Part 1-----
Located in a back alley in Gotanda, Shinagawa, are "wine shop LUCY" and "Sushi Nature." This is a place filled with love for natural wine and sushi, run by the former owner of the renowned "Kashita" and a chef who honed his skills at Japanese restaurants and large traditional Japanese inns.Click here for Part 1.
Part 1 is here
Sushi rice with reduced sweetness harmonizes with wine
Sushi Nature is open for dinner only, with 8 counter seats. In addition to the standard "Omakase" (approximately 4 dishes, 9 pieces of sushi, and sweets & coffee), it offers a lighter "Tsumakase" with 4 dishes, and an "Oomakase" course with more dishes and sushi. One of the restaurant's features is its abundant selection of dishes other than sushi.
"We cook using traditional Japanese culinary techniques and almost never fuse them. However, when considering the compatibility with natural wine, we make sure to reduce the sweetness. We especially experimented a lot with the sushi rice," says Yoshioka.
Kasukazu (red vinegar), rice vinegar, sugar, and salt are combined, but the sugar is kept to a very small amount. This could even be said to be a more Edomae-like flavor.
The selection of ingredients is also thoroughly scrutinized. The rice is "Sasashigure," grown using natural farming methods in Miyagi Prefecture. It is the parent of Sasanishiki and was once considered a phantom variety on the verge of extinction. The vinegar is "Shobunzu," traditionally made in Fukuoka Prefecture; the salt is "Hyakushoan," made in a wood-fired kiln in Yamaguchi Prefecture; and the sugar is natural farming kib sugar, among others.
"The wasabi is grown using the traditional tatami-ishi method at the long-established Tsutsumi Farm in Nishi-Izu, where it is self-seeded. It is characterized by its refreshing, clean kick. At Mr. Tsutsumi's recommendation, we grate it with the highly aromatic skin still attached," says Yoshioka.
The umami of seafood, the acidity of the sushi rice, and the clean spiciness of the wasabi that cuts through it. Natural wine with its long-lasting acidity derived from grapes, pure fruitiness, and rich minerality. Those who have experienced this pleasant harmony have become repeat customers, and at one point, the restaurant was difficult to book.
"We are very grateful, but that image has become too strong. Now we are operating steadily, so please feel free to book, everyone (laughs)," says Yanaginuma.
By the way, the coffee after the meal is "Micafeet." After numerous tastings with the representative coffee hunter, Yoshitaka Kawashima, they decided on fresh, fruity coffee beans that are perfect for the restaurant's finale.
Dishes rich in dashi, desserts rich in umami
They prepared 8 pieces of sushi, a roll, and 3 other dishes.
The sushi toppings this time came from Okamoto Sengyoten in Toyama, Hokuriku. They included squid, Japanese perch, Japanese eel, sea bream, white shrimp, whelk, Toyama shrimp, mackerel, and Japanese sea bass. The sea bass roll is the local name for a young yellowtail, equivalent to Japanese smelt or Japanese whiting.
"The gari in Toyama contains kelp, so we made it with black oboro kelp. For regular service, we serve gari made with apple, considering its compatibility with the malic acid found in grapes," says Yoshioka.
The tofu salad was arranged with creamy plain yogurt from Kobu Town, Hokkaido in the tofu coating. The vegetables are lightly fried and marinated in a light soy sauce-infused dashi broth.
Fried foods are often served as tempura or fries, but this time it was spring rolls, which are "easy to prepare and liked by everyone." The filling is Japanese whiting and purple shiso, with powdered sansho pepper as an accent.
Also, while meat dishes are not usually served during regular service, they are made for events, including "Jibuni of wild boar inner thigh." The wild boar inner thigh from Kamogawa, Chiba Prefecture is moist and tender, and the pumpkin has a gentle flavor. "The compatibility between the dashi-rich dishes and the natural wine with its subtle dashi flavor is outstanding," says Yanaginuma.
Miso cheesecake was a dessert that was often served when they first opened and was very popular. Not too sweet, the synergistic effect of the umami from the homemade white miso and cheese (previously cream cheese. This time, mascarpone from Kamakura's "Latteria Bebe" was used) makes it a flavor that makes you want to drink wine even after the meal.
Deepening understanding at the place of origin and providing feedback
Finally, a question for the two of them.——— What is a "delicious" restaurant to you?
"A place that lets you feel the goodness of the ingredients. The real skill lies in how to bring out its charm to the maximum without doing anything unnecessary to the high-quality ingredients. It has something in common with the way natural wine is made," says Yanaginuma.
"A comfortable place you want to visit again and again. If I may say it without fear of misunderstanding, I think it is also not good if it is too delicious. I want to aim for dishes that make you think, "I want to eat it again," precisely because they are not too strong," says Yoshioka.
The two say that they try to go on trips whenever they have time. Yoshioka goes to the places of origin of ingredients, and Yanaginuma goes to wineries.
"In Hokkaido, Miyagi, Aichi, Shizuoka, Yamanashi, and other places, on holidays, we either visit some place of origin or go to eat at a restaurant. It feels like there is no boundary between work, life work, and play. We only stay home when we are so tired that we are completely worn out," says Yoshioka.
A travel bag that gives a glimpse of the two's personalities. The suitcase is one that Yanaginuma has been using for over 20 years, and it is said to contain scissors for vineyard work, gloves, boots, winter gear, and even a body towel for bathing. Yoshioka, who always wants to be light, says he goes anywhere with just a duffel bag.
"In my previous job as a service man, my vector was always towards the customer. I was desperate to know about the customer, but I had no idea about the producers at all.
Now, by repeatedly visiting the fields of Nagano Prefecture's Tail des Ciel and Minamimukai Brewing during the farming season to help out, I feel that what I can see has changed quite a bit.
By accumulating such experiences and deepening my understanding, and also by communicating closely with importers, I want to verbalize and convey as much as possible about the difficult-to-verbalize things regarding natural wine. I want to challenge myself to make our restaurant play the strongest community hub role connecting producers and consumers," says Yanaginuma.
When they opened in 2020, it coincided with the COVID-19 pandemic, and it was difficult to operate as Sushi Nature. So, to support producers whose sales channels were affected by the pandemic, they had a great success by purchasing and selling wild fish, and holding wine tastings and events.
Recently, they say that the number of customers of restaurants around that offer natural wine has been increasing.
They deliberately chose a back alley. Perhaps that is why encounters are born, and that circle is spreading to the surroundings, bearing fruit.
