Ishikawa

MAKINONCI

マキノンチ

As if invited to the chef’s own home, MAKINONCÎ offers the finest gastronomic experience without all the formalities. In his denim cap and mosaic black apron, Chef Hirokazu Makino welcomes his guests to his open kitchen inside the hilltop restaurant. Through great conversations about the food and the region, he showcases an imaginative French-based cuisine from blowfish shirako with truffles and a rock mountain made from chocolate. Limited to just a few bookings a day, this Michelin pick is a treasured gem.

　 MAKINONCÎ, or “Makino’s house” in Japanese, stands on a picturesque hilltop, about a 10 min drive from the busy city center. Tucked away in a quiet residential neighborhood, you probably wouldn’t notice the restaurant if you didn’t know it was there. If you find a traditional Japanese house with wooden fences and a black steel door, you’ve arrived at the right place.

Inside the charming wooden house, you will be shown into a waiting area that feels like a friend’s living room. The chef will then invite you to the dining room to sit around the open kitchen, made with cherry-colored wood that matches the wooden walls. Set with a window-paned roof and wooden bars fixed across the ceiling, the interior creates a lovely and open atmosphere.

When designing the restaurant, Makino insisted on a U-shaped counter so that guests could see him cooking from any seat. While most western restaurants have closed kitchens, it’s important to show the guests what produce is being used and how they are cooked, he says. He stands behind a large ginkgo wood board where he works his craft.

“I love this set up because I feel like I’m just inviting friends to come spend time with me while enjoying some delicious food,” he says. “I’d been thinking about this concept since before the pandemic and my dream finally became true in 2020.”

The table setting adds its own unique touch. On top of local crockery and table linens is a piece of paper with a bunch of icons. This is indeed the menu, designed in a way that stirs a sense of excitement for what to expect. It also breaks down the language barrier, making it something overseas guests can also enjoy.

A Kanazawa native, Makino received his culinary training at various restaurants in Kyoto, Nagoya and Tokyo. He wanted to deepen his knowledge even further, and trained in Burgundy for a year. After returning to Japan, he decided he was ready to open his own restaurant in his hometown. Since its opening in 2007, his restaurant quickly gained a reputation as the best French restaurant in Kanazawa.

Finest gastronomic experience without all the formalities

“Although the fundamental base is French, my cuisine is quite unique and hard to categorize it under one label,” Makino explains. Thanks to his rich imagination and diverse experience, he incorporates elements from different cuisines to come up with new ways to enjoy the best local seafood and produce. Ranging from finger foods to hot dishes cooked over open fire, the seasonal omakase menu is made up of 12 to 14 courses. “I like to prepare many dishes, so please come hungry,” he warns his guests.

Every dish at MAKINONCÎ is beautifully composed for your eyes to enjoy before the first bite. Served on a lotus-leaf-shaped glass plate is the bluefin tuna tartare. Using tuna caught off Noto shores, the raw fish is mixed with shallots, basil, paprika, olives, garlic, pepper, and tabasco. Topped with smoked Sturgeon caviar, the different flavors burst inside your mouth. Enjoy with Kaga lotus root chips on the side.

The sardine roast looks like a little sculpture, plated on a piece of Suzu crockery from Ishikawa Prefecture. The filet of roasted Nanao sardine is rolled with nuts, citrus peel and bread crumbs, and placed on top of a slice of Hyuganatsu citrus. Little pieces of sea urchin and petit veil are sprinkled over.

“The Kaga lotus root tower” is a majestic dish with layers of flavors. A whole lotus root is first grilled on a firewood and sliced into rounds. Each piece is topped with brie cheese, white truffles, prosciutto and kinome herbs, and drizzled with hollandaise sauce.

Served inside a little cup is a warm dish of blowfish shirako with truffles. The shirako is first roasted and steamed with mochi rice for a deep flavor. It’s paired with black truffles and served in a duck consommé soup with prosciutto and arrowroot. Shredded wheat flour batter is used as a topping.

The day’s dessert is bergamot and fromage blanc sorbet, served with craft gin jelly. Local herbs and homemade puff grains are sprinkled on top, adding aroma and texture. As mignardise, the chef has designed a chocolate rock sculpture to hold pieces of caramel sable sandwiches and cups of chocolate pudding.

INGREDIENTS
At MAKINONCÎ, the chef aims to source most ingredients from local producers. He often visits ports in Nanao, Kanazawa and Himi to procure fresh catches directly. He also only buys from fishermen he trusts.

Most of the vegetables come from a local organic farm called Nakano Farm. They grow all kinds of vegetables including traditional varieties like Kaga lotus roots and Kinjiso spinach. “These vegetables are delicious and safe, and I know the people who grew them,” he says.

The restaurant also offers an excellent wine pairing option. Please ask the chef if you’re interested.

CHEF

Hirokazu Makino

Born in 1979, Hirokazu Makino studied at a culinary school in Kyoto. He began his training at French restaurants in Kyoto and Nagoya. He then joined Le Manoir D'HASTINGS in Ginza before deciding to train abroad in Burgundy, France. He returned to his hometown of Kanazawa and opened his restaurant, originally called French Makino. The restaurant moved to its current location in 2020 and immediately won two stars in Michelin Guide Hokuriku 2021.

VISION
Makino’s vision as a restaurant owner is to cherish his relationship with his guests. To make sure he can cater each guest with care and attention, he’s thinking about limiting the number of reservations, even if that means lower sales. “When I turned 40, I had this sudden realization that I should live a life without any regrets,” he says. “I think there’s something more important than money.”

If there ever comes a time when he can’t find any motivation to evolve his cuisine and come up with new ideas, he thinks that’s when he should quit.

HOSPITALITY

Through his unique cuisine, Makiko hopes that the guests are satisfied from the beginning of the visit to the end. This doesn’t mean that he wants to create an over-the-top experience. He simply wants it to feel like a wonderful evening at a friend’s house.

He also wants to convey his hospitality not just through his food but through beautiful crockery, decor and other details around the restaurant. This is how he came up with the idea of using icons for the menu instead of words. He felt it was an obvious way to welcome guests from other countries.

Through great conversations and delicious cuisine, an evening at MAKINONCÎ is really about getting to know one another and enjoying each other’s company, he says.