2,998 characters★Season Course (JPY 19,360, tax included) Duration: Approximately 2 hours and 20 minutesI traveled from Tokyo to Aichi Prefecture.This restaurant (4.20) is run by Chef and Sommelier Rihito Kubota, born in 1988, who hails from Aichi. After honing his skills in Italy, he learned about fermentation at Naz (4.51) in Karuizawa upon returning to Japan. I found an available slot through the online reservation site Table Check and decided to visit.In summary, the cuisine here is more innovative than traditional Italian. Each dish incorporates the "fermentation" techniques learned at Naz, but it is less focused on acidity, resulting in a milder flavor. Many dishes emphasize combinations rather than just the quality of the ingredients, which had its ups and downs, but I preferred it over sai (4.18) as a representation of Italian cuisine in Nagoya.After climbing the outdoor stairs to the second floor (be careful as there are multiple flights of stairs that can be confusing), you’ll find a linear high chair counter with 4 seats and about 10 seats at 3 tables, overlooking a live kitchen. The restaurant is managed by a team of 6, including 5 men and 1 woman.On the table, there are towels, large plates, napkins, bread plates, spoons, and glasses. A female staff member asked whether I wanted sparkling or still water, which likely incurs a water charge. The wine pairing was modest in volume, making me acutely aware that Nagoya is a city. The restroom features a 2023 TOTO Neorest.I enjoyed the following dishes, and the total bill came to JPY 36,300.San Pellegrino (JPY 1,210)Wine Pairing (JPY 15,730) 1. Corn 2. Oyster 3. Sea Urchin 4. Pike Conger 5. Sweet Shrimp 6. Spanish Mackerel 7. Aichi Beef 8. Pasta1. Laelot Frères Brut Ultra Tradition N.V. France Champagne2. Les Moulin de Beaupuy 2021 Domaine de Frères Red France Loire3. Terradonna Vermentino Calci 2023 White Italy Tuscany4. Sapporo Fujino Winery Niagara Hasegawa Vineyard 2025 Semi-sparkling White Hokkaido5. Babushka 2022 Domaine Leonine Rosé France Roussillon6. Ti Volo Bene 2024 Rich Carlo Daniele Orange Italy Piedmont7. Vino Nobile di Montepulciano 2022 Sangiovese Red Italy Tuscany8. Ilma 2024 Casa di Monte White Italy Tuscany- Season Course (JPY 19,360)01. Corn 02. Rock Oyster 03. Sea Urchin 04. Pike Conger 05. Sweet Shrimp 06. Spanish Mackerel 07. Aichi Beef 08. Swordtip Squid 09. Melon 10. Post-meal Beverage (Coffee or Japanese Black Tea or Dry Herbal Tea or Japanese Oolong Tea) 11. Mango Here are my brief reviews of the dishes, with individual scores in brackets and prices including tax:【3.0】Corn Corn mousse, fermented pineapple, roasted corn consomme jelly, Oscietra caviar, marigold oil, and marigold. The presence of fermented pineapple adds a tropical flavor. The sweetness and richness of the corn stand out, but I feel it doesn’t pair well with the caviar.【3.8】Rock Oyster Baked rock oyster. Served with homemade semi-dried tomato sauce, nduja, fermented raspberry powder, and oregano. The hot, freshly baked, high-hydration ciabatta was delicious. I could request more bread before the main meat course. With tomato, nduja (spicy salami from Southern Italy), and oregano, it tasted almost like a pizza. If you think of it as an oyster pizza, it was better than many famous pizzerias.【3.7】Sea Urchin Risotto. Hokkaido purple sea urchin, Hida dragon's eye rice, fermented wasabi greens, sansho pepper, and seaweed. I couldn’t discern the positive effects of fermentation, but the purple sea urchin and the rice (large grains from dragon's eye) were of high quality.【3.7】Pike Conger Fried pike conger (hamo) with Okinawan island okra, fermented lettuce and mustard sauce, and lime foam. The acidity from the lime and fermentation gives it a light touch, even in the fried dish. Personally, I think acidity is unnecessary in fried foods, but among the 11 guests, 8 were women. They probably aren’t looking for rich, heavy dishes. The island okra, which had softened nicely, was surprisingly tasty.【3.9】Sweet Shrimp Pasta (cold pasta made with olive oil from Shodoshima). Sweet shrimp tossed in kombu oil, shiso flowers, roselle, and a sauce made with lacto-fermented tomatoes and oregano oil. The sauce used in this dish is the same as the one used for salmon at Naz. Despite the restaurant's tendency towards milder acidity, this dish was quite tangy, but the rich sweet shrimp balanced the acidity of the tomatoes, making it enjoyable as we approach summer.【3.8】Spanish Mackerel Grilled Chiba Spanish mackerel with a fluffy texture and good fat content. Served with steamed Kumamoto red eggplant, white bean and shellfish broth sauce, and fermented mushroom powder. The sauce, made with white beans, was smooth like a velouté. It was light in flavor and lightly salted, which paired well with the fluffy steamed eggplant and mackerel. I think a richer sauce with more salt would enhance the flavors of the mackerel and eggplant, but perhaps the lighter dish appeals more to women.【4.0】Aichi Beef Secondo piatto (main meat dish). Aichi beef tenderloin grilled with a sauce of black garlic and fermented blueberries. Served with sautéed spring greens in burnt butter, Hida snap peas, and new potato puree with a fond de veau sauce. The new potato puree and sauce blended well together. The rare cooking method gave the tenderloin a rich texture that paired excellently.【3.6】Swordtip Squid Pasta (freshly made tagliolini). Normally 40g, but I requested 60g. The dish included swordtip squid, zucchini, fermented lemon juice, bottarga, and fried zucchini flowers, garnished with lemon marigold. Although I didn’t find the hand-made pasta particularly remarkable, the squid transformed into a delightful texture when cooked.【4.2】Melon Ripe melon flesh, melon soda with carbonation, homemade yogurt gelato, and elderflower syrup. This refreshing dish is perfect for early summer, skillfully combining melon, carbonation, and yogurt. The dessert was the highlight of the meal, likely winning over the hearts of female guests.【3.0】Mango Freshly baked Amazon cacao financier, homemade citrus jam, and Miyazaki mango. The sweet aroma of the financier filled the air as it was heated, raising my expectations. However, the jam and mango felt like unnecessary additions that detracted from the deliciousness of the financier. I believe the freshly baked financier is best enjoyed simply on its own. The mango might be better served separately.