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Bamboo celtuce egg-yolk sushi, monkfish liver in aspic, sea bream ball, and more

Let me start by explaining the appetizer course. For the bamboo celtuce kimi-zushi: the celtuce stem was not yet in season (this event was held on…

Seared surf clam, scallion rolls bound in vinegared miso, bamboo shoot mochi, scallop steamed Hokkai-style, trough shell clam and angelica tree shoots

I paired seasonal shellfish and vegetables to make five items. What's in the abalone-shell vessel is the seared surf clam. The scallion rolls bound…

Kombu-cured flounder Hakata, bottarga and daikon Hakata, herring roe in snow, miso-marinated abalone, clam and turnip sushi, lily bulb monaka

These are the appetizers, but before the dishes themselves, let me say a word about the tableware. Last year Chūson-ji Konjiki-dō in Hiraizumi, Iwate…

Nikogori on a Lotus Leaf, Lily Bulb, Steamed Abalone Grilled with Uni, Skewered on Green Bamboo, Turban Shell Liver Somen

Because I worked for a long time at a hotel, I learned how to prepare foie gras directly from the Western-cuisine chefs. Season the foie gras with…

Japanese flounder rolled with rapeseed blossoms, pond smelt grilled with sansho leaf, shrimp plum-blossom sushi, bracken fern shoots and lotus root, and lotus root three-flavor deep-fry

Monkfish liver wrapped in thin daikon, oysters with grated daikon dressing, persimmon with tofu dressing, herring roe on kelp, egg-yolk sushi in a rope-pattern roll

For the appetizers, each dish was plated in its own small cup (mamechoko). I think there's also something enjoyable about the idea of guests picking…

Pike conger, water-peony style

The soup course is pike conger mizu-botan. Mizu-botan is a season word for July, and it's also well known as a summer wagashi — white bean paste dyed…

Thin-Sliced Turnip with Sesame Vinegar Dressing

This time it's a vinegared dish, but at our restaurant we don't force one into every menu — we serve it within the appetizer, or bring it out for…

Sponge-cake fish dumpling, small sea bream and matsutake rein-twist sushi, chrysanthemum daikon roll, udo-peel kinpira bundle

For the appetizer's kasutera shinjo, raisins are reconstituted in wine beforehand so their color doesn't fade. The ingredients are combined, poured…

Deep-fried in an arare-cracker coating

Grilled pine mushroom and chicken tenderloin chrysanthemum salad

As for the grilled matsutake and chicken tenderloin dressed with chrysanthemum: when matsutake is served blanched and dashi-marinated, I always grill…

Wrapped and grilled in magnolia leaf

Simmered pork belly savory egg custard

This dish came about when I wondered whether leftover kakuni could be put to some use. For younger guests, adding grilled mochi alongside gives it…

Abalone and La France Pear

For the final savory course, Nagano Prefecture, along with Yamagata, is a major producer of La France pears. Highland-grown tricolor bell peppers are…

Beef Sirloin Saikyo-Zuke

Pricier, but wagyu sirloin marinated in saikyo-zuke (miso marinade) and grilled.

Tomato and Mozzarella, Hakata-Style; Cucumber Rolled with King Crab

A salad-like vinegared course. We sieve grilled tomato, add agar, layer it hakata-style with sieved mozzarella, then torch it for toasty aroma. The…

Making Vegetables Delicious

Since vegan cooking can only use vegetables, and that leaves the flavor feeling somewhat lacking, I thought about whether I could perfect it starting…

• Serves 4 · ¥1,208

• Cook time 20 min

Softshell turtle noppe

'Noppe' is a Niigata regional home-style dish, a lightly thickened simmered stew widely loved and often eaten at home. This time, I've added a twist…

• Serves 1 · ¥443

• Cook time 1 hr

Carp daikon-wrapped roll, takiawase

A modern take on regional cuisine Original regional dish: carp kanroni, a candied simmered carp Fukushima Prefecture covers a large area, comprising…

• Serves 4 · ¥540

• Cook time 1 hr

Lobster Simmered in Sake Lees

For the lobster simmered in sake lees: for balance in the menu, I thought I would try cooking a Western ingredient using a traditional Japanese…

• ¥1,800

• Cook time 40 min

King Crab Steamed in a Yuzu Salt Crust

This steamed dish makes use of king crab, yuzu, and turnip as end-of-season winter ingredients. For king crab steamed in a yuzu salt crust, we took…

• Serves 1 · ¥1,080

• Cook time 30 min

Salt-seared bonito with Takaoka fruit-tomato salad, vinegared moray eel, juvenile conger eel with garlic nuta

This is the vinegared dish from Kochi's New Year cuisine. As for the salt-seared bonito — katsuo no tataki, Kochi's signature dish, is usually eaten…

• Serves 1 · ¥750

• Cook time 40 min

Kamo Eggplant Grilled with Herb Miso Glaze

For the Kamo eggplant grilled with herb miso glaze, we use two kinds of miso. The rosehip miso: rosehip contains twenty times the vitamin content of…

Bamboo shoot, katsura-cut (rolling in spring)

This is one of our creative dishes using bamboo shoots. Here, we use the outer part of the bamboo shoot. Since we wrap other ingredients in bamboo…

• Serves 1 · ¥500

• Cook time 3 hr