“Our cuisine has three themes: earth, water and seasons,” Kudo explains. “Earth represents dishes rooted in Nakagawa. Water draws on the regionʼs clear streams. Seasons express the constant change in nature around us. The menu follows the ingredients, with recipes emerging only once the produce arrives.”

The omakase unfolds over a dozen courses, and takes as long as three hours to savor. It begins with a light amuse-bouche; a pumpkin puree sponge cake, its black hue drawn from bamboo charcoal, and accompanied with cream cheese, figs, Nichinan caviar and sunflower petals.

The chilled vichyssoise-like soup is made from Tawarama potatoes and topped with chips, watermelon, sweetfish confit from the Chikugo River, finger lime, edamame and verbena. The poached Amakusa egg brings out its natural sweetness and is served with hollandaise infused with chicken stock and breadcrumbs flavored with cumin, turmeric, garam masala and sun-dried tomatoes. Grated Amakusa almonds and a fritter of rosemary add contrast.

Tsushima Island conger eel is fried crisp and served with a vin blanc sauce made from its own bones and white wine, complemented by red onion and shiso herbs. The dayʼs flan is made from Satsuma sweet shrimp from Akune. The meringue-like custard arrives with butternut squash, followed by a broth of grilled flying fish and local chicken consommé poured at the table.

A hearty ragu of wild boar and locally caught octopus is served with rigatoni, maitake mushrooms and hand-picked green seaweed from Amakusa. For the main course, a tender fillet of Toyonoka Queen Beef is cooked in a pan, oven and over straw. The dish is served with peanuts and mushrooms, bringing together flavors of autumn.

Dessert offers a gentle close: milk and pistachio ice cream made with dairy from Aburayama Farm, served with verbena and white wine jelly, Shine Muscat grapes and a single white Egyptian starcluster flower.

INGREDIENTS
Many of the vegetables, fruits and herbs are grown on the restaurantʼs property. Chestnuts, lemons, persimmons and bamboo shoots grow in rhythm with the seasons. The Amakusa Mango eggs from Kumamoto, raised on a diet of dried mangoes, are known for their deep vermilion yolk and rich flavor. Rice comes from Itoshima, cultivated on land owned by Kudoʼs family. Rare Amakusa almonds are used throughout the meal.

Seafood is sourced across Kyushu. Seasonal catches such as conger eel, grouper and squid arrive fresh every morning. Satsuma sweet shrimp come from Akune, sea urchin from Karatsu and octopus from the Kanmon Straits. The caviar is sourced from Nichinan in Miyazaki.

For meat, Kudo likes locally raised Toyonoka Queen Beef and Komeshiagegyu. Game meat such as venison and wild boar appears on the menu seasonally. Asaji lamb from Oita is a rare Dorper breed with a clean and mild flavor.