An old wooden sign catches the eye: ‘Unagi – eat this, and there is no need for medicine.’ This reflects the founder’s belief in eel as a nourishing food. The fourth-generation chef honours tradition while adapting to the present. The Unatsugu-ju carries the spirit of passing eel culture to the future, with efforts to release juvenile eels into the sea to replenish wild stocks. In step with the times, a counter seat offers a view of the craftsmen at work.

A sign with a crane’s head in profile against the sun marks the modern Japanese exterior. Enter the dining room, and piped jazz music fills an interior decorated with Western paintings. Red and white keynotes in the décor denote the rising sun. Cuisine is ‘modern classic’, a theme born of the sensibility the chef cultivated overseas. The aim is to offer modulation in temperature, beguiling aromas, and a light, comfortable feeling after dining. Refined items of refreshing originality suggest the future of Japanese cuisine.

Seiji Yamamoto charts the vastness of Japanese cuisine. He handles his knives and tends his charcoal grill with relentlessly honed technique. He elucidates the properties of each ingredient and the best ways to prepare it with a scientific eye, displaying unwavering resolve. His winter menu is replete with fugu items, products of years of experience and passion for Japanese cuisine. Disarming frankness shines in Yamamoto’s favourite expression: ‘I’m a chef because I love cooking.’ From January to March, RyuGin offers only the exclusive fugu course.