Nestled quietly in the residential area of Mita, you will find "Japanese cuisine Seizan" in the basement.The owner, Haruhiko Yamamoto, trained under Haruyuki Takada at the renowned Gifu restaurant "Takada Hassho." He gained experience at "Wakamiya Hassho" and "Kogane Hassho" before opening Seizan in 2011.Today, it is one of Tokyo's representative Japanese restaurants, having earned two stars in the Michelin Guide 2026.Michelin praises Seizan for its ability to create surprising dishes while maintaining the authenticity of traditional Japanese cuisine in its soups and sashimi.The charm of Seizan truly lies in this balance.At its core is a meticulous approach to dashi (broth) and cooking techniques.While it honors traditional Japanese cuisine, it also surprises diners with dishes that make you think, "I didn’t see that coming."This summer, I enjoyed a course that beautifully showcased both aspects.First up was conger eel, conger roe, green beans, and plum paste.The conger eel was cooked to perfection, tender and moist, with a slightly rare texture.The fresh aroma of the green beans and the tartness of the plum paste complemented the dish, while the conger roe released a rich flavor with each bite.It was a refreshing summer dish that revealed deeper flavors as I continued to eat.Next was a soup featuring winter melon and grilled eel.This dish exemplified the essence of Seizan.The richness and umami of the eel melted into the dashi, creating a gentle yet expanding flavor as I sipped it.The winter melon, soaked in the flavorful broth, was simply delightful.Rather than the dashi standing out, it filled my mouth with umami before I even realized it.This bowl truly showcased the strength of Seizan's culinary foundation.The sashimi consisted of white sweet sea bream, octopus from Akashi, and striped shrimp.The white sweet sea bream was rich and released its umami with each bite.The Akashi octopus had a pleasant chewiness, gradually releasing its flavor.And then there was the striped shrimp.Its intense sweetness filled my mouth.The simplicity of the dish allowed the unique textures and flavors of each ingredient to shine.Then came the highlight of summer at Seizan: Abalone and purple sea urchin served with Inaniwa udon.This was incredible.A rich, creamy sauce made from abalone and its liver clung to the thin Inaniwa udon.The sweetness of the sea urchin, while rich, had a refreshing finish, adding a different layer of sweetness to the deep umami of the abalone liver, expanding the flavor.Abalone, liver, sea urchin, and udon—all intensely flavored.Yet, remarkably, it didn’t feel heavy, coming together beautifully as one cohesive taste.It’s easy to see why people come to enjoy this dish in the summer at Seizan.What particularly impressed me this time was the fried natural sweetfish from the Yoshida River in Gujo.This was incredibly delicious.While sweetfish is often associated with salt grilling, frying it traps the aroma and moisture within the batter, resulting in an astonishingly fluffy texture.The moment I bit into it, the gentle umami of the sweetfish spread throughout my mouth.Additionally, pairing it with a sauce made from sweetfish and wasabi preserved the sweetfish's characteristic bitterness and fresh aroma.It might even surpass the flavor of grilled sweetfish.I truly felt that way.This dish will surely resonate with sweetfish lovers.Next was Saga beef Chateaubriand with grilled eggplant.The combination of the beef's juices and the juiciness of the grilled eggplant was exquisite.The creamy sweetness of the eggplant combined with the beef fat created a mellow sweetness that gradually revealed the rich umami of the meat.Despite the strength of the ingredients, it surprisingly didn’t feel heavy.Finally, for dessert, we had fresh figs.Fresh figs paired with fig sorbet infused with rum.The gentle sweetness of wasanbon sugar combined with the subtle sweetness of the figs melted smoothly on my tongue.Given the richness of the preceding dishes, this gentle conclusion was delightful.What I realized again this time is that Seizan is a restaurant that cannot be simply described as "delicate Japanese cuisine."While it showcases traditional Japanese dishes in its soups and sashimi,it also presents memorable dishes like:Abalone liver x sea urchin x Inaniwa udon.Fried natural sweetfish.Chateaubriand x grilled eggplant.And it does so without feeling forced or gimmicky.Because the foundations of dashi, ingredient handling, and cooking techniques are solid, even with the inclusion of bolder dishes, it ultimately comes together as "Seizan's Japanese cuisine."This time, the abalone and sea urchin Inaniwa udon and the fried natural sweetfish from the Yoshida River were truly remarkable.Using refreshing summer ingredients, the flavors had a substantial depth.Seizan's summer was simply wonderful.