碑文 谷亭

L'évo is a French restaurant located in Toga Village, Toyama Prefecture. It focuses on local ingredients while offering avant-garde dishes.I visited this restaurant back in 2018 when it was located in the River Retreat Gaku, and it left a strong impression on me. Afterward, the chef became independent and opened this establishment with accommodations in December 2020.The bright and open space features a modern touch by showcasing the rustic feel of the wooden tables without tablecloths.Making a reservation for an overnight stay is extremely difficult, so I stayed in Toyama City and drove here for lunch. It took about an hour and a half from Toyama City, and the road becomes quite narrow along the way, with some areas lacking mobile reception (though Starlink was available), making it not easy to visit. Nevertheless, the restaurant was fully booked, including foreign tourists.The course menu features a good mix of classic favorites and new creations. Since I was driving, I opted for soft drinks.The amuse-bouche titled "Prologue" included beets and gougères. The beets, which I had also enjoyed at the previous restaurant, had a subtle sweetness and worked well as an introduction to the meal.The marinated sardines were paired with wild herbs, creating a complex flavor.The Okochu Bay dish featured bay shellfish. It was served previously, but the combination with goat's milk and fava bean sauce has evolved its complexity.The moon bear, hunted by local hunters, was served with the bitterness of butterbur. A female server casually mentioned that she had also prepared moon bear before. While it was tender and easy to eat, some parts had a strong texture that made it challenging to chew.The octopus was also quite firm but sliced thinly for easier consumption. This restaurant is located at an elevation of 700 meters. The chef reportedly goes to Toyama City every two days to procure fish. The round trip takes three hours, and with the procurement time, it takes half a day. It seems he chose this location with strong determination.The firefly squid served here is of a size rarely seen outside Toyama Prefecture. They were lightly fried, giving them a casual appearance, yet they were beautifully prepared.Local somen noodles were presented as a unique dish. Served in a soup with vegetables (likely bean-based, but I can't recall), it had a different finish compared to traditional Japanese cuisine.The classic chicken dish has a presentation that might put off some due to the visible leg bones, but I personally don't mind. The chicken is stuffed with rice and fried while being roasted. The deep flavor of the sauce indicates an evolution in taste. Care is needed when eating this dish; as you bite into it, the juices can squirt out. It's advisable to guard your clothes with a napkin. Having a signature dish that can't be found elsewhere is a strong point.The cherry salmon had a teriyaki flavor, which could easily be mistaken for Japanese cuisine, but the combination with dried tomatoes gave it a slightly different taste. The dried tomatoes were exceptionally well-made, balancing acidity and sweetness.The main dish of wild boar was solid in flavor, but considering the price and location, I wished for a bit more originality.The dessert featuring strawberries was sliced extremely thin and smoked for ten hours. The immense effort put into it was reflected in the taste.The tea sweets were also carefully crafted, and the coffee was delicious (I rarely drink coffee at French restaurants, but on this day, I chose coffee to avoid feeling sleepy while driving afterward).As the name "Cuisine régionale L'évo" suggests, the chef is committed to using ingredients from Toyama Prefecture while challenging himself to express avant-garde flavors that resonate globally. Less