Sonoji

Tempura innovation is the name of the game at this Nihonbashi restaurant. Owner and chef Toshiyuki Suzuki comes from a family of soba-makers who run a restaurant in his Shizuoka hometown. After graduating from culinary school he worked at the family soba shop for seven years before flying the nest to pursue his love of tempura in Tokyo. His Michelin-starred store enjoys echoes of Suzuki-san’s upbringing in the world class soba, made with buckwheat from his home prefecture, which he serves to accompany his fried goods — an innovative serving style on the tempura scene. As much as possible, he likes to source his ingredients from Shizuoka to bring the natural grandeur of this territory — home to Mt. Fuji — to every plate. This means seafood from Suruga Bay, carrots grown by Shizuoka’s farmers, venison from its forests, and tamatori mushrooms from its mountain foothills.