In 2011, Yusuke Miyashita opened his restaurant Fushikino, serving a banquet of Japanese dishes paired with craft sake, in the stone-cobbled neighbourhood of Kagurazaka. Miyashita is a licensed sake brewer, sommelier and Enshu-style tea-ceremony master who pairs seasonal sake with traditional multi-course kaiseki dishes created by renowned chef Yoshio Aramaki.
The Michelin-starred restaurant only seats nine people at a time, and as you settle down at the chestnut counter and eye the antique tableware, you know you’re in for something special. Behind the counter, Miyashita warms a flask to reach a temperature of 85°C, ensuring the fats in the fish or meat of the dishes will melt in your mouth as you sip throughout your meal.
Every evening features at least one vintage sake, which has been aged over ten years, as well as a blend of two sake that Miyashita combines to match the food. The meal concludes with a bowl of rich matcha, which Miyashita whisks in front of you to revive you from the spell of the potent rice wine.