I visited Reminiscence again after about a month and a half, making this my third visit this year.After spending two weeks dining in France and the UK, I found many dishes didn’t suit my palate, and I was eager to return to Japan to savor the cuisine at Reminiscence. So, I made a last-minute reservation.This time, I enjoyed the lunch course paired with a Short 3 Glasses wine pairing.【Aftertaste】【Sea Urchin】This is a classic finger food at Reminiscence, made with fresh Hokkaido Rishiri sea urchin. It’s served on a chip made from nori and kudzu starch, topped with micro amaranth and herbs. The contrast between the crispy chip and the melting sea urchin creates a delightful amuse-bouche.【Torigai (Bird Shell)】This dish features Mikawa torigai, which is grilled over charcoal for added aroma. It’s paired with sautéed Hokkaido white asparagus, and the base is an asparagus purée. The dish is drizzled with a tangy ravigote sauce, and there are cubed and sliced asparagus for texture. This was my first time trying this dish, and as always, the combination of textures was outstanding and incredibly delicious.【Creation】【Sasue】This was another first for me, featuring a dish made with Kinmedai (red snapper) and sakura shrimp from Sasue Maeda Fish Shop. The Kinmedai is grilled until crispy on the skin, topped with sakura shrimp in both raw and fried forms, along with caviar. The sauce is a white wine reduction, accompanied by a creamy cauliflower purée. This method of serving sakura shrimp is highly recommended by Chef Kazuhara, and it’s best enjoyed warm. The memorable comment from Takakuwa-san after explaining the dish was, "It’s incredibly delicious." The combination of the crispy fried sakura shrimp and the tender Kinmedai creates a remarkable tasting experience. This dish is truly exceptional, and the flavors are breathtaking. I felt that a slightly higher ratio of raw sakura shrimp would have enhanced my enjoyment even more. I learned that the staff also enjoy sakura shrimp in their staff meals, which is quite enviable.【Shark Fin】This dish features fried and grilled shark fin from Kesennuma. It’s served with zucchini and garnished with micro fennel for aroma. The sauce is thickened with shark fin and dried scallop broth, accompanied by a white purée of fennel. There are also asari clams from Nishiura, allowing for a delightful pairing with the shark fin and sauce. This was my first time trying a shark fin dish, and it was absolutely exquisite. The combination of crispy shark fin, the rich sauce, and the clams was outstanding, leaving me in awe of its deliciousness.【Shiitake】This dish uses shiitake mushrooms grown in the famous Ayu River in Gifu Prefecture. These large and flavorful shiitake mushrooms are braised in a batter, topped with a generous amount of caviar sauce. Micro cilantro adds an aromatic touch, while a finely chopped duxelles sauce made from the same shiitake is served underneath. This dish allows you to enjoy the chewy texture of the shiitake while savoring the sauce. It was another first for me, and I’m always impressed by Chef Kazuhara’s creativity in crafting such innovative dishes.【Memory】【Tama-Iwato】This is a classic soup served in a sake cup made from cherry wood. Chef Kazuhara personally collects spring water near Ise Jingu, and the warm soup is seasoned only with the fat from Nagoya Cochin chicken skin, kombu, and salt. It’s meant to be enjoyed with both hands.【Eel】This dish features eel from Mikawa Isshiki, grilled over charcoal until white. The grilling technique gives the eel a crispy texture. It’s served with chimichurri sauce, a herb-based sauce with a slight tang, commonly used in South America for grilled meats. Thinly sliced octopus is added for flavor and texture contrast, allowing you to enjoy the eel, octopus, and chimichurri together. Eating the eel while it’s warm offers a unique taste and texture experience unlike any I’ve had before. The eel dishes at Reminiscence surpass those at high-end eel restaurants, making it a truly remarkable culinary experience.【Meat】The main dish features Matsusaka beef, specifically the shinshin cut, which has been raised for 900 days. It’s roasted slowly while being exposed to infrared and far-infrared heat. The meat is served with a simple sauce made from its own juices, along with fromage blanc mixed with raisins and spices, and sudachi pepper for added enjoyment. As always, Chef Kazuhara’s cooking technique is exceptional. The meat dishes at Reminiscence consistently showcase both tenderness and flavor, regardless of the type of meat.【Farm & Welfare】This dish features locally sourced vegetables cultivated by energetic individuals with disabilities at Ai Farm. It’s served with a garlic-based bagna cauda sauce and includes a variety of vegetables such as:- Fried lotus root- French fries- Yam- Tomato- Mushrooms- Eggplant- Edible flowersIt’s a beautifully presented warm salad.【Relief】【Konatsu】The first dessert features refreshing konatsu citrus. The top is shaved ice made from frozen konatsu, with fresh pieces and candied peel inside. The ice cream is a blend of baked meringue and honey, with caramelized chocolate and hazelnuts as an accent at the bottom. Enjoying it from the bottom allows you to experience various flavors and textures of konatsu in this dessert.【American Cherry】The main dessert features American cherries, offering a delightful contrast in temperature. It’s topped with vanilla ice cream, with a warm tube of choux pastry underneath. Inside the choux, there’s warm cherry jam and cheese cream. It’s paired with walnuts and California American cherries. As you break the choux, the cold ice cream and warm dessert ingredients blend in your mouth, creating a new experience.【Recollection】【Tea Sweets】You can choose four from twelve options, including:- Yukimi Daifuku- Pino- Ramune- Pudding- Kinoko no Yama- Cotton Candy- Cheesecake- Opera Cake- Chocolate Cake- Pie no Mi- Choco Pie- Country Ma'amThis time, I chose Yukimi Daifuku, Pino, Pie no Mi, and Cheesecake.I enjoyed a blissful 2 hours and 20 minutes.At Reminiscence, every dish is exceptional. This time, the Sasue, shark fin, and shiitake were particularly outstanding.While there are many delicious restaurants in the world, I believe the quality of the cuisine at Reminiscence is in a league of its own.Once again, I had the pleasure of enjoying the finest French cuisine.