The Chinese character for ‘food’ combines the characters for ‘person’ and ‘good’, hence the saying of Akasaka Shimabukuro, ‘food makes us better’. With gratitude for the bonds he forms with guests and those around him, the chef follows his own culinary path. The mellow flavour of the clear broth used in wanmono derives from shaved bonito flakes. Soba with dried mullet roe, interposed between menu items, and juwari soba, served at the end, are house creations using native species of buckwheat. The calligraphy on the wall says ‘go-en’, ‘personal connections’, echoing the restaurant’s whole-hearted devotion to its craft.