Trained in classical cooking at Osaka institution Ajikitcho, chef Keisuke Mifune channels his vast knowledge of cha-kaiseki – the ornate and highly formal meal served at a traditional tea gathering – into orthodox but imaginative series of dishes, beginning with a colourful expression of the season in the form of the hassun appetiser platter. For a kaiseki place, the atmosphere at Yugen is decidedly laid-back, making it the ideal restaurant for those fairly new to Japanese haute cuisine.
Reservations essential.