ABEST 鈴神飯店

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.

The chef defends the traditions and skills of Edo-style sushi while showing creativity with some innovations of his own. Japanese halfbeak and horse mackerel are accented with ginger and mirin–soy reduction; simmered conger eel is served both salted and dipped in eel sauce for taste comparison. Nigiri is shaped using rice seasoned with red vinegar—a showcase of techniques cultivated over years of experience. Treading the path of the sushi chef was a dream in his teenage years. Steady devotion to craft is a lesson learned from sushi.

Chef Guillaume Bracaval expresses the Japanese landscape in his cuisine. Travelling across the country to familiarise himself with ingredients, he experienced its abundant nature first-hand. The map of Japan indicating where all his ingredients come from traces his journey. Wanting to create delicate and healthy dishes, he limits his use of butter and cream. Desserts inspired by contemporary art are highly original. Perched on the hotel’s top floor, the dining room affords stunning views of the city below.

‘Harmony’ and ‘circulation’ are the keywords of this dining experience. Through his partnerships with farmers, the chef returns compost to revitalise the soil. The prix fixe presentation starts with a bowl of soup. Vegetable ends are used in the soup’s creation, expressing a wish for a society that doesn’t waste food. Prepared with French techniques, the fare is simple and light. The grey of the interior creates something of a laboratory feel.

‘Circular gastronomy’ from the chef of Mirazur in southern France. Prix fixe menus are composed from four themes—roots, leaves, flowers and fruits—expressing the beauty of nature and the cycle that happens in our world. The fare is modern French woven from Japanese ingredients, but it also beguiles with influences from the chef’s native Argentina, such as tapas and asado. Having stretched out his roots in southern France and budded leaves of creativity, the chef has blossomed in Otemachi.

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.

Tempura pieces are deep-fried in high heat to draw out moisture for a fragrant coating. Shrimp are served two pieces in succession, fried at different temperatures to contrast the texture of rare and medium. Depending on availability, you might receive two kinds of squid, each imparting a different flavour. On the wall hangs a work of calligraphy — a gift from his mentor — casting a quiet but discerning eye over the apprentices at work. It reads ‘Menkyo Kaiden’: ‘attain full mastery of the arts of our trade’. The words seem to whisper, ‘Catch up, and surpass me.’