Chef Tatsuya Otake takes Japanese cuisine a step outside its comfort zone, determined to find flavours his customers will find delicious. Croquettes prepared with edamame and porcini mushrooms are his masterpiece. Inaniwa udon with firefly squid, and plum and abalone risotto suggest inspiration from Italian cuisine. Edible wild plants and game meats arrive from Gifu, the prefecture of Otake’s apprenticeship. In a lesson learned from his mentor, he treasures his relationships with producers.