VENTINOVE

Nothing ventured, nothing gained. Seeking a return to his roots, Tokyo restaurant veteran Takeuchi Yusuke shuttered the doors of his restaurant Trattoria 29 in Nishi-Ogikubo, and opened his new destination restaurant Ventinove — meaning “29” in Italian, in homage to his Tokyo business — in his hometown of Tone, Gunma Prefecture. In spite of only having been active since 2022, Ventinove is swiftly starting to match Trattoria 29 in the peak of its popularity. Already, travelers from all over Japan are flocking to Kawaba, encouraging a new wave of tourism to the tiny village. Located on the grounds of the Tsuchida Sake Brewery, an essential part of the Ventinove experience is the sake pairing. Drawing upon his experience with wine pairing and Italian cuisine, Chef Takeuchi applies similar principles to Tsuchida sake, which he says has a strong flavor that lends itself well to the similarly robust flavor of Italian food. Sake aside, all of Chef Takeuchi’s ingredients are sourced from production areas that can be accessed within a 30-minute drive, from meat to vegetables to even the firewood that he uses to grill or roast his ingredients. It is this proximity that Chef Takeuchi credits to the unrivaled flavor of his meals. Bistecca — steak on the bone — of local Akagi wagyu beef is the highlight of his course menus, accompanied by beautifully arranged salads of edible flowers from his own garden. Like many destination restaurants, Ventinove is half restaurant, half inn, with many guests opting to stay overnight for the full experience: there’s nothing quite like eating to one’s heart’s content, before retiring to the second-floor bedrooms to sleep off the meal, only to pad downstairs for breakfast in the morning. There’s no surprise that it was listed as one of The Japan Times’ Destination Restaurants 2024.