Matayoshi is Kyoto cuisine based on tea ceremony kaiseki, but with a modern flair. Chef Matayoshi emphasizes the best of flavor and texture in each of the carefully selected ingredients he presents, adding inspiration from all kinds of cuisines. The always stunning and sometimes dramatic plating brings nature inside with bamboo grass sprouting out from beneath or the appearance of a leaf floating down a bubbling brook. Chef Matayoshi finds creative ways to introduce new ideas that excite him, and he especially loves adding playful touches from his home of Okinawa.

An early summer visit may begin with the pinks and greens of spear squid with roe and firefly squid, topped with brilliant verdant fiddleheads. A heartwarming bowl of tilefish from the Wakasa area of Fukui Prefecture topped with a dainty stem of sansho leaf buds, is followed by a succulent selection of sashimi including tilefish, black-throated seaperch, Okhotsk atka mackerel (hokke), and sea urchin. A deliciously crunchy combination of mountain vegetables in a sesame dressing carries you on the journey through flavors, textures, and temperatures, all the while perfectly complemented by an extensive selection of sake and wine to please any palate.

INGREDIENTS
Chef Matayoshi travels around Japan in his meticulous search for ingredients. Believing deeply in the concept of ichigo ichie, a Japanese saying that implores us to treasure every encounter, Matayoshi focuses on giving his guests the best possible ingredients in that moment. He calls on Shiga, Fukuoka and Nara for organic vegetables, and ventures to the cold waters of Aomori and Hokkaido for the freshest seafood. Every drop of every seasoning used – mirin, soy sauce, and vinegar, among others – is also sourced only after paying personal visits to the brewers.