Hotel Musashino no Mori

Pitigliano is a town the chef visited in his apprenticeship and has fond memories of. During his time in Italy, the chef was deeply impressed by the custom of ‘zuppa’, or dipping pieces of bread into soups of vegetables and beans, so the menu offers an extensive selection of soups. Honest flavours and presentations mirror the food culture of the Italian countryside, featuring simple handmade pasta and char-grilled fish and meat. Scenes of diners sharing from a single plate are a reflection of daily life in Italy.

The chef ’s aim is to create a ramen shop beloved by locals. He sources ingredients from greengrocers and butchers in Nishiogi, treasuring his interactions with local people. The distance from the train station is also a blessing, as neighbourhood schoolchildren and their families can be seen sitting shoulder-to-shoulder, happily slurping noodles. As befits the ‘Seimenjo’, or ‘noodle-maker’, in the name, his use of Japanese wheat is a selling point. In addition to standard thin noodles, he also offers flat noodles. The miso flavour is a much-anticipated treat in autumn and winter.

The chef devotes himself to good health through a balanced diet, using Chinese medicines as seasoning to serve food that is salutary for both mind and body. Vegetables from his native Oita are grown by natural methods, making them gentle to the constitution. At dinner, there is a wide range of à la carte dishes, leaning toward Sichuan and Shanghai influences. The chef allows himself an individual take with the mapo tofu: drawing on a wealth of experience, he offers a choice of Sichuan, aged doubanjiang (Chinese broad bean chili paste) and salt. Lunchtime set menus are also popular.

The chef heard the call to the culinary life one day while riding his father’s motorcycle on a long tour around the Seto Inland Sea. When he happened upon a ramen shop along the way, the taste of the salty soba touched his soul. He combines a clear seafood broth with homemade noodles crafted with aroma in mind. The ceiling decoration recalls the roof of an old-time food stall, honouring how ramen culture spread in his native Hiroshima Prefecture.

The soup accentuates the umami of the meats with the flavour of dried sardines; if you’re looking for soup with a unique and beguiling taste, you’ve found it here. Chashumen, ramen topped with roasted pork, is so covered in pork slices that they hide the noodles. Rice is available as an extra with the ramen, so try placing some of the roasted pork on top of it to make chashudon, roast-pork rice. Impressive and satisfying indeed, as if to say there is ramen here.

A chance encounter with a single book sparked a lifelong connection with sushi for this chef. His omakase unfolds like a ninjo rakugo performance—beginning with light snacks, before moving into the main story: sushi. The sushi itself progresses like a narrative, a light opening act with squid, building through tuna, cresting with gizzard shad, and tapering off with egg to end the meal. Occasionally, the chef interjects a playful remark to his guests, much like a rakugo performer engaging the audience.

Fiocchi means ‘snowflakes’ or ‘crystal’, an apt metaphor for that moment when great taste fills our mouths. Lamb wrapped in straw—a dish rooted in Waldensian communities of Piemonte—is served with potatoes baked in ash to draw out sweetness. The combination of ingredients from mountain and sea in one dish signifies the flow of nature that links forest with ocean. The true essence of Italian cuisine, offered to all in Setagaya’s Soshigaya district.