Reminiscence (, Tabelog Silver 4.45, Nagoya)

Second and return visit to Reminiscence but my first time in the new all-white, gallery-esque location. The French-Japanese restaurant was awarded 2 Michelin stars in the Michelin Special Guide for Aichi Prefecture and has been awarded Tabelog Silver continuously for the last 8 years.

Chef Kujuhara trained at Quintessence and Hajime previously and his passion for combining French techniques and Japanese ingredients is clear to see in most dishes.

The ingredients fittingly showcased the very best of Tokai region’s (Aichi, Shizuoka, Gifu, Mie) produce, exemplified by the inclusion of hamo (pike conger) from Toyohama Port in Aichi, Ayu (sweetfish) caught from Waragawa stream in Gifu, and spiny lobster from Mie.

Soft water from wells in Ise Shrine was used to make dashi which formed the base for Nagoya chicken essence consommé. The bread, supplied by Train Bleu bakery in Takayama. came in 3 kinds and were specifically paired to different dishes.

The fish dish was simply called ‘Sasue’, a tribute to the famous fishmonger Sasue Maeda in Shizuoka who supplies the best catch of the day. The fish variety changes everyday, hence it saves frequent printing of the menu, the chef joked. On that day, we got kinmedai encased in pastry and bathed in Japanese whiskey sauce.

Moving to the heartier fare, the eel from Mikawa in Aichi had a crispy skin and surprisingly went well with red wine sauce. The local Megumi duck was infused with aromatic spices and slow-roasted at low temperature.

The petit four trolley was a crowd pleaser serving an assortment of classic western confections, Japanese wagashi, and playful rendition of nostalgic treats often found in kombini (convenience stores), such as Pino chocolate and Kinoko no Yama (mushroom-shaped chocolates). The three of us ordered 12 different types of petit fours in total.

The lunch costs 22K yen inclusive coffee and tea. Reservation is easy and opens 60 days out on Tablecheck.

Menu:

• Sea Urchin, Nori Chips, Micro Amaranth
• Pike Conger, Seaweed Sauce, Squid
• Arare (crispy rice bread)
• Wara Ayu, Mozzarella & fish liver galette, Black Truffles
• Ama Ebi, Nagaimo, Leek Oil, Shrimp Sauce, Fennel Puree
• Sasue Kinmedai wrapped in pasty, Morenji Madeira sauce
• Deep-fried fennel bread (to pair with seafood)
• Ama no Iwato: Nagoya Cochin and kombu broth with soft water from Ise Jinggu
• Shira Unagi,Smoked tofu, Red wine sauce, Nameko, Butterbur Miso, Wasabi
• Red Wine infused bread to pair with meat dish
• Ise Lobster, Caviar, Mushrooms
• Megumi Duck Thigh & Breast, duck jus, Carrot Rape, black pepper sauce
• Salad from Nofuku Farm in Gifu (run by people with disability )
• Pineapple, Coconut Granita
• Bing Cherry, Cocoa Puff, Cardamon Ice Cream, Cheese Sauce, Cocoa Churros
• Yukimi Daifuku
• Pino Ice cream
• Kinoko no Yama
• Opera
• Cheesecake
• Choco Pie
• Gateaux
• Chocolate Tart
• Ramune Candy
• Creme Caramel
• Fairy Floss
• Jimlan Coffee (roasted in Nagoya)
• Japanese Black Tea (kettle roasted in Miyazaki)