Teach a man to fish

To really understand Japanese culture through a pair of chopsticks, you have to go beyond sushi and get to grips with kaiseki. Sure, in London we love the Peruvian fusion elements and the black cod at Nobu, and we go to Sumosan just to take a trip through the three different types of tuna (graded by fat) on the sashimi and nigiri menu. Then there’s the ramen at Tonkotsu and Shoryu (when there isn’t a queue – because we really don’t queue), and the magical Sushi Tetsu in Clerkenwell, where we can never get a table because we repeatedly forget to make a booking when they open reservations on the first day of the month. But the Kyoto-style kaiseki restaurant Umu (which translates as “born of nature”) is something else entirely – all things considered, we think that it’s quite simply the best Japanese restaurant in London.

Kaiseki can be a curious and baffling thing. Experiencing it in your room at a Kyoto ryokan can take hours, and there will be dishes with entirely unidentifiable ingredients and challenging textures. It’s a ceremony that – unlike the ascetic presentation at the likes of Sukiyabashi Jiro in Tokyo – is obsessed with visual embroidery. It’s not Zen. It’s… fancy.

When it first opened, food writer Terry Durack called Umu “a padded asylum for the very rich”

Eating at Umu, the Michelin-starred Japanese in London, is very different from sitting on the floor of the Hiiragiya in Kyoto. The restaurant is very Japanese in style, but also opulent (it is simultaneously dark and glowing), and art directed beyond belief. But then, this is Mayfair after all (when it first opened, food writer Terry Durack called Umu “a padded asylum for the very rich”). All that said, it’s true to the kaiseki spirit, and certainly unlike anything else you’ll experience in London. There’s also no expense spared on any single ingredient, and as well as being the best Japanese restaurant in London, it’s also the most expensive.

Umu’s head chef Yoshinori Ishii takes perfectionism to obsessive degrees – as indeed he might, as he kick-started his career in the kitchens at Kitcho in Kyoto, regarded as the very best kaiseki restaurant on the planet. To say Kitcho is a controlling environment is a massive understatement: when one of the Civilian team was planning a feature on Kitcho, someone from the restaurant’s HQ called them in London between 3am and 5am GMT, four nights/mornings in a row, “to go through a few more details about the story.”

We first experienced Yoshinori Ishii’s food at Morimoto in New York – and were consistently so much more than whelmed, from the flavours to the extraordinary visual presentation. It all genuinely looked too good to eat. At Umu, he’s in control of everything from the texture on the pottery to the calligraphy. We spoke to him about the details that have gone into the best Japanese restaurant in London.

Civilian: I’m very interested in your work with ceramics. What textures and patterns and shapes do you find particularly agreeable for your style of food?

Yoshinori Ishii: I began working on my ceramics for the restaurant a year and a half ago, and so far haven’t found enough texture and patterns here in the UK. We have lots in Japan and therefore I found it much easier there. I know the charm point of each pattern. For example: Bizen is one of the most important patterns in Japan but I know I can’t make it in the UK. So instead I asked my friend to bake it for Umu using my design. This is one of my favorites. Mino is a completely novel design in 17th century. I’d like to combine the Mino design with materials from the UK, it’s just a question of finding suitable materials that will lend themselves to this intricate style of pottery. Celadon – or Seiji in Japanese – is a reduction-fired glazed ware that originated in China during the Sung Dynasty (960-1270). I have already made some plates in this style on my pottery wheel (which I keep in my flat in Shepherd Market). It’s different from the Asian version but I like it as it works well for any kind of cuisine.

I still feel I need to discover more about the UK and then I will be able to create my pattern and ensure it is good for Umu.

Why do you think the Japanese have such an interest in certain kinds of ceramics? Lucie Rie has been the subject of exhibitions staged by Issey Miyake at his 21_21 Design Sight gallery in the past. And ceramics are such a part of the ceremony of eating in Japan.

A long time ago people made different patterns in each region of Japan that were unique to that area. They would all be different because the artist would use local materials. The Japanese also loved to assimilate new techniques and material from overseas. Each century, when the administration changed (Emperor, President, Lord), the culture would also change. This was especially true during the Momoyama period [1573-1615]. These were the golden days, combined with an amazing culinary culture. Over time the country has built up such a large collection of ceramics that it has become an integral part of our heritage and the key to so much of our history. There will always be a strong interest in them.

Kaiseki can present quite challenging textures and flavours, even for the Japanese who are used to it. The last time I had kaiseki in Kyoto there were several dishes I felt I couldn’t eat. How do you tailor this style of cooking for Europeans at Umu?

Kaiseki has a lot of concepts, styles and rules. Most kaiseki chefs insist on sticking to one style and a very strict set of rules. Sometimes it will be an obtrusion for the eater, even for Japanese people, as you say. The most important concept of kaiseki for me is to “make the customer happy with local ingredients with the best and simplest Japanese technique”. I believe kaiseki works worldwide and at Umu. I use only fresh seasonal ingredients that are then prepared in ways that aim to enhance their flavor. But as I’m based in London I think it is important to use locally sourced ingredients as well as traditional Japanese produce. Kaiseki is a type of art form that balances the taste, texture, appearance, and colours of food. I think you can use local ingredients that will appeal to a western clientele and still be true to the philosophies of kaiseki.

When I visited fish markets in Cornwall, I found that they stock fish for a few days and sell the old ones first. It is happening at every single step. When you buy the freshest fish in London, it is five or six days old at least

Are there things you would avoid?

Following too many rules. Using ingredients that I consider too exotic.

What do you think the major differences are between Japanese and Western food?

Western food has a lot of elements in each bite. It is as a symphony. When a chef cooks it, it is about the addition of elements. Japanese cooking has very simple elements. It is a solo performance. When a chef cooks it, they will do subtraction.

It must have taken a long time to discover where to source the best fresh seafood for your dishes in the UK. Where did you start?

I started looking for a good fish company in London but couldn’t, even in Billingsgate. When I visited fish markets in Cornwall, I found that they stock fish for a few days and sell the old ones first. It is happening at every single step. When you buy the freshest fish in London, it is five or six days old at least.

In Japan, fishermen take a lot of ice out fishing. As soon as they catch the fish, they put it on ice, but not in the UK. I didn’t want to be using old fish at Umu so I made contact directly with line fisherman in Cornwall. I went out on the boats with them and demonstrated ike jime methods, which preserve the quality of the catch. I also then personally negotiated with suppliers to guarantee it can be served in the restaurant within a day of being caught. Now all the fish we use at Umu has been caught and delivered in this way.

How did you decide on one area and one fisherman over another?

I love fishing myself, as a hobby. I know a strong current makes a fish tastier. Cornwall has that. Also a lot of line fishermen live in Cornwall as a Celtic tradition, and it’s not too far from London. Now other line fisherman, near Brighton, have asked me to teach them how to fish. I’m very happy that more people are becoming interested in the quality of fish and spreading the message all over the UK.

You are very specific about vegetables and vegetation. How did you source the right farms?

I used to work on an organic farm in Kyoto for a long time when I was young. My farmer mentor always said “soil makes vegetables”, so I always fed the soil. He used huge amounts of dried sardine and other natural organic foods for vegetables, to make a special compost. I have seen a lot of soil in a lot of countries and still believe his spirit and philosophy was the best.

What has been your most exciting ingredient discovery in the UK?

I want to answer “all of them”, but if I have to choose one, It is the sea bass, because I like the taste of it and I like to fish it using my own fishing rod.

Your PR sent out a release last year that went into detail about your “fish and chip revolution” because you are shocked by the poor quality of the fish in London’s restaurants. Without naming any names, how widespread is the lack of quality? Is it at the very high end?

Some people hate fish because it tastes “fishy”. But fresh fish doesn’t taste fishy. If people start to use a higher quality of fish, it will be tastier and better texture. It should be tender but not flaky, like chicken oyster. I have already started to use the freshest possible fish at Umu. Many chefs ask me how to get that and I then teach them. I pay the fisherman one and a half times the usual cost because I am asking more of them. If fishermen become happier about it, they will do more and sell more for other restaurants. I believe it helps everyone.

Many new sushi restaurants have opened in London recently. Many would say that sushi is a prosaic art: good fish and good rice and that’s it. But for you, what makes it perfect?

A good skilled sushi chef, with a good heart, who is passionate about his product. C

 

Umu, 14-16 Bruton Place, London W1J 6LX
Umurestaurant.com*; 020-7499 8881

 

*Warning: website avec music