Despite 2 Michelin stars and a high Tabelog rating I was somehow unprepared for how good Myoujyako would be .
An effortlessly minimalist space which does well to hone in on the concept of purity that transcends the menu. Water is a big feature with 2 courses relying purely on sea water as the flavour agent . Zero dashi is used .
We start off with the essence of Myoujyaku , sweet potato boiled in water and salt. The potato is firm yet very tender and the water has taken on a lot of its sweetness.
Gently cooked pike eel is paired with chrysanthemum petals , beautiful and satisfying .
Sashimi course is outstanding , octopus whose skin has been meticulously removed rendering it into a stunning albino colour . The protein has been very lightly cooked but still feels raw, it’s cut in a way to relax the tissues and give a satisfying melting bite , it tastes like raw lobster, an absolutely masterful dish.
Accompanied by two textures of sea bream , also excellent but it’s hard not to be fixated on the Octopus.
Today’s soup is sea water with whelk , clam and winter melon . The additional ingredients reign in the salinity .
Beautifully grilled Amberjack is served with perilla and green onion , love the piquancy of the relish .
Haven’t been a big fan of Turtle in the past but this may start to convert me , texture and flavour reminded me of fish maw and was set with a ginkgo nut cream which also elevated another ingredient that I am not that fond of .
The signature dish is the ayu hand roll , first the head and bones are placed on a super thin egg white crepe , the ayu is then grilled and placed onto the crepe hissing as it releases its steam, you then wrap up the crepe like an envelope . Awesome !
A palate cleanser of sorts follows , multiple marinated chilled fruit ( grapes, fig, peach,persimmon,Asian pear, walnut ) .
Fried dish is again a creative success , edamame paste encasing Bottarga , vegetal and salty .

Continued in comments ..