Kabukizaura Masashi

Diners are greeted by the open owner-chef and the graceful proprietress. The playful riot of colours on the wall is a tableau on the theme of people’s relationship with food. In this vision stretching from the past to the future, faces are drawn in kumadori, the shaded kabuki makeup fitting for a restaurant ‘behind the kabuki theatre’ (kabukiza-ura). The omakase set meal abounds in changes in inflection: two pieces of nigiri and two types of fried items (tempura and deep-fried) highlight contrasting textures. The chef’s experience with Chinese cooking bursts from his baked gyoza. For the best drink pairings, let the proprietress choose.