SHODAI KAPPO TAKAHASHI
Serving from babies to centenarians. A Japanese restaurant with deep roots in the local community
Milky-white walls, a wooden counter, and table seating. The interior is adorned with drawings by the owner’s daughter and commemorative anniversary tenugui hand towels, creating an atmosphere that is refined yet welcoming, without feeling overly exclusive. SHODAI KAPPO TAKAHASHI is a Japanese restaurant that offers “gourmet meals that are good for the body” while valuing dashi that is the foundation of Japanese cuisine. Owner-chef Yutaka Takahashi asserts, “I want people of all ages to enjoy delicious, healthy food in a variety of scenes, including of course business entertainment but also celebrations and commemorative days for families.” In addition to three course meals, a la carte dishes are offered that showcase the handcrafted preparation of Japanese cuisine.
Rice cooked in an earthenware pot, which is also one of the dishes on the courses, is cooked in dashi, the foundation of Japanese cuisine. The ingredients used include sea bream, which can be enjoyed year-round as well as mountain vegetables, bamboo shoots, corn, chestnuts, mushrooms, crab and other ingredients that symbolize the changing seasons. The sweet aroma of the rice that rises up the moment the lid of the earthenware pot is lifted, and the mild flavor that contrasts with the plump grains of rice and the ingredients, satisfies both hearts and bellies. Many traditional Japanese kappo establishments do not allow children, so the fact that this restaurant welcomes everyone from infants to seniors is another reason why it is loved by locals. The name SHODAI (first generation) KAPPO TAKAHASHI was chosen in the hope that the restaurant would continue to be passed down to the second and third generations and beyond.
Dashi with a depth experienced in a venerable ryotei
I entered the culinary world out of admiration for my uncle, who is a chef. After working at Unkai in the ANA Hotel in Hiroshima for 10 years, I relocated to Tokyo to learn the basics of Japanese cuisine. I had the privilege of honing my skills over three years as a nikata (specialist in simmered dishes) at Nadaman in Nihombashi Mitsukoshi Main Branch, one of Japan’s most renowned and long-established ryotei. In the world of Japanese cuisine, this role is responsible for seasoning and is considered second only to that of the head chef. Every day at Nadaman was intensely busy, but I learned a lot that was useful for me when I started out on my own.
Of these lessons, the most impactful was how to extract “dashi”, which is the foundation of Japanese cuisine. The idea that ichiban dashi (primary dashi) is made by adding kombu (dried kelp) to room temperature water then heat slowly over a low flame and then bring to the required temperature before the heat is turned off and katsuo-bushi (dried bonito flakes) will be added was a complete reversal of the method I had been using up until then. That was “bring the water to the boil over a high flame with kombu added, and then turn off the heat after adding the katsuo-bushi”. The same dashi will taste completely different based on the way it is extracted. It made me realize the depth of the culinary arts once again and presented a chance for me to learn about the trends in cooking. Even now, as I approach the 12th anniversary since starting my restaurant in 2012, I continue to tackle Japanese cuisine, believing that dashi is the foundation of Japanese cuisine.
Japanese cuisine accompanying life’s milestones
I believe Japanese cuisine is life itself. Japanese cuisine accompanies Japanese people at major milestones in their lives. For example, in Japan, there is a tradition called okuizome, held on the 100th day after a child’s birth, where parents simulate feeding their child a ceremonial meal to pray for his or her healthy growth. As children grow, families gather for meals to celebrate various milestones, such as shichi-go-san (a traditional Japanese celebration marking the growth of children reaching the ages of three, five, and seven), school admissions and graduations, starting a career, and marriage. As people age, celebrations are held to honor longevity, and even after they pass away, memorial services are conducted where loved ones gather around a shared meal to remember the deceased. Japanese food is something that Japanese people cannot do without throughout their lives. When I first opened, I started with a single omakase (chef’s choice) course. However, as I responded to local guests’ requests—such as preparing okuizome meals for children, accommodating families wanting to celebrate together, or providing nibbles to be paired with drinks for everyday enjoyment rather than just special occasions—I came to envision SHODAI KAPPO TAKAHASHI as a place where people of all generations could gather and share a meal. I now offer both courses and a la carte options. I gradually prepared to accept children as I continued to run the restaurant.
The dishes served in the course menus can also be ordered a la carte. Popular a la carte Japanese dishes are those that are not easily prepared at home, such as lotus root manju—deep-fried dumplings made from grated lotus root, served with a savory crab meat sauce rich in dashi—and delicately flavored shinjo (fish paste dumplings) with rich fish taste served in a clear soup known as sumashi-jiru. I put together combinations that can be enjoyed not only on special occasions, but also every day, such as assembling small portions of dishes for one person or a preparing simple courses.
The appeal of Japanese rice that lingers in people’s memories
Rice cooked in an earthenware pot is a menu item popular with both little kids and seniors alike. We offer basic white rice and rice steamed with dashi both in an earthenware pot. A signature dish served year round is sea bream steamed with rice in an earthenware pot. The fish is first diced and blanched in a method known as shimofuri*. A blend of kombu and bonito dashi is used as a base, with a little sake and light soy sauce added to bring out the flavor of the sea bream and add umami to the rice. For seasonal ingredients, the heat level and timing is adjusted to suit them, and a soft, full-bodied aroma rises the moment the lid of the earthenware pot is opened. I make sure to use plenty of dashi throughout my dishes, and I use seasonings sparingly, which are there in a supporting role to the dashi. In particular, I try to use a milder flavoring for our rice cooked in earthenware pots so that guests can savor the potential of the rice and ingredients.
To me, the appeal of Japanese rice is that it has a unique stickiness, sweetness, and mouthfeel that cannot be found by rice from overseas—it is a food that people remember. The restaurant currently uses Nitama rice from Shimane Prefecture, a variety that is addictive due to its resilient texture, luster, and chewy consistency. This rice is delicious even after it has cooled down, so I find it is also good for onigiri (rice balls). When washing rice, I do not scrub it vigorously, but rather gently rub it between my hands so as not to damage or crush the grains. Normally rice is washed and then soaked, but with Nitama rice, if you leave it wet too long, it will absorb too much water and the flavor will become muddled, so I allow for no soaking time at all. This is because its high water absorption rate means that the rice will be fluffy and chewy even without being soaked.
*A preparation method before cooking of blanching food in boiling water to remove excess fat, blood, or sliminess that may cause unpleasant odors.
Paying respect to new rice and local rice dishes from all over Japan
The season for new rice arrives each fall in Japan. Nowadays, freshly harvested Japanese rice can be eaten in various places from October onward, but in the Meiji era, a harvest festival called the Niiname-sai was held every November 23 at the Emperor’s residence and at shrines across the country*. It is said that the people were only able to eat the new rice of the year after a ceremony in which the Emperor offers the first ears of rice to the deities of heaven and earth and himself eats the first rice harvest. This harvest festival is a celebration of this year’s harvest and a wish for an abundant harvest the following year. It makes me realize once again that rice is something that is truly essential to the Japanese and that must be protected.
There are various ways of enjoying rice that have been passed down from generation to generation in different regions in Japan. In Hiroshima Prefecture, where I was born, farmers grow a traditional leafy green vegetable called Hiroshima-na. It is a type of Chinese cabbage that grows into large heads and features crisp texture. It is mainly used to make tsukemono (pickles) called Hiroshima-na-zuke and ranks among the “three great tsukemono vegetables of Japan alongside Nozawa-na from Nagano Prefecture and Taka-na from Kumamoto Prefecture.
Hiroshima-na-zuke is used in place of seaweed to make Hiroshima-na-zuke onigiri. Rather than being a food for special occasions, it is sold in supermarkets and the like and is a kind of soul food that feels like home to Hiroshima natives. The rice recipe I am introducing here was inspired by onigiri from my hometown and uses readily available lettuce to make hand-rolled rice. To make it, you just need to pickle lettuce in salt and wrap it around white rice. The crunchy texture of the lettuce is similar to that of Hiroshima-na, and the mild acidity of the pickled leaves matches nicely with the sweetness of the rice, making it a refreshing dish to eat when you don’t feel like eating much, or as an appetizer.
*The origins of the Niiname-sai are said to date back to the Kojiki (Records of Ancient Matters) and Nihon Shoki (Chronicles of Japan), two of Japan’s oldest historical texts. It was during the Meiji era that the above-mentioned event began to be held annually on November 23 (according to the modern calendar).
A circular society that will bring smiles to the faces of children 100 years from now
I currently teach a “Dashi Class” events where participants taste test different dashi made from different ingredients, at the request of local kindergartens, elementary schools, and NPOs. I believe that what we chefs can do through Japanese ingredients, starting with domestically grown rice, is to create a sustainable cycle that will bring smiles to the faces of children 100 years into the future. Of course, it makes me very happy to use good ingredients to make delicious food and have guests feel “I’m happy in this moment” or “I can work hard with a smile tomorrow”, but that alone won’t resonate in 100 years’ time. What I emphasize is cherishing ingredients, savoring and properly understanding the blessings of Japan, such as rice and other ingredients, and to think about them. Even in a future beyond my lifetime, I hope that the children of that era will cherish Japan’s food culture and live in a healthy, sustainable society. With that ambition, I am steadily and diligently doing what I can now.
These days, there may be fewer opportunities to make onigiri directly with your bare hands due to hygiene concerns. However, onigiri was originally the easiest dish to prepare. After washing your hands thoroughly, rub salt into them and then shape the rice. It will make the finished onigiri really taste delicious. The idea is that the salt blends with the temperature of the hand, gradually absorbing into the rice in just the right way. Like with nuka-zuke (rice bran pickles) and miso, the use of a person’s hands brings a unique flavor that reflects the human touch. It’s a simple dish, which is precisely why I think this is the best way to enjoy rice. Please try making your own onigiri and eating them to experience the essence of rice that is the pride of Japan.
Recommended dish
Lotus root manju (dumpling) with crab meat savory sauce (served as an a la carte dish) れんこん万十（まんじゅう）かに餡掛け（アラカルトの一品として提供）
This is a popular a la carte item that is almost always ordered as an extra by guests ordering courses. Whole grated lotus root is cooked and kneaded with a pinch of a little salt, then formed into dumplings and deep-fried. To finish, the dumpling are topped with a savory sauce made with crab meat. The softness of the manju and the sauce that melts in your mouth, and the touch of wasabi gently and modestly tie everything together.
