The omakase menu starts with artfully crafted snacks. Shuko such as steamed awabi, stewed octopus, sweet shrimp with uni highlight the owner-chef’s kappo background., The nigiri toppings are similarly painstakingly prepared. Squid is scored to tease out the sweetness; prawns are soaked in dashi to enhance the flavour. Nigiri of toppings and vinegared rice accented by akazu is formed in smaller portions so that each piece is well-balanced.

Koji Kimura is the third-generation owner-chef of Yunagibashi Tak

oyasu and heir to its traditional flavours. He learned in Shimonoseki how to recognize high-quality fugu and inherited from his father the family’s culinary traditions. From the beginning, Yunagibashi Takoyasu accepts only wild fugu weighing 6 kg or more, as these are the most flavoursome. The menu features thick-cut sashimi, chiri nabe flavoured with shirako, and umami-rich zosui.

Different states of the same ingredient are used in the tempura: those at their first-harvest, in-season and last-harvest. The speciality, deep-fried goma-dofu with raw uni, was inspired by a kaiseki appetiser. In autumn, hamo is in a last-harvest state, accompanied by first-harvest matsutake. Sweet potatoes in grated chestnut, reminiscent of kurikinton, showcase the chef’s creativity. Ingredients are only lightly battered and are fried in safflower oil for a light texture.

Kitashinchi Fukutatei is renowned for its furnace-grilled steaks. Hiroshi Ukai insists on using meat from heifers that have not borne a calf because the meat is delicate, and the fat has a low melting point. Bincho charcoal produces a strong heat that chars the surface, sealing in umami. The resulting beef is fragrant on the outside and melt-in-your-mouth tender on the inside. The steak sandwich, chateaubriand between two slices of toast, is a perennial favourite.