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April 4, 2022
You'll groan, 'I must eat this before I die!' Innovative French by a master chef | TRAVEL
TRAVEL | HOSHINOYA Tokyo
To Know is to Savor! Returns: HOSHINOYA Tokyo Edition (Part 1)
"I developed this with the hope that people would eat delicious food, enjoy themselves, and boost their immunity," says Noriyuki Hamada, Executive Chef at HOSHINOYA Tokyo. The intention behind "Nippon Cuisine ~Fermentation~," offered in the ryokan's dining room since August 2020, is crystal clear.
Photographs by OHTAKI Kaku | Text by HASEGAWA Aya | Edit by TSUCHIDA Takashi
A true master of Japanese gastronomy! Experience his skills before reservations become impossible.
Noriyuki Hamada, Executive Chef at HOSHINOYA Tokyo. "Whether it's fish or crab, professionals in their field dedicate themselves to their ingredients 365 days a year. Their level is simply beyond comprehension. I truly cannot praise them enough. And when I talk with them, the idea of creating dishes myself starts to fade. It's quickest to ask those who have spent their lives with an ingredient how they eat it to make it delicious, and why they arrived at that method. So, I try that first. Then, eventually, I start to see areas for improvement. For a single dish, it's fine, but when serving a course, there's the relationship with the preceding and succeeding dishes, the portion size... I have to find those answers myself. And then I refine them." Oh, I'm utterly captivated from the very first moment.
For those who love fine food, I may not need to introduce him further. Chef Hamada is a "star chef" with a brilliant achievement: 3rd place overall (1st in the fish category) at the 2013 Bocuse d'Or, the world's most prestigious French culinary competition. After serving as Executive Chef at "Yukawatan," a French restaurant at Karuizawa Hotel Bleston Court, he took on the role of Executive Chef at HOSHINOYA Tokyo upon its opening in July 2016.
The following year, he created "Nippon Cuisine," a fusion of French techniques with ingredients born from Japan's rich nature, revolutionizing the French dining experience in a Japanese ryokan. The course further evolved, being renewed into "Nippon Cuisine ~Fermentation~," a magnificent blend of French cuisine and fermented foods that enhance immunity.
This time, I've come to Otemachi to indulge in that winter course.
"Don't you think Japanese people are quite conservative when it comes to food? For sushi, Edomae sushi is everything. They don't consider California rolls to be sushi (laughs). But it's different overseas. There's an acceptance of California rolls as sushi, which is how food culture spreads. I think Japan should be more open to trying new things. The Bocuse d'Or is also a competition where you create French cuisine incorporating the unique characteristics of each country, and Noma* is now even serving insect dishes," says Hamada.
*A restaurant in Copenhagen, Denmark, that has won first place four times in The World's 50 Best Restaurants awards by Restaurant magazine. Gourmets from around the world flock to it. ...I want to go!
While sounding an alarm about the conservative Japanese culinary scene, Hamada continues, "When it comes to fish, Japan is truly amazing. No other country has fishing boats that go out to sea piled so high with ice. The fact that we can drink tap water is also a strength. You could even say it's a seasoning in itself." The words that flow effortlessly from Hamada, a chef with a global sensibility, are always fascinating!
In conclusion, Hamada's "Nippon Cuisine ~Fermentation~" features creative dishes, all using fermented ingredients, that are both delicious and enjoyable. It's no wonder it boosts immunity!
So, let me introduce the winter course of "Nippon Cuisine ~Fermentation~" that I enjoyed, along with Chef Hamada's own words. By the way, this was available until the end of February, and the spring course is now being served. However, I believe you can still get a sense of the essence that Hamada poured into this course...
Pufferfish Milt Pie
First up is the "Pufferfish Milt Pie." This dish features pufferfish roe pickled in rice bran and milt, baked inside a pastry with Sauce Périgueux (a sauce made by reducing Madeira and port wine with added truffles). Pufferfish roe is known for its potent poison, said to be capable of killing 30 people with a single fish... However, it's said that after salting, pickling it in koji renders the poison harmless. Really?!
"Pufferfish roe pickled in rice bran is a traditional dish from Ishikawa Prefecture. I was surprised the first time I tasted it. I thought it would be interesting if it could be served in a bite-sized pie, and that's how this dish came about."
And this dish, which took "six months to a year to perfect" (Hamada), was born from that idea. I recall Hamada saying, "May I share something rather grand?"
"When you look at Earth from space, you see only land and sea. The combination is also good in cooking. Sodium and potassium—for example, meat is tastier with salt than without, and soy sauce pairs well with fish, doesn't it? It's very logical."
This pie also formed such a microcosm. The creamy texture of the pufferfish roe and milt is enhanced by the crisp pie, made with fermented butter. It then nestles against the accompanying Charles Heidsieck champagne, with its creamy, fine bubbles. Utterly enchanting.
And the fact that this dish doesn't end here is precisely what makes Hamada, Hamada (laughs). A consommé soup made from pufferfish bones is poured into a vessel containing lightly seared pufferfish fins, allowing you to enjoy it like fin soup. My palate, my insides, my very spirit were invigorated!
The lineup included: Five Wills. Herring roulade (shio koji), soup de poisson and bottarga (kapi), whelk croquette (shoyu koji), Atka mackerel boudin blanc (kara-koji), and chicken liver pâté (miso). My personal favorite was the soup de poisson, with kapi—fermented krill and shrimp—kneaded into the soup. The whelk croquette, created with the image of escargot butter, used aonori seaweed instead of parsley. It was incredibly innovative, yet it worked perfectly.
Next is "Five Wills." This is an amuse-bouche that has been a signature of Hamada's since his "Yukawatan" days, expressing the five tastes (sour, salty, bitter, spicy, sweet) through minimalist dishes. In "Nippon Cuisine ~Fermentation~," all five of these amuse-bouches incorporate fermented foods. The attention to detail is astounding!
Here is the full pairing menu. It starts with champagne and finishes with sake.
The accompanying wine pairings are also exquisite. For "Five Wills," a touch of dry sherry from Andalusia was added to the aforementioned Charles Heidsieck... and what a transformation! The champagne took on the character of an old vintage. Who thought of such a brilliant idea? When I asked, I learned that the pairings are primarily handled by Naoto Murase, who is both a sommelier and a chef (Hamada is the Executive Chef). A sommelier who also handles cooking selecting the pairings? It's bound to be perfect. I highly recommend the pairings at HOSHINOYA Tokyo.
Lily Bulb Meunière
Next, we have the "Lily Bulb Meunière." Chef Hamada, what kind of dish is this?
"I was served whole steamed lily bulbs in foil in a rural area, and they were incredibly delicious, cooked only with their own moisture. But you know, baked potatoes with butter are also delicious (laughs). So, I wondered if I could create a dish with lily bulbs that was crispy on the outside and fluffy on the inside, like baked potatoes with butter. I wanted to make lily bulbs the star of the dish, not just a supporting ingredient like in chawanmushi (laughs)."
To achieve the crispiness, they are deep-fried and then pan-fried in butter! Accompanying it is a Béarnaise sauce made with butter and egg yolk, mixed with finely chopped sunki, a pickle that has been traditionally made in the Kiso region of Nagano Prefecture for over 300 years. The gentle acidity from the lactic acid in the pickle complements the tartness of the sauce, creating a refined and mellow flavor. To go to such lengths for the humble lily bulb... As a lily bulb supporter (and I imagine there are many such people), I am moved to tears!