Philosophy

Mehikari (greeneye) from Suruga Bay / Ebisen, Hamamatsu

Ebisen in Hamamatsu deals in seafood from Lake Hamana and Suruga Bay. We heard about them through another chef, and chose them because they carry a wide range of seafood unique to Shizuoka.

When we visited, they were keeping the fish alive in tanks for freshness.

Here, we made mehikari landed in Suruga Bay into ciuppin, a Ligurian-style soup.
Mehikari is seasonal, so it does not come in often, but in some seasons we serve it as an antipasto in the Casual Course and the Special Course.

Raw shirasu (whitebait) from Mochimune / Marukai, Mochimune, Shizuoka City

Marukai is a shop I often went to more than 15 years ago, when I worked in Mochimune. I still remembered how good their shirasu was, so I chose them as our supplier.

It is a homey, warm shop, staffed by local people and with many local customers.

We turn the raw shirasu into rosamarina, a traditional dish from the Calabria region. Preserved in chili pepper, it is a little like ika no shiokara (Japanese salted squid). Spread on bread, it becomes crostini; made into a spicy tomato sauce, it goes with pasta. We plan to serve it in antipasti and pasta in the Casual Course and the Special Course.

Amagi black pork / Kaneko Livestock, Izunokuni City

Amagi black pigs are raised only by Wataru Kaneko of Kaneko Livestock in Izunokuni City. We were introduced to them by a chef at a restaurant we know.

Quite simply, the meat tastes superb, and the flavor of the fat is in a class of its own.
Kaneko-san is a wonderful person with a true craftsman’s spirit.

We often serve it as “Grilled Amagi black pork” in the Special Course at dinner.

Amagi shamo chicken / Horie Poultry Farm, Yakuma, Izu City

We had known of Amagi shamo chicken for a long time. It all began when Horie-san of Horie Poultry Farm came to eat at our restaurant. Hearing about Horie-san’s passion for shamo and for food made us want to use these chickens, so we asked them directly to supply us.

When we visited, we were shown the birds at each stage as they grow from chicks, and the differences between males and females. The chicks start out timid, and their bodies grow sturdier as they get bigger.
We were told that, even for floor-raised chickens, they keep far fewer birds in the same space than an ordinary broiler farm. The birds had plenty of room between them and moved about as they pleased: running, flying and sitting.

The feed includes the leaves and stems of wasabi, a specialty of Izu, soy milk from a neighborhood tofu shop, and feed rice from a local rice farmer. The farm also uses the chicken manure to grow vegetables, which fits the idea of a “cycle” that we value.

We plan to use it in every dinner course, from antipasti to mains, down to brodo (broth) made from the bones. Dishes will include “Marche-style potacchio”, “involtini”, “simply grilled breast” and “risotto with brodo”.

Kobe beef (Tajima cattle) / Kawanishi Farm, Hyogo Prefecture

It is said that if you trace the bloodlines of both Matsusaka beef and Omi beef, they lead back to the Tajima area of Hyogo Prefecture. Tajima cattle are purebred Japanese Black wagyu that have never been crossbred with other breeds. Of these, only cattle that meet the standards of the Kobe Beef Marketing and Distribution Promotion Association are recognized as “Kobe beef”. Our beef carries this certification.

Our supplier is Kawanishi Farm in Hyogo Prefecture. They blend 7–8 kinds of organic feed to suit each animal’s condition, and use no hormones. The beef is known for its light, high-quality fat, the rich flavor of its lean meat and its distinctive wagyu aroma.

We plan to serve it as “Kobe beef tartare”, an antipasto in our dinner courses, and as the main of the Kobe Beef Course (lunch only).

“Fuku ga, Kita” free-range eggs from the foot of Mt. Fuji / Marufuku, Yaizu City

These eggs come from Marufuku of Yaizu City, which raises its hens at Asagiri Hozan Farm, its own farm in Fujinomiya City at the foot of Mt. Fuji. A friend who runs a sweets shop told us about them, and when we heard that Shizuoka had free-range eggs, which are rare in Japan, we got in touch. Talking with the person in charge, we could feel how much they love their hens and eggs.

Marufuku has adopted the “aviary” system, the mainstream method in Europe. In the morning, the hens lay their eggs in their own nest boxes; once it is light, they go outside to dust-bathe, and when the sun sets, they return to the henhouse to sleep. The hens are raised naturally, in keeping with their instincts.

We plan to serve them all year round in every course, at both lunch and dinner: in a “Fuku ga, Kita” frittata, or in a carbonara with “Fuku ga, Kita” eggs and truffle.
Every egg we use, from our pasta dough to our baked sweets, is one of these.