There are no compromises when it comes to ingredients – this is highly confident Japanese seafood cuisine. The omakase course includes a starter, three or four sashimi varieties, grilled items, an aromatic lidded bowl dish, hairy crab, a simmered dish, a duo of oysters, rice, and refreshing fruit. The chef operates on a motto of “ideal aging” – something he had been working on for many years before it became a trend. And it happened completely by chance. In his earlier days when customers were few and far between, three kilograms of fugu puffer fish sat unsold for a week. With no choice but to take it home, Sada was shocked by how good it has tasted, and he has been experimenting ever since.

Uosada’s cuisine is governed by two rules: no bonito flakes and no frying. With utmost priority placed on showcasing the true flavor of each ingredient, any method that masks that flavor or adds to much aroma of its own is off limits. Hence the above two rules and the additional exclusion of charcoal grilling.

Uosada’s sashimi is served one variety at a time on small plates. His hamo pike conger from Korea has such elegant flesh that he serves it simply with wasabi-infused soy sauce, surprising even diners who don’t usually seek out the fish. The flesh is rested until the fat reaches prime condition, and then it is skewered and fired with a burner before being served on an Edo Kiriko cut glass dish from the Meiji Period. The slow-simmered fish dish may feature nodoguro blackthroated seaperch filled with umami-rich roe. Simply simmered in soy sauce, sake and mirin, without any dashi, the fish is presented on a 200-year-old antique Imari ware dish and accented with peppery, zesty sansho buds.

Two oysters from Senposhi, Hokkaido, are served side by side on a refined Minpei ware dish from Awaji – a style of ceramics no longer in production. One oyster is served raw and the other has been steamed in white wine before smoking over cherry wood. Grilled dishes such as tilefish and unagi eel follow. The quality is outstanding and the simple presentation involves a dab of wasabi and Niigata-grown chamame soybeans on one of the couple’s favorite dishes – an indigo Kakiemon masterpiece. Hamo and matsutake mushrooms served in a simple dashi of Rausu kombu and broth drawn from the fish bones is a dish surprisingly full of flavor despite the light preparation.

The focus on premium ingredients flows right through to the closing rice dish. The plump grains of rice have been steamed in a traditional iron pot called hagama and seasonal toppings may include lightly grilled buttery nodoguro or a generous helping of sea urchin. The rice may even emerge as an onigiri rice ball filled with homemade marinated dried baby sardines or topped with the irresistibly creamy texture of a fresh raw egg.

As you savor the luscious flavor and texture of fruit, no doubt you will already be reflecting on the authentic meal that is coming to a close and thinking of when you can make another visit. You may be interested to hear that there is an even more exclusive outpost called Uosada Sanso atop Mt. Rokko overlooking Kobe.

INGREDIENTS
When asked about themselves and their success, this humble and understated couple respond in a reserved manner, but as soon as the conversation turns to the ingredients, they become decidedly loquacious. It is a definite source of pride for them. The restaurant’s husband and wife team make their way to local markets and multiple other locations each day, but rather than finishing their shopping before heading back, they make a point of dropping each precious package back at the restaurant before heading out in search of the next one. They won’t even take courier deliveries at the restaurant door – they visit the local center to collect their items, showing their very sincere approach to the stars of their cuisine.

The rice, selected for flavor and texture, is all grown in the Kansai region or further west, including the rich natural landscape of Shimanto in Kochi, or Okayama, Shimane or Saga prefectures. The restaurant only serves mazuma wasabi from Gotemba, Shizuoka, a very hard-to-find ingredient especially in Kansai, but essential to Uosada with its absolute focus on fish flavor.

The fruits served are equally exquisite and carefully matured before service. They include Jinnai mangoes from Miyazaki, plums from Shioyama, Yamanashi, Ruby Roman premium table grapes from Ishikawa Prefecture, winter watermelon and other varieties that will wow you with their flavors.

Alcoholic beverages have been selected for their affinity with fish and include Shimeharitsuru and Esshu sake varieties from Niigata breweries: light, clean, bone-dry types all served at guest’s preferred drinking temperatures. Burgundy wines feature prominently on the wine list, but beautiful California wines can also be enjoyed here.