RISTORANTE IL NODO

Restaurateurs in Japan’s smaller cities are more than just cooks and managers — they’re often ambassadors for the locality and the hard-working food producers who call it home. At this Italian restaurant in the laid back seaside town of Kamakura, the spotlight is fixed on local fishermen and farmers. The owners regularly tour around the farms and ports in the area to source the best ingredients for their pantry. With them, they construct Italian classics with a seafood focus, using seasonal ingredients such as scallops alongside their fresh homemade pasta. Highlights include their Watanabe Farm brand carrots with fried fish and carrot puree, and black abalone in a butter and liver soup. The salty sea flavors play well against the rich sauces, and the benefits of using fresh local produce are unmistakable in every bite.