With blessings from the ocean and mountains and alcohol - Voyage for [Toyama Gastronomy] (the latter half)

Enjoy a relaxing moment in a beautiful space serving beautiful dishes that can only be created in this place

What was still needed in Iwase-machi was a very impressive special and delicious cuisine. Mr. Masuda realized it with Chef Eiju Yunoki and his restaurant accepting only 1 group a day. The restaurant is located in one of the warehouses of the Mori family who made a fortune in the shipping industry. When opening the door of the restaurant that is next to the workshops of Mr. Yasuda and Mr. Shakunaga introduced above, you will see a breath-taking space spreading in front of you. Relaxing sofas are placed in front of a woodstove with fire burning. The open kitchen that is the chef’s table, and a large table with beautiful wood grains, give you a feeling of having a dreamy feast. Actually, Mr. Masuda had been inviting Mr. Eiju Yunoki to open a restaurant in Iwase-machi for almost 20 years, as he is a lone genius with a splendid sense of the taste. When they went around together to see many sites, Mr. Yunoki saw this hideaway-like place, and immediately decided to open a restaurant there from the assurance to be able to do what he wanted. He says, [I thought that private dining would be ideal to make the best use of this precious space]. It is really fun to relax and see him from a close distance, creating modern-French dishes where any extra factors are cut off. The [Toyama Cuisine] dispatched from Iwase-machi offers an unforgettable moment deep in your mind.

Seeking for the cuisine that can be only realized here, he uses seafood and wild game from Toyama

Mr. Eiju Yunoki was born and brought up in Toyama. He even started training in Toyama. After improving his cooking skills at a French restaurant in Tokyo, he came back to Toyama to be the master chef at the ANA hotel, then opened the current restaurant. In other words, his strong point is that he knows everything about the local ingredients in Toyama. He says, [As I grew up eating very fresh fish from Toyama Bay, my standard for freshness and deliciousness is very high. Being fresh is normal. My biggest theme is how I should sublimate the ingredients into more tasty dishes]. That is why he sticks to using fresh fish and meat, rather than matured ones to create the dishes that can be only served here. [Not only fish, but I also prepare bigfin reef squid with Shinkeijime (an original Japanese technique that keeps the fish meat fresh by making the fish braindead) to make its texture more voluminous and resilient.] For wild game, he informs the hunters that he is close to with, as to what type of meat he wants, such as the size and male or female, etc., then purchases those that meet his standards. For wild boar, he decides how to cook after checking the meat and precisely concluding various things such as what it was eating in the mountain. He can multiply several times the charms of the ingredients, also by slightly adjusting the way of cooking, by putting an aroma of smoke in addition to [simply grill], for example. Such [Yunoki Magic] can be realized as he is very close to the local ingredients.

He brings out potentials of the blessings from nature, making the best use of firewood

Since the summer 2017, Cave Yunoki has started using glowing embers as a new cooking technique that can only be realized here, in an environment different from big cities. Chef Yunoki installed a woodstove in an open shared space for the warehouses, and specially ordered a very heavy grilling iron plate from an iron artisan. He creates glowing embers in the woodstove, and put them under the plate. He says, [The merit of using glowing ember is that the ingredients do not become too dry on the outside, and can be juicy inside, as the flame of glowing embers are milder than charcoal, containing water in the flame. With glowing embers, I can perfectly keep the sticky texture of bigfin reef squid]. It cannot be realized with charcoal that makes the surface dry instantly. He sometimes sprays olive oil on firewood to create smoke for a light aroma, which multiplies several times the flavor of the bigfin reef squid. He says with ambitions, [The power of glowing ember is my secret weapon to maximize the taste of the blessings from nature and find new potentials].

Perfect combination of the blessings from the area and local sake for the best feast

Many guests visit [Cave Yunoki] not only for the cuisine sublimating the local ingredients into beautiful dishes, but also for exquisite parings of the cuisine and local alcohol from Toyama. Mr. Yunoki says, [The simplest way to feel the world of Toyama Gastronomy, and enjoy the charm of our dishes to their maximum, is to marry them with the right alcohol among the variations of Masuizumi and Says Farm. You can enjoy the view of the world of Toyama Gastronomy]. Vegetables, meats, and grape from the same [terroir], the local alcohol made with underground water from the Tateyama mountain range, and the seafood used in [Toyama Bowl] from the ocean in Toyama that is enriched with water from melted snow of the Tateyama mountain range… it is very natural that they go well each other. The marriage suggested by Mr. Yunoki is exquisite, as he knows everything about the features of the local alcohol as well. For example, the soil in Himi contains an abundance of minerals, and therefore the alcohol from Says Farm goes well with the root vegetables with an aroma of the soil. Also, the daiginjo sake of Masuizumi, matured in wine barrels, goes perfectly with the light aroma of smoked winter yellowtail.

[Exquisite Tastes of Toyama Campaign] is currently held
to enjoy a special experience of Toyama Gastronomy at [Cave Yunoki]

(Privilege for Exquisite Tastes of Toyama Campaign with [Cave Yunoki]) Before having a meal at Cave Yunoki, you are invited to [Masuda Shuzo]. They brew Toyama’s renowned sake [Masuizumi] that is essential for the paring at Cave Yunoki. This brewery is usually not open to the public, so this is a special occasion. The paring will taste better after seeing your own eyes how the sake is made (this privilege is limited to those who made a reservation for dinner).

(How to apply for the campaign)
Access the [Cave Yunoki] page at Savor Japan, and call [Cave Yunoki] 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.

Information about the restaurant [Cave Yunoki] can be found here