It’s been nearly five years since I first tasted Chef Nobu’s cooking, and it still surprises and captivates me.
Yasunobu (“Nobu”) and Yuko Namiki opened kermistokyo, their cozy restaurant in the Shirokane neighborhood, back in the spring. After several years of culinary adventures – which took Nobu from the kitchen of one of Tokyo’s three-star Michelin French restaurants, to an upscale Nakameguro spot known for its creative sake and food combinations, to a series of pop-ups around Japan (with plenty of world travel in between) – the couple has created a sleek, minimalist space of their very own.
For a chef with such mastery of French fine-dining techniques, as well as an earnest love of global cuisines, Nobu’s approach still reveals much about the Japanese sensibility from his devotion to showcasing the best ingredients from farmers and producers around Japan.
Here, counter seating on two sides of an open kitchen brings diners tantalizingly close to the creative process, as Nobu and his team slice, sear and sizzle each dish in plain view. What might feel chaotic in other restaurants comes across as relaxed and focused here, both Zen and soulful, as staff speak in hushed tones and keep the drink pairings flowing. Each dish is beautifully arranged on unique Japanese pottery curated by Yuko and Nobu on their travels.
For a chef with such mastery of French fine-dining techniques, as well as an earnest love of global cuisines, Nobu’s approach still reveals much about the Japanese sensibility from his devotion to showcasing the best ingredients from farmers and producers around Japan.
I’m still marveling over the exquisite Mexican tasting menu we enjoyed at a recent collaboration between Chef Nobu and guest Chef Willy Monroy from Saboten in Osaka.
Every bite left us craving more, but by the end of the meal, we were so content. The meal started with a sweet and savory bite of onion pound cake layered with black truffle, followed by a tiny heirloom corn tostada topped with amaebi and avocado cream with mezcal and herbs. Alongside it was a cool bowl of tangy beetroot gazpacho.
Smoked sour cream added extra richness to thick, creamy mole verde and roasted cauliflower, so good we wanted to lick our plates.
Heirloom blue corn tortillas created the canvases for fancy fish and pork tacos (iwana and carnitas), both perfectly cooked and juicy. And even the tamales were extra special, with duck chorizo tucked into the masa and a bowl of passionfruit sauce on the side.
Dark beer and apple lamb stew, wrapped inside blue corn tortillas and smothered in deeply savory mole negro, made the Enmolada as dreamy as it sounds. Another plate-licker, for sure.
Yuko brought out a massive platter of gorgeous, glossy chiles to show us the star ingredients of the red mole soon to come. Served with a meltingly tender roasted lamb chop, the sauce was so complex and brilliantly balanced that every bite was a revelation. I reminded myself to slow down and make the fleeting moment last a little longer.
By the time we got to dessert, the gentle spice of coriander milk ice cream and arroz con leche created a soothing finale.
All in all, it was a taste trip to Mexico that could only happen in Japan. I look forward to seeing where Chef Nobu takes us next.