The rice is seasoned with rice vinegar and salt; the chef doesn’t use sugar, preferring to draw out sweetness from the fish instead. To ensure compatibility with the sushi rice, he pays attention to the temperature of the toppings. Though it depends on the preparation, he likes to start the hand-formed sushi with light-flavoured squid, so you can taste the sushi rice. Blueback fish are seasoned with buds of the pepper tree, white-fleshed fish with a paste of chilli peppers and yuzu zest. Mackerel sushi and steamed sushi are served from autumn to winter, in true Kyoto style.