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As autumn enters winter in northeastern Japan, residents of Akita Prefecture are preparing for the long and cold months ahead. A popular local specialty at the time was the hot pot called kiritanpo, which was traditionally eaten by the fireplace in a rural farmhouse, and is still cooked in a rural inn in the center of Akita until today.

However, chef Hiroki Takamura offers a very different kind of food. His restaurant, Nihonryori Takamura, is located in a secluded area in the backstreet of the residence, away from the hustle and bustle of bars and tourist restaurants in the city center. It exudes an exquisite atmosphere rare in remote areas of Japan.

This is a compact restaurant-with only seven seats at the counter, overlooking the gleaming open kitchen of Takamura, plus six seats in a small private room-it won't be inappropriate in a major metropolis The place. Not surprisingly, he learned his skills in central Tokyo before returning to the city where he was born to open his own place.

Chef Hiroki Takamura likes to interact with customers while working on his portable "mizu konro" grill. | NAOH INC.

It is worth noting that Takamura does not offer typical Akita dishes, but Edo cuisine, a cooking style developed in the capital of the shogunate, centuries before the name was changed to Tokyo in 1867. Kyoto, the capital of the former emperor, has become the de facto representative of Japan's cooking, both at home and abroad. But until the end of the 20th century, there were still several high-end restaurants in Tokyo dedicated to providing the city’s unique culinary traditions.

One of them, the legendary taiko hachi near Mejiro, Tokyo, is a training place in Takamura. During that time, he cooked for Kabuki actors, artists and writers, as well as baseball stars such as Shigeo Nakajima, and even took care of the then crown prince long before he became Emperor Naruhito.

Since Takamura returned to Akita in 1999, the only three remaining Edo restaurants in Tokyo have closed down-the last one is the famous Nabeya in Otsuka-leaving only Takamura as the only one to continue this tradition Active chef.

He remains faithful to the commandments he learned during his growth years, and these influences are reflected in his cuisine and restaurant layout. There is an aisle between the kitchen and the counter where customers are seated (just like in Taiko Eight), which can serve food and drinks directly from the front instead of the waiter approaching customers from behind as usual.

Takamura is also loyal to the basic principles of Edo cooking, including its ingredients and seasonings. He only uses katsuobushi (marinated bonito shavings) instead of adding kelp (kelp) or dried shiitake mushrooms to prepare the basic ingredients for cooking and soup. This dish also uses koikuchi shōyu (黑 Soy Sauce) and richer, richer miso instead of the lighter usukuchi shōyu and the sweeter saikyō and shiro miso popular in Kyoto.

Although both styles follow the multi-course kaiseki style, Takamura said that there are significant differences in their basic concepts.

Nihonryori Takamura's specialty is grilled "sausage" stuffed with meat and offal from the local "hinai jidori" chicken. | NAOH INC.

"Kyoto cooking is colorful, and bright decorations are often used on dishes," he explained. "But Edo is a city of samurai culture. This means that dishes should never be fancy, without flimsy decorations just for display. In the Edo style, everything on the plate must be edible. For example, in Kyoto In the cuisine, sakuramasu (sakura salmon, a spring specialty) may be decorated with a cherry blossom (cherry blossom)." In Edo, this will never pass.

One thing is clear: now that he has no mentor to follow, Takamura is developing his own interpretation of the spirit of Edo cuisine, not any formal rules. For him, the key is "tradition-based creativity" to make full use of ingredients from the Northeast, especially seafood.

The zensai (appetizer) plate that opens the meal is a summary of a bite-sized snack-seasonal seafood and vegetables, tofu cubes, and tamagoyaki omelet "best choice", all of which are cleverly arranged in a sparkling lacquer plate superior. Next is the clear soup, served in the equally eye-catching black-lacquered bowl, which also shows the gifts of the season: wild mushrooms in autumn; maybe creamy cod in winter; when spring comes, pick wild vegetables (wild plants and bamboo shoots) from the mountains. ); In the short and hot summer in Akita, local vegetables are abundant.

Takemura said that personally, spring is his favorite time of the year, because the long and cold winter finally gives way to the excitement of the first fresh shoots. But as a chef, he always looks forward to winter when the fish is fat and fat.

He recently introduced a new signature dish: kabura mochi. Tender Japanese radish is grated and spread with tapioca flour, then grilled, garnished with a spoonful of Moldovan caviar, and sprinkled with gold leaf. It is flashy, and it clearly has Chinese influence. But in Takamura's skilled hands, it is now part of his evolving Edo cuisine.

Another year-round signature dish is Akita's famous local chicken hinai jidori. Takamura starts the cooking process at the back of the kitchen, and then finishes it on his customized mizu konro, a mobile charcoal grill with wheels, which he can manipulate directly to the counter seat.

The layout of Hiroki Takamura's Nihonryori Takamura restaurant allows interaction between the chef and his diners. | NAOH INC.

Inspired by Spanish recipes, it is essentially a sausage made from thigh and organ meat, chopped and stuffed into the skin of the chicken neck. He first cooks slowly in the kitchen at the back, and then finishes it on charcoal until the chicken is beautifully browned.

It has created an impressive theater from the heart. Every customer can observe the cooking process up close, smell and taste the aroma, and even feel the heat on the grill. Coupled with Gaocun's always cheerful good friends, it perfectly illustrates the truth that cooking at this level is never just about the quality of raw materials, preparation and electroplating.

"To be a chef, you need to be an entertainer," he likes to say. In addition to supervising the cooking process, Gaocun also pays attention to the ebb and flow of conversations on the counter. Interacting with his customers, creating dialogue and participation, will only enhance their appreciation.

From the exquisite ceramics and lacquerware to the quality local sake he paired with each dish, it is this fusion of sophistication and personal attention that makes Gaocun’s counter the most coveted reservation in the county.​​​

Omachi 1-7-31, Akita, Akita Pref. 010-0921; 018-866-8288; www.akita-takamura.jp; open from 6 pm to 10:30 pm (closed on Sundays and holidays); package 8,000 days Starting from Yuan; online shopping mall; the nearest station Akita; no smoking; accepts major cards; speaks a little English

Japan Times Cube’s annual destination restaurant selection showcases the rich food culture outside Japan’s major cities.

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