Captivating diners with his asador, or Spanish-style stone oven, owner-chef Yamamoto is in sole command of his kitchen. The focus of his labours is the traditional cuisine he studied in the Basque Country. The red, smoky flame stoked by burning kindling and charcoal together is a necessity for this cuisine. The main dish is a beef rib roast, grilled in chunks. Neither sauces nor trimmings are offered, as Yamamoto focuses on conveying the pure flavour of the meat.

Chef Suzuki puts his experience to work in his set menus of seasonal fish and shellfish. In addition to apprenticing as a chef, Suzuki once worked at a fishmonger’s shop, where participating in auctions at the market made him a discerning judge of quality. Charcoal-grilled offerings and acqua pazza bring out the natural flavours of the ingredients. For the main dishes, choose from steaks or stews of Omi beef from Suzuki’s native Shiga Prefecture.

This is the third time owner-chef Kenji Nakata has set up shop in Osaka, first in Nishitemma, then Fukushima, and now Toyanaka, which is where he was born and raised. Taking the French cuisine concept of terroir, he uses ingredients from Japan. In spring, he serves royale but in chawanmushi style, which he pairs with rape blossoms and firefly squid. The galette of edible wild plants is served with surf clam. He keeps sauces light, with less fats and oils.

Owner-chef Akihito Shintani’s ‘Kamigata Chinese’ is a fusion of Chinese and Kansai (also known as Kamigata) gastronomic cultures. Traditional cuisine is cross-fertilised with Japanese ingredients such as kombu dashi, light soy sauce and white miso. His sea-cucumber dish is a good example. Suguki turnip pickles from Kyoto are used in a hot-and-sour sauce, creating a Hunan dish with unique flavours. Osaka vegetables and regional ingredients are incorporated to create a new Chinese cuisine.