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travels for friends, food and wine - in exactly this order
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San Sebastian, Spain
Born
July 21
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Mitsuhiro Kibatani opened his shop in 2016 after being trained as a sushi chef in various restaurants locally and also in Tokyo. He sources his fish almost exclusively locally from the fish markets in Toyama and in Noto.
Chef Kibatani used the time during the lockdown to refine his skills to make rice. And I think it shows. This was my fifth meal at... More
Mitsuhiro Kibatani opened his shop in 2016 after being trained as a sushi chef in various restaurants locally and also in Tokyo. He sources his fish almost exclusively locally from the fish markets in Toyama and in Noto.
Chef Kibatani used the time during the lockdown to refine his skills to make rice. And I think it shows. This was my fifth meal at the sushi restaurant and my best one. The new combination of rice and fish is of extraordinary quality. His omakase menu contains of eight cooked dishes and nine sushi. One better than the other.
I’m now going there since August 2018 and in those two years I’ve seen a massive improvement and for me this is now one of the top suhsiya for me. Less
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- Gerhard Huber added a new meal Lunch at Noboru (のぼる) at Noboru (自家製麺 のぼる)
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This is one of the most beautiful restaurants I have ever visited. I only once saw the space a few weeks ago when I picked up a take out during the self imposed lock down period. Then the spaces were covered with boxes, waiting to be filled with delicious food. This time however everything was different.
Once you find the entrance of this tiny restaurant... More
This is one of the most beautiful restaurants I have ever visited. I only once saw the space a few weeks ago when I picked up a take out during the self imposed lock down period. Then the spaces were covered with boxes, waiting to be filled with delicious food. This time however everything was different.
Once you find the entrance of this tiny restaurant which is tucked away in the quiet streets of Higashiyama Chaya, one of the geisha districts of Kanazawa, one enters a narrow pathway which opens into a beautiful garden. Then you need to find the entrance to the restaurant which is not full size so even short people need to bow to enter. Once inside you find an awe inspiring space with counter seats and two tables. The architecture is pure and refined, the windows cut low so one only sees the lower half to the garden but one gets additional light from a loan skylight which is cut into the roof. The kitchen is so small that it would fit into the studio apartment. There are up to four chefs led by Mr. Imai cook for their guests.
The cuisine is a modern take on the traditional kaiseiki. It is simple but daring, The combination of flavors is inspired, the execution perfect.
He starts you off with a dish combing sea urchin with peas and eggplant topped by vinegar jelly. The abalone is served in a lightly smokey dashi and for additional texture is covered with dried seaweed. The ayu, minutes ago swimming in a large bowl right in front of you, gets numbed with ice water and then deep fried with a ever so light batter. A batter, I might remark, rivals the ones from very famous tempura places. The journey continues until you reach the rice course which is mixed with corn and topped with unagi. Great food, genuine friendly Chefs in a very beautiful place. Go there, they deserve it.
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Kyoto in Tokyo.
Chef Takao Fujiyama, a truly humble and very hospitable man, is one in the truly impressive lineage of Wakuden. Especially in Kyoto you find around every single corner a shop which was set up by one of its disciples, the most famous one being Ogata.
Chef Fujiyama succeded Ogata-san as head chef, but recently decided to strike out... More
Kyoto in Tokyo.
Chef Takao Fujiyama, a truly humble and very hospitable man, is one in the truly impressive lineage of Wakuden. Especially in Kyoto you find around every single corner a shop which was set up by one of its disciples, the most famous one being Ogata.
Chef Fujiyama succeded Ogata-san as head chef, but recently decided to strike out on his own. The increase the challenge he did so not in Kyoto but in Tokyo. He spent lots of time and surely money to select the wood for his small restaurant, he commissioned artists to create unique table ware for his food, no details was left unattended to. He thus created a truly special space which instantaneously transports you from the heart of Ginza into the Gion in Kyoto.
His food is beautifully plated and highly seasonal. The ingredients were of highest quality and the execution flawless. There are some truly great dishes like the torigai (鳥貝 / Japanese cockle) prepared as shabu shabu. His awabi ((鮑 / abalone) served with green and white asparagus in a light dashi soup was perfect. The texture of the awabi cannot get better, soft but still a little chewy.
However somehow the whole meal lacked inspiration. It felt a little robotic and lacked soul. I know this cannot be really put in taste and flavor notes. But at the end of the meal I did not feel compelled to ask for another reservation. Less
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- Gerhard Huber added a new meal Dinner at Ode (Ode) at Ode
For whatever reason Japanese-French fusion seem to work for me so much better in France than in Japan. I have been observing this for quite a few years and still don’t know the reason.
Chef Yusuke Namai at Ode is one of the exceptions to the rule. Coming from Tokyo, but having been trained in Nagamo, his creativity is borderless, his execution flawless... More
For whatever reason Japanese-French fusion seem to work for me so much better in France than in Japan. I have been observing this for quite a few years and still don’t know the reason.
Chef Yusuke Namai at Ode is one of the exceptions to the rule. Coming from Tokyo, but having been trained in Nagamo, his creativity is borderless, his execution flawless and his inspiration genius,
Here I am having dined there for five times, the last one just a few weeks ago and again he blows me away and on the way out he urges me to come back in early August to taste the new menu (?!).
GO there! Less
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- Gerhard Huber added a new meal Dinner at Kurosaki (くろ﨑) at Kurosaki (くろ﨑)
Today I went for lunch to the pop-up of my friend Kimura-san’s Sushi Jin at Narisawa. There, by coincidence met Asakura-san, the Chef/Owner of Kirakutei, now freshly relocated to Ginza. He introduced me to his fellow diner, his friend, as he put it, the sushi god. Of course such a statement from a chef like Asakura-san sparked my interest and I asked... More
Today I went for lunch to the pop-up of my friend Kimura-san’s Sushi Jin at Narisawa. There, by coincidence met Asakura-san, the Chef/Owner of Kirakutei, now freshly relocated to Ginza. He introduced me to his fellow diner, his friend, as he put it, the sushi god. Of course such a statement from a chef like Asakura-san sparked my interest and I asked where his places is. He told me that he is Kurosaki from the restaurant with the same name. My response was that I am happy to have met him because I have a dinner reservation the very same day. So when I turned up at 9pm he greeted me with “long time no see” and off we went on an extraordinary journey.
Kurosaki-san must be the best looking sushi chef in the country with long hair, a rare exception amongst sushi chefs. It is also remarkable that he is the only one with hair on his head. His entire team is shaven as one would expect. Luckly, as a person interested in woman not in male looks, his skills as a chef match his appearance.
He sources high end ingredients, he applies the modern style of sushi by interspacing his nigiri with otsumami. His nigiris are on the small side and the shari only lightly seasoned with akasu. The nigiri forming leaves enough air in the pieces to create a nice texture in your mouth. Normally I like higher acidity in the shari but somehow he makes it work.
Starting off he hits you with some excellent maguro from a smallish tuna, then continues to lead you through 20-25 small bites and dishes which are all very flavorful and perfectly executed. The highlight was a male nodoguro with papito which he served you into your hand instead of your tray, astonishing the lightly grilled and thus smokey flavor with the flaky texture of the fish.
Kurosaki-san also features an excellent list of nihonshu, however unless you are a connoisseur order osusume, Chef’s choice. He is gong to pick the best for whatever you are eating.
To summarize the whole meal is confined to the one notion that in leaving I booked another meal there in a few weeks. Less
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- Gerhard Huber added a new top list Ramen meals 2020 & 2021
Corona crisis induced extended stay in Japan. Guided by the Ramen Beast (http://www.ramenbeast.com) I have been visiting some very interesting ramen shops across the country.
The listing is by order of visit and is no indication of ranking.
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- Gerhard Huber added a new meal Dinner at 波濤 Sushi Hatou at Hato (波濤)
New bright star on the sushi ceiling in Tokyo. Another restaurant from the Ishikawa group, this 29 year old has taken the sushi diner world by storm.
His store is exquisitely outfitted, with the counter being one piece from Africa and his tableware from renown artists.
Chef Daichi Kumakiri shows his pedigree in forming his nigiris and seasoning... More
New bright star on the sushi ceiling in Tokyo. Another restaurant from the Ishikawa group, this 29 year old has taken the sushi diner world by storm.
His store is exquisitely outfitted, with the counter being one piece from Africa and his tableware from renown artists.
Chef Daichi Kumakiri shows his pedigree in forming his nigiris and seasoning of his rice. This can only get better and then it will be really impossible to make a reservation.
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I am not a great fan of pop-ups. Normally they never deliver the original experience, especially when it is a collaboration dinner. Nevertheless I felt I needed to show my face when Kimura-san comes from Toyama to show the folks in the capital what Toyama sushi is all about. He did not take the Shinkansen but drove so he could bring his own water to... More
I am not a great fan of pop-ups. Normally they never deliver the original experience, especially when it is a collaboration dinner. Nevertheless I felt I needed to show my face when Kimura-san comes from Toyama to show the folks in the capital what Toyama sushi is all about. He did not take the Shinkansen but drove so he could bring his own water to cook the rice with it. he also brought the sake master from the Masuizumi brewery with him who was able to explain the wonderful sake pairing.
And to make it short, Kimura-san really pulled it off. Excellent performance. His signature dishes came off nicely and he could source great fish for the nigiris. Kudos! Less
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