Luxeat

Sushi Matsumoto, Kyoto

 

After eating in all these "alpha" sushi places in Tokyo the standards for fish and rice get pretty high.I don't want to sound snobbish- the first time i went to Japan i was so ignorant , i thought that sushis are the most basic meal to prepare, something everyone could do. When i realized that sushi making is a real know-how and it is rice with fish, not opposite, i had a whole new picture in my plate.

Anyway, Kyoto is far away from the sea and the region is not famous for sushi. Remember,the Edo-mae, sushi as the whole world knows, was born in Tokyo. Sushi Matsumoto (570-123, Gionmachi,Minamigawa,Kyoto) is the only sushi restaurant in Kyoto that has received two Michelin stars.

Just some raw fish on rice

Sushis in a random sushiya somewhere in Japan.. Nothing in common with this or this . Looking from an European point of view, the fish in "a random sushiya somewhere in Japan" was still better than anywhere in Europe.The rice was a disaster though.You get what you pay for..

Kanamean Nishitomiya kaiseki dinner

Last time i had a kaiseki dinner, i promised to myself that i won't have it "any time soon". "Not any time soon" was exactly two years. I don't even know if you can have a dinner in Kanamean Nishitomiya if you don't stay at the ryokan. The ryokan has only 9 rooms and the chef (Kanamean san ?) is also the owner(together with his wife).The location of Kanamean Nishitomiya is 5 minutes away from Nishiki market- perfect for the style of cooking where seasonal,fresh products are fundamental.

Kanamean Nishitomiya ryokan in Kyoto

 

Staying in a ryokan (traditional Japanese inn) in Kyoto was a very special experience. Let's say,hoteliers who are willing to learn how to host a guest in their hotel should stay in a high end ryokan for at least one night. The experience was "special" from the moment my taxi stopped at the door of Kanamean Nishitomiya, until the owners couple waved me goodbye.

A moment in time.Kyoto.

Harutaka,Tokyo

Harutaka (1*,Kawabata Building 3F, 8-5-8 Ginza, tel. 03 3573 1144 )- the last sushiya from the sushi from Tokyo series this year. And my favorite so far. Harutaka Takahashi ( left) comes from Sukiyabashi Jiro "school", so you can see many similarities with Sukiyabashi Jiro Roppongi(and, i would guess with the original branch too). The rice was almost identical - each grain was very firm and separate.So different from another legendary sushi master Hachiro Mizutani , whose rice was much less al dente. The fish at Harutaka couldn't have been fresher or higher quality.Many people i spoke to ( Tokyo chefs or waiters), named Harutaka sushiya as their favorite. The chefs can't be wrong, no?

Sukiyabashi Jiro Roppongi

I missed my plane back to Europe, so instead of waiting at Narita for the evening flight i went back to Tokyo and had lunch at Sukiyabashi Jiro in Roppongi Hills. (The one Michelin English speaking sister restaurant of the three Michelin Sukiyabashi Jiro in Ginza. The sushi chef is Jiro's son Takashi ).

L'Osier, Tokyo

 

Before this trip to Tokyo,I agreed with those who were sceptical about other than Japanese food in Japan. Well, after my dinner at 3 Michelin stars L'Osier, i don't share this opinion anymore.Imagine what happens when the excellence of French gastronomy collide with Japanese perfectionism. It is a big bang of flavors and pleasures of eating.I still think of the divine foie gras raviolis with white truffles or suckling pig with polenta. And i could have licked the plate of scallops with polenta and white truffles...

Master,soup first or noodles first?

If you love Japanese culture, you must have seen or heard of an eighties movie called "Tampopo", Japanese comedy about love, life and ramen. The movie starts with a younger truck driver Gun (Ken Watanabe) reading a book about ramen to an older truck driver Goro (Tsutomu Yamazaki). The younger truck driver imagines himself in the story and asks the noodles' master, who studied noodles for 40 years, if soup or noodles should be eaten first. The noodles "sensei" answers :

"First observe the whole bowl. Savor the aromas. Jewels of fat glittering on the surface. Shinachiku roots shining. Seaweed slowly sinking. Spring onions floating. Concentrate on the pork slices. They play a key role but stay modestly hidden. First caress the surface with the chopsticks tips. To express affection. Then poke the pork. Caress it with the chopsticks tips. Gently pick it up and and dip it in the soup on the right of the bowl. What is important here is to apologize to the pork by saying “See you soon” "

Nobu Tokyo

I find it hard to believe myself but i've been three times in Nobu  over a stay of two weeks in Tokyo.Why go to an international chain when Tokyo has so many exciting local places to offer? Well, the first time i went there was out of plain curiousity. I was interested to know how Nobu compares to other Nobus I've been (NY, Miami,LA,London,Milan,Hong Kong and Paris (before it closed)) and was not really intending to return.