| Fish |
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Mr. Fukumoto from Sajima fish port in Miura |
| The first time I met Mr. Fukomoto was when I found great fish from the Miura Peninsula. Had I not met this individual, I would not have been able to create the foods I create. He is the one who taught me the advantages of the Miura region and introduced me to some very important people. Recently there have been environmental pollution problems in some areas. However, Sajima is one the cleanest ports in Japan and we can eat fish from there without worrying. |
| Mr. Suzuki from Matsuwa fish port in Miura |
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| Although Matsuwa fish port is very conservative, (unlikely to provide fish to newcomers). Mr. Suzuki carefully listens to my requests and provides precious fish such as sea bream and alfonsinos. He is also very accommodating and understands restaurants' needs. This is the best fish port in the Miura Peninsula and fish from this area are called "Matsuwa" Brand. The quality of the sea bream from Matsuwa is especially good, even better than the fish from Seki in Oita, which is considered to have a sacred value and is from the best seaport in Japan. |
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Mr. Suzuki from Nagai fish port in Miura |
| Nagai is the fish port nearest to the deep sea of all the ports in the Muira Peninsula. Mr. Suzuki owns a ship that is able to access the sea and catch deep-sea fish such as Norwegian Lobsters and Giant Spider Crabs, which are both considered fish delicacies. Mr. Suzuki is the one who provides me with these valuable fish delicacies. |
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| Vegetables |
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Ms. Akamon from Miura |
| Ms. Akamon operates a time-honored vegetable farm. Her name is easy to remember because her house has a red gate, which is the same meaning as the name Akamon in Japanese. We have had a good relationship with this farm ever since we opened. The vegetables are produced here using the traditional cultivation method. Special vegetables called Hamana grow only on these banks. Also this area's butterburs, butterbur scopes, and flowers decorate the dishes of our restaurant. |
| Mr. Takanashi from Miura |
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| Mr. Takanashi produces very favorable western vegetables. I bought black radishes for the first time and he said. "For some reason, I am addicted to black radishes" and I just want to teach children that many types of radishes exist. As a result, there are several types of western vegetables grown on his farm. The vegetables grow well and he is very knowledgeable about them. |
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Mr. Muto from Miura |
| During the middle of the Meiji era, Western culture came to Yokohama and the Muira Peninsula flourished as a resort area. At that time, foreigners gave lectures to residents on how to grow a rare vegetable called ﾒArtichokesﾓ. Mr. Jiroheibei, considered to be an eccentric person, successfully grows artichokes on the Miura Peninsula, which has similar weather to the Mediterranean. At the time, Mr. Miura brought these artichokes by cart to the Hotel New Grand located in front of Yamashita Park in Yokohama, which was serving Western style cuisine. This was the start of selling artichokes in Japan, but Japanese are still unfamiliar with these Western vegetables. However, Mr., Muto III continues to grow and cultivate artichokes. The best season for artichokes is the end of May through June. |
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| Mushrooms |
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Furuya family from Yamanashi |
| The king of taste in autumn is the mushroom. I can't imagine what would happen if I wouldn't be able to use these for preparing dishes. Unfortunately, natural mushrooms do not exist in Kanagawa prefecture so we have to make another exception to our philosophy of using all ingredients from Kanagawa prefecture and make our selections from another prefecture. Yamanashi prefecture has a wonderful offering of mushrooms; there are actually more varieties of mushrooms in Yamanashi than in France. In Yamanashi the autumn comes early, usually the middle of August, and starts from the 8th station of Mt. Fuji. Recently these have become a most popular natural food as well as being very expensive. However, these mushrooms are key ingredients for our dishes. |
Mr. Suzuki from Isehara
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| According to farmer Mr. Suzuki, "Isehara is the best field in Kanagawa prefecture for producing mushrooms." Mr. Suzuki is one of the few farmers who produces mushrooms using rough timbers. Summer and winter are the usual seasons for mushrooms, but mushrooms are also produced in the fall as a result of natural cultivation. |
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Mr. Fukawa and Ms. Takahashi from Odawara |
| The reason Mr. Fukawa and Ms. Takahashi began cultivating Nameko mushrooms was to produce organically grown mushrooms. Their method of cultivating mushrooms is a more natural process than other mushroom farmers in the region. |
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| Wine |
Mr. Omura from Yamanashi
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| In 1890 Mr. Harusaku Omura first produced "Rubeivat Wine". Mr. Haruo Omura followed his great-grandfather's original ideas and continues to make this special Yamanashi wine. He has become one of the most famous wine producers in Japan. |
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| Eggs |
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Yasuda family from Miura |
At the Yasuda families poultry farm they produce several different types of eggs.
I was surprised to learn about their Alocana chickens. These chickens originally came from Chili and lay blue eggs. In addition to poultry farming, they also produce the flavorful Kyoto style vegetables using the composts. |
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