盈-道玄坂，涩谷市，307

Insatiable curiosity about all things tempura is this restaurant’s driving force. The chef blazes his own trail, unencumbered by convention. In a one-of-a-kind technique, the chef prepares his batter using two types of water as well as liquid nitrogen. One menu item features chilled sea urchin on deep-fried perilla leaf, creating a contrast of cold and hot. Inventive dishes are slipped in between menu items, varying the pace. The chef takes pride in offering an extensive range of tempura pieces, letting his imagination run free.

Takuto Murota procures ingredients himself, hunting game in the mountains and growing vegetables in his home garden. Harmonious coexistence with nature is the theme of his cooking and nowhere is this conviction more evident than in his game dishes. Meat is grilled, bones and entrails made into sauces; nothing edible is wasted. Venison blood macarons have become emblematic of LATURE. Classic cuisine with a touch of modern sensibility conveys respect for life.

The chef is of the view that soba’s deliciousness is determined by its flour. He grinds husked buckwheat both from his garden and from farmers in Ibaraki Prefecture, catching every iota of the fresh-ground aroma. Coarse ground seiro (soba served on bamboo wicker) is full of wild flavour. Tofu soba, inspired by staff meals, and hot seiro with hot tsuyu sauce and beaten egg, are unique taste experiences. Evening service is prix fixe only, with treats such as buckwheat mash and rolled omelettes included.

The round logo on the tabletop menu encapsulates the chef’s vision. The varying thickness of the line suggests contrasts between sharp and subtle flavours; the circle declares that the entire prix fixe menu expresses the cuisine as a whole. Sauces and cooking focus on the classic; the fascination with ingredients is a trait cultivated during the chef’s apprenticeship in France. The combination of the chef’s learned skills and passion for cuisine gives rise to a style all his own.

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.

The name is French: saucer used as a verb, to pour sauce or to drizzle sauce on bread. The standard fare is what the chef terms ‘saucer’: freshly baked bread on one plate and a sauce on the other. Consommé drawn over a period of three days is a key ingredient. Morel mushrooms in spring and sweetfish in summer impart seasonal flavours. As an apprentice, the chef was appointed saucier, sauce master; his confidence shines in his work today.

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