Gusto Journals Japan

2nd Visit to Furumachi Gojo in Niigata City.

An intimate Kaiseki experience at a beautiful 7-seat counter, giving the chance to witness the craft of Gojo's young chef up close. Just like the winter course I tried during my first visit, Gojo's summer course oozes with character and makes for an outstanding dining experience all around.
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The chef is trained in soba, having learned from his parents. This pops up in different ways throughout the course, as the opener dish of soba groats & wild mushrooms in a refreshing cold dashi makes an immediate statement on the chef's skill to bring out the best of Niigata's local ingredients. Eventually, the soba theme culminates in two unforgettable closing dishes: a juwari soba served simply with a touch of salt&sudachi, and a hot soba dish with pieces of junsai shining in each bite.
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Of course, there's a lot more in between. Niigata's prized early summer fish 'Ara' makes an appearance in the best way possible, with its torched skin leading the way to ultra-soft and tasty meat. The perfectly cooked sea bass in the gentle yet impactful fish bone dashi leaves an indelible mark on the palate, while the amadai impresses as its crunchy texture is juxtaposed beautifully with the soft soba crepe wrapped around it. The chef's level of execution is unparalleled: each dish has enough impact to hold its own, while there's an overarching sense of elegance and subtlety. This is next-level Kaiseki.
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A good amount of the well established chefs, bar masters, and other craftsmen of Japan are close to retirement age. Sometimes, it's hard not to have a sense of worry if their craft could ever be carried into the next generations, and lament what may be forever lost. However, places like Furumachi Gojo show what the future of mastery in one's craft can look like for Japan: not merely a less able reproduction of what used to be, but a thoughtful interpretation standing solidly in traditional roots while taking confident steps forward towards what ought to be. Less

Tempura Asanuma in Nihonbashi, Tokyo.

Known for the chef's signature batter style, made by whisking freezer-stored flour, eggs, and iced water aggressively to create a foamy peak. The resulting foam is used exclusively to coat the seasonal seafood and vegetables. This leads to what I would describe as a "puffy" coating that has substantial impact but never once feels heavy or oily. Seamlessly integrated to each ingredient, the coating acts as part of a whole rather than feeling like an afterthought.
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While there is the usual range of seafood here, what impressed me the most were the seasonal vegetables. Simply biting into the asparagus is an unforgettable experience, as the ingredient reveals itself in all its freshness and crispiness under the coating. Almost as if the asparagus were grown inside the batter all along. The young corn, eggplant, and the zucchini flower all similarly impress.
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Then the scallop comes. Wrapped in nori, it is unbelievably tender under its coating, as if it were slow cooked at a low temperature. Another bite to leave an indelible mark upon the innocent palates experiencing Asanuma's craft for the first time.
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With an unassuming attitude and ambience, Tempura Asanuma showcases the peak of tempura cooking in silent confidence. Not an everyday meal, but a demonstration of unrivalled craftsmanship. Less

▪️Sushi Namba Yotsuya (Tokyo)
▪️Dinner Omakase (¥33,000)

Namba Yotsuya is the sister branch of the legendary Sushi Namba Hibiya. Ran by the long-time sous-chef of the original store, it is open irregularly throughout the year. If you can grab one of its 8 seats once the reservations are open online, it is a great opportunity to experience the trademark style of Namba: edomae sushi prepared with almost obsessive focus on temperature control.
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The course begins with some exceptional otsumami plates already demonstrating the chef's total mastery on heat, such as the mind-bending piece of octopus that carried the flavor and impact of a raw one but with a soft, cottony texture that can only come from expert grilling. We are then presented with the menu for the nigiri. Each piece is listed with the intended temperature of both the shari(rice)&neta(topping), a touch unique to Namba.
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Shari is around room temperature, while the neta is usually around body temperature. Fatty fish usually get warmer shari to enhance the umami impact. Throughout the course, I observed the chef send back the fish multiple times as they weren't the right temperature so Namba's approach is definitely not a gimmicky one that stays only on paper. While I don't think Namba serves especially warm shari or does anything particularly different than other top-class sushiya, it's just simply fun to be able to have the process of temperature control laid out clearly and to be able to focus on the differences in each piece.
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How does all of this reflect on the taste? Well, Namba serves some truly impressive nigiri. The shari is well balanced and does not rely on heavy sourness or akazu. The standout piece for me was the seasonal special Sanma (Pacific saury). Regarded in history as a cheap blue fish of the common, Sanma is getting more attention as of late and Namba's nigiri might just be its pinnacle. Fatty and meaty with the characteristic sardine-y blue fish taste.
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Kasugo (crimson sea bream) , Kohada (gizzard shad) , and the impactful tuna were also noteworthy. Only the saba(mackerel) did not feel up to par with the standard set by other pieces. Overall - highly recommended! Less

Located in rural Kanazawa, Les Tonnelles bears all the markings of a special gastronomy experience. Sitting on an enormous farmland, the building is a stunning design of architect Shigeru Ban. It is hard not to feel awe while walking through the entrance covered in vineyards, turning your gaze from the grapes hanging like pearls overhead only to be soaked in the warm wood tones of the gorgeous interiors.
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This setting allows them to promise a true farm-to-table experience putting local vegetables at the heart of their course. What is special about Les Tonnelles is that this whole experience never feels gimmicky. This is only made possible because they manage to deliver as great an experience with what is on the plate, as what is around it.
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The man in the kitchen is a young Mexican chef, cooking French cuisine with local Japanese ingredients. This unique background expresses itself in an eclectic menu drawing on various influences. And yet, these are weaved together purposefully to create dishes that feel grounded. Take the Sawara dish served with a delicious mole sauce. The sauce utilizes local vegetables and is more delicate than usual, sensibly pairing with the meaty sawara.
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The tomato salsa with corn tortilla is another great example of the chef playing to his strengths while still putting the vegetables to the forefront. In a lovely twist, the chef then presents a plate of okra and sazae topped with tosazu jelly - a dish that bears a uniquely Japanese sensibility, something you would expect to find at a Kappo. It is a delight to be able to enjoy these dishes as part of the same course.
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For the main, the Himi wagyu delivers an unforgettable punch of umami bolstered by the concentrated vegetable sauce, creating a dish that encapsulates the strengths of Les Tonnelles in an impressively simple manner. The drink pairing is a must and completely elevates the experience. The selection is diverse including a fruity Zibibbo wine and a homemade sparkling rose.
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Overall, Les Tonelles manages to deliver an incredible experience that makes excellent use of its unique setting. Here, substance underpins the medium to create a true destination restaurant. Less

Herise, üç yıl önce Kızıltoprak'ta iki masalı bir yer iken tanıştık Asude ve Bahadır ile. Ufacık ama özenle tasarlanmış bir dükkan, bu yetenekli çiftin düzgün yemek yapma tutkusu ve misafirperverlikleri ile ışıldıyordu. Herise, bu ışıltıdan güç alarak operasyonun boyutunu ve seviyesini büyütecek Sarıyer'deki yeni yerlerine taşındı.
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Açıkçası Herise 2.0'yi ziyaret etmeden önce belli çekincelerim vardı. Neticede Türkiye'de nicelik noktasında yaşanan büyüme hemen her sefer nitelik kaybını da getiriyor - ülkenin gerçeği ekonomik kaygılar, yemek yapma tutkusunun samimiyetine ket vuruyor. Fakat dün sevinerek gözlemledim ki Herise'nin mutfağı, özenli tabakları sıcak bir ortamda sunmaya devam ediyor. Bu anlamda bir kalite kaybından söz etmek mümkün değil, ancak ortada niteliksel bir dönüşüm var.
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Önce mekanın kendisinden başlayalım. Japon esintiler taşıyan sade ama zevk sahibi iç dizaynı ile İstanbul'daki en şık restoranlardan birine dönüşmüş Herise. İhtişamlı fakat gösterişsiz tarzı umarım şehirde yeni bir akıma öncülük edebilir. 20 civarı müşterinin ağırlanabildiği restoranın ölçek olarak çok büyümemiş olması sevindirici.
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Herise'de artık bir tadım menüsü var. Özellikle öğlen için uygun olduğunu düşündüğüm hafif, ahenkli ve keyiflice akan bir menü. Kaiseki'ye benzer 'steril' ve rafine tatlar hakim. Beni en çok etkileyen tabaklar, pastırmanın dokusu ve lezzeti ile seviye atlayan ustaca tasarlanmış "süzük" ve tatlı-ekşi lezzetleri başarıyla harmanlayan ayvalı kereviz oldu. Herise'nin alametifarikası keşkek, menünün ana yemeği ve bence hala olağanüstü bir imza tabak.
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Püreli köfte tabağını menünün gerisinde buldum. Bence keşkekten sonra daha 'net' bir ana protein tabağı yapılabilir. Köfteden önce gelen ekşili tavuk tabağında da bir yardımcı oyuncuya ihtiyaç var gibi. Tatlı seçkisi ise harikaydı. Hafif ama akılda kalıcı bir zerde ile portakallı keşkül menüyü taçlandırdı. Bir not da iyi çalışılmış alkolsüz içeceklere. Baştaki sirkencübin, damağı harekete geçiren çok keyifli bir bardaktı.
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Herise 2.0, her ne kadar Kızıltoprak'a kıyasla farklı bir kulvara geçmiş olsa da bu yeni kulvarda kalitesini ortaya koyuyor ve niteliksel dönüşümünün hakkını veriyor. Less

▪️Restaurant Uozen (Niigata)
▪️Course with Wine Pairing: ¥30K

Fifth time in Uozen and there`s a reason I keep coming back here braving the journey to Higashi Sanjo: I simply found nowhere else that comes even close to the experience Uozen provides.
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To put concisely, Uozen represents the pinnacle of both execution and flavor. Here, astonishing technique and sophistication you would find at top-level fine dining institutions blend with the blast of hearty and impactful flavors normally reserved for back-alley french bistros. Add to that the sleek and tastefully designed Japanese-house setting with a splendid honoki tree counter, wine pairing of unrivalled quality, and great hospitality, you have the formula to an unbeatable dining experience.
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The course menu showcases a stupendous variety of technique and flavors, centering around the game meat the chef hunts himself in the mountains of Niigata. Can any other chef even dare to serve wild boar, teal, bear, whale, hairy crab in the same menu? Daring is one thing, but pulling it off is another. In an unbelievable feat of skill, Chef Inoue manages to serve dishes full of finesse and flavor with each ingredient cooked masterfully, one after the other.
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The whale tartare is expertly balanced. The wild boar 'taco' with a crepe made of soba is melt-in-the-mouth and only gets better when dipped in the homemade sabayon. The chawanmushi with hairy crab and butternut squash is a kaleidoscope of subtle flavors each adding a different color to an explosion of umami.Ravioli with wild grouse and porcini is served in a mouth-puckering vin jaune sauce and with yuriine (lily bulbs). The textures clash gracefully while enveloped in the delicious sauce and comte cheese.
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For the mains, kogamo (teal) is cooked with ridiculous precision, and the sauce made of its own blood is unabashedly heavy yet seductively elegant - a geniusly crafted microcosm of Uozen itself. While the lievre a la royale interpretation combines bear, duck, and boar for a worthy finale.
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Chef Inoue clearly has a special bond with his ingredients, and it shows in his craft. His cooking speaks the language of nature like no other. Less

▪️Ristorante Da Fiore (Omotesando)
▪️Chef's Lunch Course (¥7700)

It is rare that a restaurant can convey a distinct sense of character through a multi-course meal, as effectively and coherently as Da Fiore does.
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Here, the philosophy of the chef is not advertised boastfully on social media or through excessive tableside storytelling. Rather, the ingredients are allowed to speak for themselves. The chef's versatile cooking techniques, the beautiful pottery in which the dishes are served, the subdued colors of the interior embroidered with the greenery of countless plants; they all seem consciously chosen as vessels to help the ingredients express themselves better.
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Indeed, the meal begins with the presentation of these ingredients in their raw form. Within the kaleidoscopic colors of numerous in-season vegetables, there are no A5 Wagyu or truffles to be found. This is a demonstration of the chef's confidence in the humblest of ingredients he procures, or rather in his ability to let these ingredients shine through his cooking.
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The dishes contain only minimal touches as to not distract from the core ingredients. The turnip soup is at its purest form, not even dashi is used. The kanburi is served in a pure kinkan sauce with gentle citrus, no salt is added. But no other plate expresses the chef's intentions better than the dish that consists solely of 6 different vegetables, all cooked to perfection. From the cauliflower to the radish, they are rendered at their most ideal, as if they jumped straight out of Plato's Realm of Forms.
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The chef doesn't shy away from meat dishes either. The main dish of deer is cooked exquisitely and served with a gentle balsamic sauce & abundance of herbs that undercut the gaminess perfectly.
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Besides being delicious, all the dishes in the course simply feel good for the body and the soul. Even the risotto is executed in such a way, with the genius addition of asparagus and lily bulbs, that it does not feel heavy at all.
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In this restaurant, the chef cooks with utmost respect for his ingredients, and for his customers. That, is the distinct character of Ristorante Da Fiore. Less

▪️弐ノ蔵 Ninokura (Sapporo)
▪️Sushi - Omakase Dinner Course: ¥18K

Japan's northernmost island Hokkaido is known for its abundance of prime-quality fresh seafood. Visiting the island's largest city Sapporo for the first time, I was eager to splurge on a sushi omakase to taste Hokkaido's coveted offerings. Thus, I headed to the six-seat counter of Ninokura, brimming with excitement. Expectations were high, and Ninokura surpassed them in a spectacular manner.
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The 2-hour course opened with 6 plates of otsumami, followed by 12 nigiri. The chef's unique sense of creativity without restraint permeated through the course. He used cheese, a quintessential Hokkaido ingredient yet an unorthodox one in sushi, 4 times in the course. Tossing a raw shirako (cod milt) in crumbs of panko and parmigiano, he created an umami layer to encase the impossible creaminess of the in-season ingredient which itself felt like I was eating the world's best burratta. The shirako then made a comeback as nigiri, this time slightly grilled and put on top of Hokkaido-made ricotta. A daring combination of milky textures to remarkable result.
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In another plate of creative otsumami, Meichidai and spinach were served in a unique butter dashi. The butter was used so expertly as to not disturb the soft mouthfeel of the dashi, while amplifying the flavor to perfectly complement the white meat fish. Such otsumami worked to showcase the chef's exceptional control over subtle flavors, which translated well into his nigiri.
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Innovative touches continued through the nigiri. The chef used a soldering iron to gently grill some of the pieces such as nodoguro and squid. Oyster from kushiro was injected with ponzu by a syringe to create one of the most thrilling pieces of the night. The shari relied on komezu and was superbly balanced in sourness and texture, neither too loose nor too firm.
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An austere ambience could have taken away from the experience but the chef was quite friendly and created an engaging experience. As it was only six people, it felt like a dinner party after we all had a few cups of sake. Overall, this was an unforgettable sushi experience for half the price you would pay in Tokyo. Less

▪️Fileja (Kanda-Tokyo)
▪️Italian - Pasta course: ~¥12K

A six-seat chef's restaurant in a beautifully designed space hidden in Kanda. Fileja offers a unique and highly entertaining dinner experience through a memorable 3-hour course that consists of 20+ dishes.
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This almost feels like a sushi omakase - with fresh pasta dishes instead of nigiri pieces. Several non-pasta dishes are sprinkled in between in lieu of 'otsumami' , and they add a nice variation to the course. The cabbage roll and the wagyu cheek stew are among the noteworthy non-pasta dishes.
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But the star here is the pasta. Good fresh pasta is already difficult to find but Fileja serves around 10 different pasta dishes all fresh made in front of you from scratch, including bucatini, tortelli, flat pappardelle, ravioli... The pasta are then elevated through expertly made sauces. The chef generally keeps it simple and sticks to doing the classics well - already making a strong statement of intent with the opening tortelli that is cooked in a very straightforward butter sauce.
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As you have 20+ dishes, portions are minuscule. It feels like the chef is constantly teasing you, making you crave for more after you savor every drop of delicious sauce in your plate, as he keeps hitting you with one fascinating dish after the other. There is also a selection of carefully selected natural wines accompanying the course in the way you desire.
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This was one of the most enjoyable dining experiences for me this year - lots of entertainment value watching the chef make different kinds of pasta in front of you, also helped by his personable style that keeps the mood light and airy.
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The course is of great value and still easy to book, another proof that you don't need to chase ridiculously hard reservations and pay ridiculously high bills to have a delicious fine dining experience in Tokyo. Wholeheartedly recommended.
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▪️Chisou Sottakuito - Hiroshima City
▪️Kaiseki (Dinner course with sake pairing: ¥33000)

Through the interplay of peerless craftsmanship and unwavering focus on ingredient quality, local and microseasonal delicacies of Hiroshima are rendered into unforgettable dishes at Chisou Sottakuito.
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The first dish says it all. The clear dashi made with soft Hiroshima water blends in with the beautiful lacquerware, and green watershields called Junsai adorn the white okoze fish as if they were gracefully suspended mid-air. While I silently adore the aesthetics of this dish, the chef proceeds to tell me about how it is now the peak season of junsai in Hiroshima. They are served at their best to showcase their unique viscous texture which is revered by the Japanese.
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This is the height of Washoku: a dish made to appreciate the subtle difference of texture a few days may bring to a prized local ingredient.
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The course continues in the path set by the first dish. A massive scallop-like tairagai is hand-plucked in front of us in an effort to retain its umami, the sashimi is served with a 34-year-old ponzu made from scratch by the chef, a piece of mackerel is explained to have a remarkably soft taste because it fed on nothing else but sakura-ebi shrimps... Minute details in each dish display the chef's fantastical level of skill and obsession for his craft.
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But nothing illustrates the quality of cooking here better than the dashi - the feather in Sottakuito's cap. Several different dashi are featured in the course. Perhaps most impressive one is behind the takamori wagyu dish - a broth prepared by aged rishiri konbu and 4 kinds of dried fish. The depth of flavor with the added umami from the wagyu is astounding.
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The sake pairing from @riepyonosake features very rare bottles, some nama and aged ones. The aged sake she brought for the final dish of rice with summer truffles was made for one of the best pairings I've experienced, as the sake's almost cacao-like nutty flavors blended beautifully with the fragrant truffles.
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If it is not clear by now, I would wholeheartedly recommend Chisou Sottakuito for a kaiseki experience worth traveling for. Less