We weren’t sure what to expect here. I had read mixed reviews of this place. In my head, I pictured one tempura course after another. I actually didn’t do a tonne of homework on it, it came recommended by Noma so we booked it as soon as we were able to and I did some googling while I was here. It just seemed like some polarizing reviews which maybe gave me mixed expectations.
We walked there and it we got stuck in pouring rain. We were absolutely soaked when we showed up. Chef Toshio’s mom whisked us inside and brought us a towel and blanket instantly. She figured out we’re from Vancouver where she went on her honeymoon 40 years ago. She made sweet conversation with us while she introduced us to her son, Toshio, who made us maybe our favourite meal so far in Japan. She told us all about the pottery, its age and was very proud of their family business and history.
The quality of ingredients was world class. The menu included crab, tuna, uni, unagi, sashimi, soba, prawns, soups and so much more. We were blown away. The toro with sesame sauce was one of the best bites I’ve had so far in Japan.
The service was first class and chef cooked with a level of refinement I did not expect. We did get tempura, which was delicious, but we got a lot more than what we figured we would. I would 100% visit here again on our next trip.
by ochief19