SOWER Nagahama

Coleman Griffin, a young American Chef with stints at The Restaurant at Meadowood and benu in California, had his first job in Japan at Inua, the spin-off of Noma in Tokyo. After Inua closed he had a few short term projects before starting to work on the Sower/Hotel du Lac project. There he created with his partners in a former retreat for NTT employees a wonderful oasis on the shores of Biwako, the largest lake in Japan. There are rooms in the main building but also some individual cottages a short walk from it.
The restaurant is mainly a counter seating set up with 2-3 tables for up to four people. The open kitchen has a big open fire pit. The ingredients are sourced mostly local, the restaurant provides you with a detailed map showing all suppliers and partners.
The food follows roughly the Kaiseki sequence of dishes, but always adds a modern twist to it. The flavors are delicious and the execution expertly. The kitchen team seems to work silently in a well rehearsed choregraphie with Chef Coleman often putting the finishing touches to the plating.
Given that this place is open for 6 months and it is the first head chef position for Coleman, the result is extraordinary. I am sure this place is going to be a destination restaurant which will require long term planning for a reservation.
Well done! Kudos to Coleman and his team.
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Such a pleasure to experience the brand new @restaurant_sower in Shiga prefecture. Situated on the expansive grounds of a hotel beside Lake Biwa, they have access to incredible natural product from the lake and surroundings, as well as nearby mountains and ocean.

Chef @coleman__griffin and team bring a wide range of experience in some of the world’s most notable restaurants. The space makes good use of natural textures, local ceramics, and borrowed scenery out of broad windows.

For a restaurant only open three days, the level of precision in cooking and service was admirable. Wine parings were thoughtful, balanced, largely natural/low-intervention, and included a few locally made saké as well.

A very solid menu across the board. Everything was quite enjoyable, and the flavors and pace were nicely balanced. I particularly enjoyed the venison with pickled strawberries and a spicy sauce that was quite addictive, the yuba dish, the grilled cabbage, and the okayu at the end.

I’m really excited to see how they evolve, and look forward to returning as the seasons change. Definitely worth the trip. Less