Yusuke Nakada sure loves mushrooms. They inspired the name of the chef’s Yoyogi-Hachiman restaurant, appear in most of the dishes, and there are ’shroom playing cards framed on the walls. Nakada used to work in a rural French restaurant famed for its creative use of fungi and the experience clearly left its mark – this is brilliantly inventive cooking which showcases the incredible versatility of several domestic and imported mushroom varieties. Don’t miss his inspired pairing of mushroom tea and an intensely opulent foie gras macaroon, or his signature smoked salmon, exquisitely combined with boiled aubergine and roquefort sauce.
There’s no menu, but there’s no need to worry. Chef Nakada sees himself as a culinary consultant, chatting to customers about their eating habits, dietary restrictions and their mood, and creating tailor-made meals just for them. There are eight counter seats, which work well for the consultancy part of the process, and three tables if you’re after a more formal dining experience. Depending on how many courses you have, or whether you order the day’s special, you’ll pay ¥5,500, ¥7,500 or ¥10,000 for a selection of dishes. No matter what you order, or what the chef orders for you, a meal here is – if you’ll excuse the obvious mushroom pun – magic.