Savory dishes that can only be created in Toyama, in cooperation with the producers
Every one of Chef Taniguchi’s days starts by visiting the producers of vegetables, fish, and wild game, etc. One of them is the natural farm [Doyuuno], run by Ms. Megumi Kawakami. This farm, 5 minutes away by car, is where he visits the most frequently. Their main crops are root vegetables to make the best use of the high-quality soil in Toyama. Five color carrots, Chef Taniguchi’s favorite, are also grown in an almost natural cultivating way in these fields with flowers of various vegetables. Ms. Kawakami says, [I fertilize only sometimes, as we believe that vegetables have their own power. We think it is the best way to grow vegetables]. Carrots are sorted by the color and planted in different rows. Only the necessary amount for that day is harvested. Chef Taniguchi found a small carrot and said, [I would like to decorate a plate using this size without cutting]. Ms. Kawakami laughed and said, [it is not possible, as there are not many small-sized carrots like that]. It seems that such conversations in the field also inspire his dishes.
Ms. Kawakami also has a poultry farm on top of a mountain with a gentle slope. Though her parents farmed only eggs, she started to farm poultry as well, following the advice of Chef Taniguchi. Natural mating chickens are energetically walking around themselves. They are a cross between a tasty Nagoya breed and Plymouth Rock. These baby chickens will become Levo chickens. Ms. Kawakami says, [They are sorted by the growth stage and raised in cages. When Chef Taniguchi saw chickens approximately 45 day-old, he said he would like to cook them. I never thought of shipping them until they become a standard size, so the scales fell from my eyes to hear his idea. I am not sorry for them. We show our affection towards them by eating them deliciously. For that purpose I am farming them carefully]. The basic of the food of humans is there, having lives of other creatures as food.
Beautiful tableware to serve food are created through a relationship between artisans
Being inspired by the wooden crafts at [Shimoo Design], Chef Taniguchi decided to give first priority to the tableware for his new restaurant. Chef Taniguchi said, [I decided to order the tableware for my new restaurant from Mr. Shimoo, a long time ago. Do not ask me why, as I cannot give a good answer. However, his works have impressed me since the first time I visited his workshop. They were what I was looking for]. Mr. Shimoo also laughed and said, [I was impressed to hear the idea of Chef Taniguchi, to make use of the whole restaurant to dispatch Toyama. I felt like cooperating with him from the bottom of my heart. I was surprised to receive his order for all the dining tables, as it was only 1 month prior to the opening. I made my best efforts to make it in time].
Their strong relationship can also be seen from the following episode;
Chef Taniguchi says, [Whenever I order tableware from him, I trust him and leave almost everything to him. I do not request details such as color and shape. I request only the size. His tableware, that are created with his view of the world, inspire me for new ideas, what to be decorated on them]. Such a relationship respecting each other, as a wonderful creator, has created revolutions one after another.
As [Levo] has become well-known all through Japan after appearing on a TV program, many chefs all through Japan have visited his restaurant. At the same time, Mr. Shimoo also started receiving orders from all over Japan. Putting Chef Taniguchi’s cuisine at the core, they are surely creating bigger waves to dispatch the charms of Toyama, not only to all over Japan, but also to the world.
The cuisine of [Levo] has been evolving to dispatch further charms of Toyama
After coming back from the interview sites, he created the dish above for us, using bigfin reef squid and fresh carrots harvested at [Doyuuno], responding to our request to create something using the carrots. Shredded 5 color carrots were marinated with a mild shellfish sauce and hidden under bigfin reef squid and shellfish that were lightly broiled with glowing embers of firewood and mixed with a foamy sauce. It is very impressive to see colorful carrots appearing out of the white world. He might have reproduced the feeling of those who are surprised to dig up these carrots from the ground. Five color carrots, with a good aroma of the soil and a deep sweet taste, bring out the sweet taste and texture of the squid. This dish is as if expressing the full nature of Toyama, where the blessings from the soil flow into the ocean to enrich sea water.
The evolution of Chef Taniguchi‘s cuisine is not only for the ingredients, of course, but he has also been seeking for cooking techniques meaningful to be used in Toyama. For the squid dish above, he adopted a new technique to use glowing embers for a good aroma. As glowing ember fire is milder than charcoal fire, it is suited for ingredients to be heated slowly. As the fire is mild, the aroma becomes mild, too. Using it, only the surface of bigfin reef squid can be slightly broiled for a good aroma. The texture of squid becomes lighter by being heated, and the taste becomes sweeter. He says, [I create glowing embers in the parking lot every day, by burning lots of firewood, and bring them to the kitchen. Luckily it is easy to find firewood here, and the cost is only about one tenth compared to charcoals. In the future, it would be nice to use firewood fire to heat almost everything].
The more he knows about the ingredients from Toyama, the more he is fascinated with them. The cuisine of Chef Taniguchi keeps evolving to bring out their charms to their maximum. His way of seeing things creates unparalleled cuisine to be dispatched from Toyama, which attracts many people.
Levo
| Tel: | +81-(0)50-5870-9831 |
| Address: | River Retreat Garaku, 56-2, Kasuga, Toyama-shi, Toyama （MAP） |
| Hours of operation: | 11:30 am - 1:00 pm (L.O.) / 6:00 pm - 9:00 pm (L.O.) |
| Close: | Wednesday |
| Access: | 40 minutes by car or taxi from JR Toyama Station 15 minutes by car or taxi from Toyama Airport Shuttle services are available from Toyama Station and Airport (please inquire) |
[Exquisite Tastes of Toyama Campaign] is currently held
to enjoy a special experience of Toyama Gastronomy at [Levo]
(Privilege for Exquisite Tastes of Toyama Campaign with [Levo])
This privilege is limited to 1 group a day; the hotel staff will take you on a tour of approximately 1 hour to the farm [Doyuuno], where you can observe Levo Chickens raised in a poultry coop, walk in the fields, and sometimes see the harvest scene at a close distance with explanations about the vegetables.
（How to apply for the campaign）
Access the [Levo] page at Savor Japan, and call [Levo] to tell that you would like to book for [Exquisite Tastes of Toyama Campaign]. Please make sure to tell them the name of the campaign.
[River Retreat Garaku]
The restaurant [Levo], introduced above, is inside this hideaway-like hotel for adults along the Jinzu River. At this hotel with a high ceiling, you can relax and enjoy exquisite art pieces everywhere. Along the promenade in the hotel site, you can see seasonal flowers and wild birds. Japanese serows and monkeys sometimes appear as well. After enjoying [Toyama Gastronomy] at [Levo] at night, take your time and enjoy a bath with smooth hot spring water, and sleep well in a comfortable bed. The recommended guest room type is the [Luxury Suite in the Main Building] that was renovated in April 2017. In the middle of a spacious room of 140 m², there is a living room with sophisticated Italian design furniture between 2 bed rooms and 2 bathrooms. This room is ideal for a family of 4 people, a female group, or 2 friend couples. You can also enjoy taking a jet bath looking down the river in the early morning.
| Hotel name: | River Retreat Garaku |
| Address: | 56-2, Kasuga, Toyama-shi, Toyama （MAP） |
| Tel: | +81-(0)76-467-5550 |
| Room charge: | From 28,000 JPY per person (with half board). [Luxury Suite in the Main Building] is from 70,000 JPY per person (with half board / 4 people) |
