ENGLISH CONTENTS

2019.03.15

ENGLISH CONTENTS

The secret place of KYOTO

① Sushi Rakumi

Sushi Rakumi was opened this January along the Shira River in northern Gion, which has a line of stunning cherry trees. This sushi restaurant was produced by Gion Sasaki, known for its inspired, skillful cuisine and customer-oriented performances.
Kazuya Nomura, who trained at Gion Sasaki for six years, was specially ordered by owner Hiroshi Sasaki to start working at Sushi Yoshitake, a famous restaurant in Ginza, Tokyo. He mastered Edo-style cuisine before returning to Kyoto and opening this restaurant that offers a harmony of Washoku (traditional Japanese cosine) and Edo-style sushi.

Nomura said, “My goal was to seamlessly fuse sushi with Sasaki-style cuisine with pronounced umami. I studied sushi while learning ways to see ingredients and cultivating my awareness as a chef, so I was quickly able to understand how to handle fish.”

The foundation of this restaurant is Edo-style sushi. The rice is mixed with red vinegar and topped with carefully prepared ingredients such as kohada and simmered conger eel. However, the soup stock and seasonal dishes reflect the Kyoto style, as Nomura wanted to create a restaurant where customers could enjoy the good features of both.

Dinner starts at two set times: 6:00 and 8:30 p.m. Customers are served five dishes (including seasonal sashimi, foods char-grilled before their eyes, and palate-cleansing pickles), followed by around 10 pieces of sushi. The lineup does include toppings such as bluefin tuna, abalone, and clam, but the sushi is prepared with great skill that does not merely depend on luxurious ingredients.
“Tuna is served on rice with red vinegar, but we use two other types of vinegared rice for different toppings. We may also try out new types in the future, and I hope to grow in a way that matches customers’ tastes,” Nomura said spiritedly. This restaurant seems likely to set a new style in the culinary world of Kyoto, which is evolving while maintaining its traditions.