Last summer, I had the delicious ayu (sweetfish) wrapped in pastry, and I’ve been eagerly anticipating summer 2026 ever since. After waiting a whole year, I walked from Shibuya with a light step, even in this year’s intense heat.I visited for lunch alone and sat at the counter for the lunch course. The menu at LATURE is chef's choice, which always excites me about what dishes will be served. I hoped to see the ayu pastry on the menu during this season.The ayu pastry was a delightful dish, featuring layers of scallop and river seaweed mousse wrapped in pastry and baked like a mille-feuille. The beurre blanc sauce was delicious and paired perfectly with the pastry, leaving me truly impressed. I hoped it would be included in this course.As I walked, I thought about this, and soon I arrived at the restaurant! But it was hot... so I started with a beer.The first dish was clams, served with a dashi jelly and wasabi. It was refreshing, and the yogurt ice cream added a gentle acidity that was very tasty. Next was onion soup, served in a stand shaped like deer antlers. When I lifted the cheesy pastry lid, a rich yet refreshing onion soup was revealed, enhanced by the flavor of Yamazaki 12-year whiskey, making for a wonderful presentation.Then came a salad with lightly kombu-cured sea bream, paired with wasabi and two types of rice: risotto and fried rice. This dish beautifully showcased the essence of Japanese cuisine, and the heart-shaped wasabi leaves were adorable.And then! The next dish was, surprisingly, bear meat! First, a bear paw with fur was presented right in front of me! Wait, am I really going to eat this?!However, it was just for show at first, and I felt relieved. Then, a visually cute dish arrived—a terrine shaped like a bear paw, with truffle for the paw pads. The sauce was a rich cream base with various mushrooms.Chef Murata, who holds a hunting license and deeply considers the lives of animals and nature, created this bear dish. It was fascinating to see such a unique approach to cooking. The texture was closer to tartare than terrine, and it paired wonderfully with the rich sauce, making it an incredibly delicious dish. I was moved by this way of enjoying bear meat.As I was savoring that experience, the dish I had been longing for arrived—the ayu pastry! This year, they upgraded the sauce. It was garnished with tsurumurasaki (a type of vegetable), which was also delicious.I truly love LATURE's ayu pastry. The sauce, pastry, and ayu must have been meticulously calculated and carefully prepared.The final meat dish was summer venison, perfectly cooked and moist. It was served with a sweet wine sauce and eggplant puree.The dessert had a slightly Japanese twist, featuring a dome-shaped, wobbly sweet resembling mizushingen mochi in the center. It also included crumble and ice cream, making for a delightful textural experience.I enjoyed some wine and felt a series of deliciousness, surprise, and emotion, while also reflecting on the importance of the seasons and life. The service was outstanding as well.
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