Dinner at Onjaku (温石)

Dinner at Onjaku (温石)

at Onjaku (温石) on 18 June 2026
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【Awards】 Tabelog 2026 GOLD AWARD Tabelog 2025 Top 100 Japanese Cuisine in the East Go-E-Miyou 2026 3 Tock 【Tabelog Rating (as of posting date)】 4.55 【Location】 Approximately 20 minutes on foot from Yaizu Station 【Reservations/Reservation Method/Reservation Timing】 Available/Unknown/Unknown 【Wait Time】 None 【Number of Visitors】 9 people 【Seating】 Counter 【Overview of the Restaurant and Chef's Background】 A top-rated Japanese restaurant in the country. Alongside "Chiso Nishi Kenichi," "Japanese Cuisine FUJI," "Simples," and "Nakamura," it holds a prestigious position within the Sasue team, sharing the spotlight with "Narumi" and handling exceptional fish specialties, including Kinmedai (red sea bream). The owner is Daigo Sugiyama. Born in Shizuoka Prefecture in 1984. His grandparents opened a soba restaurant, which his father transformed into a kaiseki restaurant. Growing up watching his father, a chef, he decided to take over after a family trip when someone mentioned, "There’s a great place called 'Onjaku' in Yaizu," making him proud of his father. After graduating high school, he trained for about six years at the renowned "Wako" in Mejiro (now closed) and joined the kitchen of Onjaku with his father at the age of 24. He later took over the restaurant and continues to this day. Reservations are extremely difficult, but occasionally, a spot opens up on Tabelog due to cancellations, though often only one seat is available. 【Atmosphere】 Somewhat quiet, classic 【Cost/Person】 JPY 30,000 【Order】 Omakase Course 【Details】 ◆ Horse Mackerel with Cucumber Roll ◆ Grilled Jindo Squid / Mizuna Salad Squid Ink Salt ◆ Hiraji / Molokhia Homemade Sansho Oil ◆ Hanadai and Shiitake Mushroom Soup ◆ Tiger Puffer Fish Sashimi Green Onion Soy Sauce ◆ Fried Ginger Leaf with Tomato ◆ Grilled Eel Wrapped with Burdock Homemade Doubanjiang ◆ Zucchini Soy Sauce Pickled Onion ◆ Charcoal Grilled Kinmedai ◆ Edamame Puree ◆ New Ginger Rice ◆ Fried Eggplant / Fried Ribbonfish / Okra ◆ Hamo (Pike Conger) Minced Meat and Manzanji Pepper Rice x2 ◆ Hanadai Marinated Rice ◆ Chilled Sesame Dashi Chazuke Rice ◆ Roasted Onion Soy Sauce Pickled Rice ◆ Citrus Tea Jelly ◆ Wild Vegetable Mochi Tara no Me / Udo / Walnut Paste / Sansho Mochi Barley / White Miso An ◆ Matcha ◇ Isojiman Seishun Tokubetsu Junmai 180ml (JPY 1,650) ◇ Sharakus Junmai Ginjo Natsugin Glass (JPY 1,100) 【Impressions】 Following "Japanese Cuisine FUJI" and "Chiso Nishi Kenichi," I was grateful for the invitation to finally visit "Onjaku." Every restaurant in the Sasue team boasts truly remarkable flavors, but that also makes reservations hard to come by... Despite the unfortunate rainy weather that day, the atmosphere of the building, renovated by world-renowned space designer Yukio Hashimoto, who has worked on The Peninsula Tokyo, was outstanding. The garden, with its serene ambiance, added charm, and every trip to the restroom felt refreshing. In this cozy space with only nine U-shaped seats, I savored the local sake Isojiman while watching Mr. Sugiyama quietly prepare dishes right in front of me. While there are several restaurants across the country that handle Sasue fish, the quality of fish that the Sasue team members, who communicate offline with Naoki Maeda day and night, receive is exceptional. Even common fish have a completely different texture and flavor. The fish, delivered through an exquisite relay, is prepared in various ways to highlight its inherent quality. There are no overly flashy presentations; the focus is always on "how to make it taste the best." The simplicity, combined with the exquisite pairing of homemade seasonings like sansho oil and green onion soy sauce, is remarkable. The meal began with the new ginger rice. I was told to enjoy it right after it was cooked, so I took minimal photos. It was incredibly delicious. The shimmering white rice's juiciness and the refreshing aroma of new ginger filled my mouth, making it one of the most memorable flavors I've ever experienced. After that, four types of rice were served, all of which were so delicious that I found myself completely full. I usually don’t prefer restaurants that fill you up with carbohydrates, but this place is on a different level. In the end, I enjoyed the matcha that Mr. Sugiyama carefully prepared for each of us, leaving with a clear mind and a satisfied heart. The gentle and sincere nature of the chef was beautifully expressed in the series of dishes that filled both my stomach and soul, making the high popularity completely understandable.

9 / 10