Kagurazaka: "Kagurazaka Marutomi"

Having previously experienced course menus, à la carte, and lunch service, I now run the restaurant with only an omakase course. Our location in Akebonobashi, with a maximum of ten seats, became cramped, and about four or five years ago I began thinking about relocating. Even so, wanting a location where my existing guests could keep coming, I decided to move to Kagurazaka, within the same ward. Opening a restaurant during a pandemic with no end in sight brought nothing but worries — soaring construction-material costs, delays in the construction schedule, rising ingredient prices — but I made the decision because, without increasing the seat count, we couldn't turn over enough guests and it would be difficult to manage. What I take care with in serving food is bringing out the quality of the ingredients without over-handling them, and serving dishes in a freshly made state. I run a small restaurant with few staff so that I can keep an eye on everything myself. Because of that, I want to give something back to guests, so I work to offer good value for the price and greater satisfaction. Guests compliment us saying, "It's delicious, and there's a good amount of it, too," and I feel that what's being appreciated is the sense of security and stability that comes from being able to eat delicious food. Looking ahead, I'm thinking about developing talent and building an organization. I'd like an even broader range of ages to enjoy Japanese cuisine, and I want to create a slightly more casual restaurant as a place where young staff can shine, so as to put the business on a firmer footing. Every encounter with a guest is ichigo ichie — a once-in-a-lifetime meeting. I believe that every single day of service is a genuine, serious match. I want to keep working while always being conscious that guests are watching, so that I can do work that captivates them.