My second meal at Kisanuki — always the most telling visit, when expectations are set from the first time — confirmed not only the restaurant’s great potential, but also its already remarkable execution and maturity. Chef Wataru Kisanuki, who opened in April 2025 after years as head chef at Kataori, continues to impress with his flawless technique, impeccable sourcing, and refined palate.

Each dish embodies a quiet confidence: simple, restrained compositions that reveal profound depth of flavor and perfect balance. The progression of courses shows a chef who truly understands timing, texture, and taste — one who can draw remarkable complexity from minimalism.

The ingredients are top-tier, sourced with clear discernment, and the seasoning precise without ever feeling calculated. There is a sense of natural harmony that makes Kisanuki’s cuisine both deeply Japanese and unmistakably his own.

Despite having opened only months ago, the restaurant has already become impossible to book, with just six seats and a growing reputation among Japan’s most discerning diners. It is clear that Chef Kisanuki is poised to become one of Japan’s next culinary superstars, and Kanazawa has gained another essential destination for serious gastronomy. Less