Restaurant UOZEN

Originally the owner of HOKU in Ikejiri-Ohashi, Tokyo, the proprietor of this rural French restaurant traded in the big city lifestyle for a slower-paced existence in the countryside. Kazuhiro Inoue’s restaurant is situated in Sanjo, Niigata Prefecture, in an area of vast plains which are perfect for farming. UOZEN is slightly outside of the city, situated right among these rice fields, gently reflecting the moonlight in the evenings. The chef’s wife Mariko is a driving force behind the business. After they married, she encouraged him to set up this idyllic countryside restaurant, and designed it in the style of a similar restaurant run by her family when she was young. It’s clear that this was the right choice for the couple, whose business is now flourishing. This is thanks in part to the feeling of space and light in their restaurant, and the excellent French dishes they serve, including shrimp dotted decoratively with garlic mayonnaise and rouille sauce, and duck foie gras ballotine with black fig.