YOSHIKI FUJI (YOSHIKI FUJI) Hitachiomiya

YOSHIKI FUJI, located on a small hill in Hitachiomiya City, Ibaraki Prefecture, is a culinary gem that has become a must-visit destination for gastronomy enthusiasts across Japan, as evidenced by its accolades including the Tabelog Award 2026 Bronze, French EAST 100 Best Restaurants 2025, and 3 toques from Gault & Millau.Chef Yoshiki Fuji, born in 1980 and hailing from Ibaraki, honed his skills in French cuisine in Mito, Tokyo, and Zushi before traveling to the Basque region of Spain in 2019. His experience at "Etxebarri," where land and food beautifully intertwine, evolved his culinary philosophy. After returning to Japan, he continued to explore and opened his current location in May 2024, stating, "Where the sensibilities of France and the Basque region intersect, we create Ibaraki gastronomy." True to this vision, the ingredients sourced from the restaurant's garden and local producers within a 60km radius embody the essence of French cuisine.▶ Access & Basic Information Approximately 5 minutes by car from Hitachiomiya Station (taxi recommended) / 1107-1 Kamino Tsubo, Ishizawa, Hitachiomiya City Reservation only (available through services like Ikkyu.com) / Maximum of 6 seats per day, limited to 3 groups / Private rooms available, private reservations accepted / All seats non-smoking / Parking available Wednesday to Sunday 12:00 - 15:30 (all at once) / Closed on Mondays and Tuesdays / Dinner by consultation Cards accepted (VISA, Master, JCB, AMEX, Diners) / No electronic money or QR code payments ▶ Course Information Three courses are available, ranging from JPY 18,150 to JPY 36,300, featuring around 14 dishes. The first chapter focuses on vegetables to gently awaken the palate, leading into the second chapter that delves into the depth of flavors from wood-fired cooking and aging. The specialty dish "Fudo" is a plate showcasing over 40 varieties of homegrown vegetables, making it worth a visit on its own. The wood-fired dishes may be finished outdoors, incorporating elements like straw smoking and herbs, depending on the weather. The wine pairing is curated by a Gault & Millau certified sommelier, blending local producers with European bottles.▶ Omakase Course **First Chapter** ■ Prologue Imagining the landscapes of the northern prefecture 1. Fried Tapioca and Catfish Marinade This dish reflects an initiative to reduce the catfish population, which has been overgrowing and consuming local fish like smelt, by incorporating it into the chef's cuisine. 2. Pheasant Liver Mousse with Beet Chocolate and Taro Puree The sweetness of the chocolate pairs beautifully with the rich flavor of the mousse. 3. Potato, Tomato, and Fava Bean Puree You can taste the sweetness and acidity of the tomato. ■ Sea Bream and Sea Snail Sea snails marinated in fig leaf oil, topped with powdered sea bream innards, served with a chilled sauce of cucumber, myoga, sea bream dashi, and soy sauce, garnished with strawberries and tomatoes. The powdered innards amplify the umami of the sea bream, while the summer sea snails are deliciously flavorful and aromatic, complemented by a refreshing chilled sauce. ■ Onion Fried Mehakari Fried Mehakari from Kuji Beach, a local dish where fish is dried for three days. Served with local perilla and onions sautéed for 8 hours, this dish is rich in flavor and perfectly fatty. ■ Ultimate Eggplant Baked in a pastry to trap the aroma, the eggplant is cooked slowly for 3 hours, with the skin charred and powdered. The tender eggplant allows you to enjoy its sweetness and aroma, paired with a delicious umami-rich tomato sauce. ■ Stuffed Peppers with Minced Sanemon Delicious pork with a light fat content and rich flavor. ■ Caciocavallo from Satomi Farm, Homemade Buckwheat Bread, and Honey from Wajima Town's Wisteria Flowers A perfect combination of flavorful bread, rich cheese, and honey. ■ Red Pine Mushroom Sun-dried and blended with oil and moisture for the sauce, with a hint of catmint essence reminiscent of matsutake mushrooms. The aroma of the mountains is beautifully captured. ■ Natural Sweetfish with Nuta Natural sweetfish from Daigo Town in June, served with nut miso and a crepe made from the fish's innards, salted for a year and a half. The umami of the innards is beautifully complemented by the moist and smooth crepe with the natural sweetfish. ■ Corn Soup Freshly harvested at 5 AM, this variety called "Millefeuille" is incredibly sweet and creamy without added sugar or salt. This is delicious. ■ Fudo A dish featuring 60 varieties of summer vegetables, categorized into four sections: the outermost being fresh, the second sautéed, and the third pickled. This is the ultimate specialty that allows you to savor the deliciousness of summer vegetables. ■ Homemade Prosciutto Aged for 2 years from Ume-yama pork, with a flavor reminiscent of Iberico, packed with umami. **Second Chapter** ■ Hitachi Ise Lobster Wood-fired Ise lobster served with white carrot and herb sauce. The aroma of the wood and the sweetness and umami of the lobster are enhanced by the refreshing herb sauce. The tartar sauce with peppers is fresh, crunchy, and packed with flavor. ■ Plum Sorbet A refreshing dish styled like an ice pop. ■ Gyusankyu Hitachi beef aged for 48 months, featuring strip loin, tenderloin, and top sirloin, served with pickled beets. A steak that allows you to enjoy the rich flavor of the red meat. ■ Ise Lobster Paella Although not on the menu, the chef prepared this delightful paella on short notice due to available ingredients. You can taste the umami of the broth learned in the Basque region, making it the best paella. ■ Pheasant Eggs Herb ice cream made with pheasant eggs, served with warm espresso sauce that solidifies into a jelly-like texture when poured, making it delicious. ■ Basque Cheesecake A salted Basque cheesecake learned in Spain, served with canelé, Japanese honeybee cookies, and baked treats with beets and white chocolate to conclude the course. ◆ I hope this information is helpful for your reference ◆ ___________________ Instagram: 66shuki Twitter: 66shuki TikTok: 66shuki ___________________ Less

The nearest station is Joban Omiya, but it's quite far to walk, so most people will likely drive. By the way, it takes about 2 hours from central Tokyo.This innovative restaurant is nestled in the countryside, standing alone amidst beautiful rural scenery.I made a reservation for lunch on a holiday. They primarily serve lunch, but dinner is available by request.With a limit of 6 guests per day, there are 3 tables, so if there are pairs, they can accommodate 3 groups, but if there are 3 people, only 2 groups can be served.The elevated location offers a wonderful view of the surrounding fields.There are 3 course options, and I chose the middle one, which was around JPY 26,000.The menu lists 11 dishes, but they also serve additional items if they have good ingredients, so I think I ended up enjoying about 15 or 16 dishes in total.The ingredients are primarily sourced from Ibaraki, and everything from the vegetables to the fish and meat was exceptional.What stood out to me were the eggplant pie, the red-capped mushroom and aromatic herb flan, and the Mehikari fish from Kuji Beach.The sauce for the pie was a simple tomato sauce, but it paired perfectly with the pie.The umami of the red-capped mushroom was incredible.The specialty featuring 60 types of vegetables was also impressive.For the main course, we had a tasting of Hitachi beef sirloin, tenderloin, and top sirloin. The beef was from cows that were 48 months old, and it was delicious without being too fatty.I entered at noon and left after 4 PM, enjoying a 4-hour course. The originality and story behind the dishes made the time fly by.Even though there was a substantial amount of food, I found it easy to enjoy every bite.The chef and his wife were both wonderful people, and I didn't want to leave, but eventually, I had to. Less

【2026 Bronze】【2025 Top 100 Restaurants】【2026 Goemio 3 Tock】The final stop on my journey to conquer the Ibaraki Medal Restaurants took me quite far to this place. I finally managed to make a reservation for one at YOSHIKI FUJI, which I had intended to visit after finishing work by this day; however, it turned into a dedicated trip just for this restaurant (^^; After taking the Ken-O Expressway to Tsukuba and proceeding from the Nakaminato IC on the Joban Expressway, it took a total of 2.5 hours... quite a distance. This standalone restaurant perched on a hill has a terrace, and its location might remind you of Foliorina. Chef Yoshiki Fuji, who previously led Yukimura-an, opened this restaurant after spending a year in Spain.■ Cours de Dégustation 18150 + Wine Pairing 4 Glasses; 27346◆ Zuiryu CHARDONNAY 2024 ◇ Prologue LUT LAIHCOY - 3 Specialties - Tender chicken white liver chocolate, beets, and taro - Marinated catfish with cream cheese and tapioca - Purple potatoes, fava beans, tomato chips, and potato puree ◇ Onion Mehikari Mehikari fish with local perilla, served with a sauce made from sautéed onions cooked for 8 hours.◆ Mon Petit Rouge Le Bois d'Azur ◇ Turban Shell - Summer Kuji Beach turban shell, purple vine, purple chili flower, and Kuji Beach confit ◯ The turban shell, cooked at 58 degrees for 3 hours, is served with peanut miso and espuma made from seawater broth extracted from the shell. While abalone is available, this was my first experience with turban shell and its bile, and the peanut miso was a standout.◇ Red Pine Mushroom Porcini, Kuro-moji flan with catmint, and Ibaraki's awa soy sauce ◯ The red pine mushroom is also known as porcini, seasoned with a rich flavor from the awa soy sauce, resembling the texture of turban shell or abalone.◇ Minced Sanemon and Pepper, Kuro-moji Branch ◯ I couldn't identify which menu item this was, but it was a stuffed pepper made with coarsely ground brand pork. It was definitely tastier than the typical stuffed peppers you find in stores.◇ Baguette made with soba flour from Hitachi-Ota City Served with wisteria honey and herbs from Taiko Town, two slices for sauce.◆ Tajima River Right Bank 2024 ◇ Nuta Natural Sweetfish Grilled sweetfish with its bones, homemade herb crepe, and powdered sweetfish innards. The pairing included corn potage made from corn harvested at 5 AM, without any seasoning. ○◇ Local Produce 50 varieties of summer vegetables served raw, sautéed, pickled, and fried. Served in lacquerware from Daigo Town, but it looked better than it tasted.◇ Homemade Prosciutto Meishan pork prosciutto, aged for 2 years... quite salty.◇ Sea Bream Sea bream with red shiso and herb sauce.◆ Zuiryu MERLOT 2022 ◇ Beef from a Cow that has Given Birth 48-month-old beef from a cow that has given birth, served with beets and red wine salt.◇ Mango and Hōrō Island Egg ◇ Basque Cheesecake Despite the sign saying it opens at 12:00, the entrance opened at 12:02, and the first dish was served at 12:30. Since I had to be in Omiya by 17:00, I ended up rushing through the latter part of the meal (^^; Typically, it takes about 3 hours, so it might be best to avoid other plans afterward. This Spanish innovative cuisine uses ingredients sourced within 60 km of the restaurant in Ibaraki. I found the Japanese wine paired with the meal to be somewhat challenging, so ordering a bottle might be a better option. Less

Kuraso de Degustation JPY 18,150 (tax included)Soft drinks x4Total JPY 22,900Located just a 5-minute taxi ride from Hitachiomiya Station, this innovative restaurant was booked through Ikkyu.com.\"Prologue\"◯ Chocolate with Hōhō Chicken White LiverA dish featuring powdered beets and a taro shaped like a butterfly.◯ Marinated CatfishA dish with cream cheese and fried tapioca, garnished with garden-fresh borage.◯ TuileA tuile made with purple potatoes, squid ink, green beans, and tomatoes, filled with potato purée.\"Onion and Squid\"Roasted Hitachiomiya onions wrapped in pastry for over 8 hours, topped with marinated spear squid from Kuji Beach and two types of herbs from the garden.\"Rock Oyster\"A dish of rock oysters and fresh konjac, drizzled with passion fruit and coconut sauces.\"Off the Menu\"Homemade baguette topped with herb butter and honey from Fuji, garnished with garden herbs.\"Corn\"A soup made from freshly harvested corn, finished without any sugar or salt. Hōhō chicken white liver is placed in the center, topped with marjoram.\"Nuta Natural Sweetfish\"Sweetfish from Daigo Town, nut sauce, and various garden herbs wrapped in a crepe made from wild vegetable leaves.\"Terroir\"A dish featuring over 40 types of vegetables prepared in four different ways (raw, sautéed, pickled, and fried).\"Homemade Prosciutto\"Prosciutto made from a brand of pork called Hitachi no Kagayaki, aged for a year and a half.\"Fishing Swordfish\"Swordfish wrapped in zucchini, topped with tartar sauce made from Kuji Beach lobster and garden herbs.\"Off the Menu\"Frozen dessert made with purple cabbage and strawberries.\"Hōhō Chicken\"Wood-fired Hōhō chicken from Kasumigaura, served with chicken broth and red wine sauce. Accompanied by beets dried over three days on firewood.\"Hōhō Chicken Egg\"Ice cream made with eggs from Nakakuhimawari, drizzled with syrup from pine tree buds.\"Basque Cheesecake\"\"Off the Menu\"Japanese black tea made from tea leaves picked in spring 2024.\"Off the Menu\"◯ Beets with White Chocolate◯ Canelé◯ Honey CookiesUtilizing local Ibaraki ingredients, even the dishes and pottery are crafted by Ibaraki artisans. The restaurant grows herbs around the premises, incorporating freshly picked herbs into the dishes. Not only practicing local production for local consumption, but it also embodies the terroir of Ibaraki.The dishes, based on French and Spanish cuisine, are beautifully presented and highly refined. I was captivated by the chef's skill in blending Ibaraki ingredients to create original dishes.It was a great meal. Less

Non-Alcoholic Pairing Included: JPY 34,000Surrounded by nature, this restaurant offers a relaxing atmosphere filled with natural ingredients and honest cooking methods, enriching the heart and soul. The straightforward and unpretentious character of the dishes reflects the genuine personality of the chef, making the flavors truly remarkable. It feels like an innovative twist on Ushimaru, and undoubtedly the best in Ibaraki.Upon arrival, we were guided to the terrace where the shiso lemon juice was delicious, raising our expectations. The amuse-bouche beautifully blended with the scenery.The corn soup was perfectly balanced, not overly sweet. The strawberry butter served with the bread was both tasty and intriguing. The hand-cut homemade prosciutto was intentionally thick, paired with sweet fat for a bold flavor.The roasted spiny lobster, typically served with just a sauce Americain, was elevated by the addition of zucchini cake and lobster tartare, delivering a knockout experience. The slow-roasted Hōrō chicken was cooked to perfection, and the accompanying beets, aged for three days over wood, had a wonderful texture.The clam paella had a rich broth, showcasing a fantastic fusion of Spanish and Japanese flavors. Even the dessert coffee was flawless.The non-alcoholic pairings, including a melon and rice cocktail, were creative and enjoyable. This restaurant, which emphasizes vegetables, provided an exceptionally satisfying experience. The technique of using freshly harvested herbs right in front of us to balance the dishes was impressive.Primarily open for lunch (though dinner consultations are welcome), the chef values family time in the evenings, which is commendable. It’s refreshing to see a culinary world that isn’t overly aggressive; after all, as customers, we want to enjoy dishes made by a chef who is both mentally and physically healthy. Less