A Pleasant Moment Discovering Fine Traditional Japanese Food
Published: August 31, 2017
Ohashi kitchen is a restaurant situated in the heart of Tomioka, a lively area in Monzen-nakacho renowned for its many Japanese restaurants. After a brief walk from Monzen-nakacho Station, you’ll easily reach Ohashi kitchen, recognizable by its pretty frontage.
As you enter the place, you’ll immediately feel comfortable in the cosy atmosphere. The manager, Ms. Asami Nagumo, explained that the restaurant used to be an Italian tavern. The meridional-style decor gives the whole place a warm ambience. Sitting at the counter, you can enjoy watching the gifted cook prepare the delicious plates that the customers look forward to savouring. Ms. Nagumo takes an active part in the service and also helps prepare the dishes. She gives particular attention to the customers and advises them skilfully in their choices.
Ohashi kitchen’s specialty is a set of small dishes called “obanzai”. Obanzai are traditional home cooking side dishes originating from Kyoto. Such dishes have traditionally been cooked by housewives at home before they came to be served in restaurants, and obanzai restaurants have become a new trend in Japan. Obanzai is mostly vegetarian fare, ensuring the diner a balanced and nutritious appetizer before the main course.
Influenced by different culinary styles, Ohashi kitchen concocts tasty items with which you can enjoy authentic tastes from different regions of Japan; some even have a European touch. Ms. Nagumo specifies that the seasonal dishes change every day, with the menu being handwritten each morning, so you can enjoy something new whenever you visit the restaurant!
For lunch, the restaurant offers different sets of dishes like the famous obanzai which you can match, for example, with some crispy and juicy karaage (Japanese crispy fried chicken) embellished by a small cabbage salad with delicious yuzu (Japanese citrus fruit) dressing. All the sets contain some rice, miso soup and various obanzai such as vegetables and mushrooms salad, Southern European style “ratatouille” and a small chicken and vegetables salad. Ms. Nagumo will kindly advise you on an easy-to-drink Japanese sake which will fit perfectly with your meal.
In the evening as well, you can taste the assortment of obanzai consisting of a dozen small different delicious dishes essentially composed of seasonal vegetables. The assortment serves two to three people; so don’t hesitate to treat your friends! (For those dining alone, it’s possible to choose a combination of three or four obanzai dishes instead of ordering the entire set.) The restaurant also offers a variety of other seasonal courses: fish, fresh vegetables and meat, with enough variety to surely suit all preferences of taste!
Ms. Nagumo informs us that you can also enjoy traditional izakaya-style food at Ohashi kitchen; for example, the infamous potato salad, which is a standard menu item at any izakaya in Japan.
Finally, Japanese sake is a must at Ohashi kitchen! Ms. Nagumo carefully selects the Japanese sake she recommends to the customers. “Japanese sake is comparable to wine; there are so many different taste and aromas. It’s really an interesting beverage to get to know.” Special attention is dedicated to the “sake of the day”, which is chosen to match the assortments of dishes served that day. The restaurant stocks a fine selection of Japanese sake recommended by a sake brewery located in Kayabacho, with whom Ms. Nagumo confers regularly.
Tasting the delicious dishes of Ohashi kitchen will surely leave you with a pleasant memory. With healthy fresh food, a fine mix of modernity and tradition, and delicious sake, it’s certainly a place not to be missed on your trip to Koto-ku!
Story and Photos by Aline Lambelet
