Foodle

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【鮨 尚充】
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中目黒に店を構える『鮨 尚充』。この店を語るなら、まず雲丹から始めなければならない。ここでの雲丹は、数あるネタの一つではなく、店の思想そのものだ。雲丹をどう仕入れ、どう並べ、どう体験させるか。その設計が、この店の輪郭を決定づけている。2025年の初競りで700万円という価格を記録した「はだての雲丹」は、その象徴的な存在。話題性が先行しがちだが、実際に口にすれば評価軸は一瞬で切り替わる。粒の張り、舌に触れた瞬間の密度、甘味の立ち上がりと引き際。そのすべてが明確で、数字が誇張ではなかったことを体が理解してしまう。

だが尚充の凄みは、一つの頂点を見せて終わりではない。木村水産の雲丹は、養殖という言葉のイメージを完全に裏切る完成度で、輪郭のある旨味と安定した質感を示す。希海の雲丹は香りの立ち方が印象的で、小西商店の雲丹は余韻の伸びが美しい。塩水雲丹は加工を極力排したからこそ、海そのものの表情が前に出る。甘い、濃厚、クリーミー。そうした単語では整理しきれない差異を、量と種類の両面から体に刻み込んでくる。良質な雲丹を、これほどの密度で食べ比べる経験は、正直ここ以外では成立しない。

だが当然ながら、提供されるのは雲丹だけではない。印象が雲丹に強く残るだけで、他のネタも同じ密度で組み立てられている。「マツカワガレイ」は張りのある身質で鮮度と仕事量を伝え、「牡蠣」は厚みのある旨味で押し切る構成。「しじみ汁」は派手さこそないが、コース全体の輪郭を静かに整える。「背トロ」は脂の質感が明確で、「墨烏賊」は食感と甘味の輪郭がはっきりしている。「鮑」は火入れと歯応えのバランスが良く、「マナガツオ」は身の柔らかさと香りの立ち方が印象に残る。「中トロ」は役割が分かりやすく、「唐墨餅」は塩気と餅の一体感がストレートに響く。「大トロ」と「赤身」は明確なコントラストを描き、「クエの酒蒸し」は滋味深い。「トロたくキャビア」は背徳感を残しつつ重たくならず、「トラフグ白子」は素材の濃度と旨味の押し出しが素直に伝わる。「うなきゅう」の余韻まで含め、ネタは多いが散らからない。一つひとつが、雲丹と並べても引けを取らない強度を持っている。

『鮨 尚充』は、雲丹を主軸に据えながらも、そこに依存しない構造を持つ。雲丹で印象を決定づけ、その他のネタで鮨屋としての地力を示す。その設計が一貫しているから、体験としての説得力が生まれる。結果的に記憶に残る店になっている。また中目黒に足を運ぶ理由は、十分だ。ご馳走様でした。
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#鮨尚充 #鮨 Less

In a city with so many great fine dining restaurants, @thechairmanrestauranthk remains a defiant sanctuary for the soul of Cantonese cuisine. My recent lunch there wasn’t just about elite cooking; it was about a deep, quiet respect for ingredients that often get overlooked.

The meal kicked off with a Pig’s Ear and Trotter Terrine that managed to be both rustic and incredibly refined, balanced by the sharp zing of ginger and vinegar. Then came the Crispy Taro Cake with Smoked Duck, a bite that perfectly captured what makes this place special: taking a familiar texture and making it feel brand new.

The philosophy here is simple but rare: they don’t hide behind expensive gimmicks. Instead, they obsess over the basics and on a labor-intensive extraction of umami. This was evident in the Beef Balls, perfume-heavy with the aged/sun-dried mandarin peel, and the Geoduck poached in a velvety rice broth, a dish that felt like a warm embrace.

The highlight was, predictably, the Steamed Flowery Crab. It’s served in a pool of aged Shaoxing wine and chicken oil so fragrant you could smell it across the room. Watching the flat rice noodles soak up every drop of that golden sauce is a ritual in itself. It’s Cantonese cooking at its most honest. Focused on the natural sweetness of the seafood and the warmth of the wine.

By the end of the meal, it is easy to realize that The Chairman isn’t trying to reinvent the wheel. They are simply perfecting it. It’s a restaurant that trusts its ingredients and its heritage enough to let them speak for themselves, proving that the most memorable meals aren’t usually the loudest.

Special thank you to my dear friend @kimanica for making this happen.

(Versão em Português nos comentários) Less

Amaebi is "nanban" ebi in Niigata. "Nanban" usually references Portuguese-derived foods that are fried or otherwise unconventionally prepared (by 1500s Japanese standards) but I'm really not sure how a local shrimp got this designation. It is always served as nigiri, with the added bonus at this meal of its roe appearing as a topping for torafugu shirako over a spoonful of the sushi rice. Less

What an exhilarating evening! Four young chefs “woked” up a fabulous menu to celebrate the first anniversary of The Silk Lakehouse in Hangzhou. While each chef clearly showcased his own style and individuality, the result was a seamless colllective performance that wowed the diners. Super grateful to Chef Dej who flew in straight from an earlier stint in Japan just one day before the event. Despite the rush, his desserts had the guests raving non-stop even after the dinner. Less

Sushi Gyoten
2025.02 dinner
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桑名の蛤
玉子焼き
Kuwana Hamaguri
Tamagotaki
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In Fukuoka,「Sushi Gyoten (鮨 行天)」feels like one of those rare places where reputation and presence fully meet. Kenji Gyoten (行天 健二) opened the restaurant in his hometown of Shimonoseki in 2009, moved it to Fukuoka in 2012, and later earned three Michelin stars there. In 2025 fall,「Sushi Gyoten (鮨 行天)」entered a new chapter with a move to a new location in Fukuoka, where the restaurant adopted a membership system, making the experience feel even more private and exclusive.

His foundation runs deep. Born into a sushi family, Gyoten later trained in Tokyo at「Araki (あら輝)」under Mitsuhiro Araki (荒木 水都弘), a formative experience he has said shaped the way he lives and works. From that lineage came a style that is disciplined in its Edomae core but very much his own in expression.

What stands out most at「Sushi Gyoten (鮨 行天)」is his carefully prepared series of tuna dishes, very much in line with the legacy of「Araki (あら輝)」. Beyond that, the restaurant’s identity is built on merticulous sourcing and control: akazu-seasoned shari, top-grade fish gathered into Fukuoka from across Japan, and an omakase shaped around the idea that each encounter is unique to that day. The result is a sushi experience that feels both rigorous and deeply personal.
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#vinfox_gyoten #sushi #omakase #michelinguide #3michelinstars Less