With more than 30 years of experience at top Japanese restaurants including Ryoriya Uemura in Kobe and Iida in Kyoto, Hoshino brings extensive knowledge of traditional cuisine. His omakase changes monthly, featuring approximately 12 seasonal dishes. The plates are presented with elegance, while allowing the natural flavors and umami of the ingredients to remain at the forefront. The meal begins with a welcome drink, such as lemon liqueur, vinegar mixed with soda or chilled ginger-infused amasake in summer, with warm options in winter. A seasonal oshinogi, or light palate cleanser, pairs Nara-grown figs with tataki-style Yamato Haibara beef, fried burdock root, finely shredded leeks and chrysanthemum petals, finished with a reduced cassis sauce. The soup is made with a primarily kombu-based dashi and only a brief addition of bonito. During September’s moon-viewing season, a bowl of “full-moon” tofu and matsutake mushrooms is served in a Nichigetsu-wan, a traditional lacquer bowl decorated with sun and moon motifs. A touch of yuzu complements the aroma and texture of the matsutake. Charcoal grilling is another important element of Hoshino’s cooking. Yamato Haibara beef is finished over charcoal and served with a generous portion of sea urchin. Pike conger is scored with fine incisions to soften its many small bones, then grilled over charcoal until the skin turns crisp. It is accompanied by the fish’s liver, glazed with teriyaki and skewered on a pine needle, with a sauce of plum, dashi and soy brushed across the plate. The abalone course is a highlight of the evening. Selecting only those weighing between 400 and 500 grams, the shellfish is served with eggplant and shrimp, each cooked separately according to the method best suited for the ingredient. The dish is finished with gin-an, a clear, lightly thickened dashi sauce, and finely chopped dried mullet roe. Rice is served with a range of sides such as grated yam, soy-marinated salmon roe or cured Biwa trout. For dessert, local persimmons are combined with cream cheese and white bean paste, balancing the fruit’s sweetness with the richness of the cheese.

INGREDIENTS
Hoshino’s principle is to select ingredients of a quality and scale that provide a satisfying and substantial dining experience. His menu follows the seasons closely, incorporating ingredients such as bamboo shoots, sweetfish, pike conger, matsutake mushrooms, crab and pufferfish throughout the year.

Local Yamato Haibara beef is sourced from Ushigen Honten, a butcher shop in Uda City that has been in business since 1886. Hoshino uses cuts such as hiuchi, a rare cut from the inner thigh, particularly suited to tataki or roast beef.

Seafood comes from Shinmei in Osaka, a supplier known for its discerning eye for quality. The large-sized abalone are sourced from ports including Hamasaka in Hyogo Prefecture and Sakaiminato in Tottori Prefecture.

Hoshino also champions Nara’s traditional vegetables, known as Yamato vegetables. Nanpaku zuiki is a tender taro stalk, revived in 2018 by Kaneyoshi Farm after its production had disappeared. The stalks are wrapped in newspaper or rice sacks to block out light as they grow, giving them their white color and tender texture. The vegetable is in season from late July through early September. Yamato Maru Nasu is a round eggplant available from May to September and often referred to as a “black-purple jewel” for its deep color.

Even the staples are sourced carefully. The rice is Yudai 21, cultivated by Kobayashi in Haibara, Nara Prefecture, while the eggs come from Fuga Farm and are distinguished by their white yolks. Together, these ingredients reflect Hoshino’s preference for sourcing locally where possible.