Narisawa

Nothing can be said about Narisawa which hasn’t already been said by the throngs of reviewers and fans which sing it the highest praises. The head chef and owner, Yoshihiro Narisawa, is regarded as a culinary genius — one who had the bravery to eschew the mainstream and pursue a path that’s uniquely his own. At 19 years old he went to Europe to learn his trade under the guidance of some of the most prestigious chefs on the continent: Fredy Girardet, Joël Robuchon, and Paul Bocuse. The skills and spirit which he developed in that exalted company were key to his early success when he returned to Japan to cut his own path. Now his restaurant is listed among the best in the world. His cuisine is based upon “satoyama”: the topographical word for a region between mountain foothills and flatlands. Narisawa-san applies European gastronomical techniques to the produce and dishes of these rural regions of Japan. His signature appetizer is a geographical diorama named Satoyama Scenery — an edible model of the terrain representing its hills, trees, and moss-covered rocks. Never afraid of courting controversy, he even utilizes the literal soil of Nagano Prefecture in one of his soups. Some less divisive experiments of his include wagyu coated with charcoaled leek, and soup made with a poisonous Okinawa snake. A healthy respect for nature is key to his approach, as he orders only as much produce as he can serve in any given week and no more. This environmentally-friendly approach has won Narisawa awards for sustainability. An advocate of great Japanese winemaking, Narisawa-san doesn’t just bow to the reputations of the longer-established European wineries. Instead, he wants to promote the wealth of the vineyards in Japan, and in his cellar you can find one of the best selections in the country.