{"id":2742,"date":"2016-10-23T13:14:48","date_gmt":"2016-10-23T04:14:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/regex.info\/blog\/2016-10-23\/2742"},"modified":"2016-10-23T13:14:48","modified_gmt":"2016-10-23T04:14:48","slug":"congratulations-to-tetsuo-for-his-restaurants-michelin-star","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/regex.info\/blog\/2016-10-23\/2742","title":{"rendered":"Congratulations to Tetsuo for his Restaurant’s Michelin Star"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n
<\/a>\niPhone 4S at an effective 35mm — 1<\/sup>\/<\/big>20 sec, f<\/span>\/2.4, ISO 400 —\nmap & image data<\/a> — nearby photos<\/a><\/span>\nIt All Started with One Beer<\/span>\nNov 30, 2013\nthe first thing ordered by the first customer of his first restaurant\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n

Congratulations to Tetsuo Azuma<\/a> for his restaurant ac\u00e11\u00b0<\/a> having been awarded a Michelin<\/span> star<\/a>, the only Spanish restaurant in Kyoto to have earned\nthe honor. For comparison, Osaka, which has double the population, has none. Tokyo, which has about 10 times the population, has three.<\/p>\n\n

After working and apprenticing in Japan, New York, and Spain, he opened his own restaurant in November 2013.\n\nI was his first customer.<\/span><\/p>\n\n

<\/a>\niPhone 4S at an effective 35mm — 1<\/sup>\/<\/big>20 sec, f<\/span>\/2.4, ISO 125 —\nmap & image data<\/a> — nearby photos<\/a><\/span>\nOpening-Day Menu<\/span>\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n
<\/a>\niPhone 4S at an effective 35mm — 1<\/sup>\/<\/big>20 sec, f<\/span>\/2.4, ISO 320 —\nmap & image data<\/a> — nearby photos<\/a><\/span>\nPreparing a (the first!) Cheese Plate<\/span>\nNov 30, 2013\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n

We've seen Tetsuo on my blog before, a year<\/span> before opening his restaurant, in “<\/span>Father\/Son Photo Shoot: Tetsuo and Issei<\/a>”<\/span>.<\/p>\n\n

<\/a>\niPhone 4S at an effective 35mm — 1<\/sup>\/<\/big>15 sec, f<\/span>\/2.4, ISO 400 —\nmap & image data<\/a> — nearby photos<\/a><\/span>\nPaul Barr Joins Me<\/span>\nNov 30, 2013\nas other customers also start filling the seats\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n
<\/a>\niPhone 4S at an effective 35mm — 1<\/sup>\/<\/big>17 sec, f<\/span>\/2.4, ISO 400 —\nmap & image data<\/a> — nearby photos<\/a><\/span>\nMmmmmmm, Ham<\/span>\nNov 30, 2013\nas Damien Douxchamps also joins in on opening day\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n

The thin-sliced ham calls to mind the tasty Spanish ham and\nbeer<\/a> five years ago that led, in a curious<\/span> way reported on that post, to me meeting Tetsuo in the first place.<\/p>\n\n

<\/a>\niPhone 4S at an effective 35mm — 1<\/sup>\/<\/big>15 sec, f<\/span>\/2.4, ISO 500 —\nmap & image data<\/a> — nearby photos<\/a><\/span>\nGrilled-Vegetable Plate<\/span>\nMay 5, 2014\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n

I've been to his restaurant a number of time since, of course, but seem to have photos from only a few<\/span> visits.\n(Somehow I guess<\/span> I wanted<\/span> to concentrate on the food instead of the photography?)<\/p>\n\n

I'm no good at food photography anyway, and using a phone<\/span> camera certainly doesn't help, but like\neverything he prepares, his grilled vegetables are amazing, much more-so than the photo might allude to. Grilling vegetables is\nsuch a simple<\/span> thing and we've all done it, so why don't mine taste like this? \ud83d\ude42<\/p>\n\n

I'd brought Fumie there for a date night, and she liked it so much we went back the next week for our anniversary. I must have<\/span>\nmentioned the occasion when making the reservation, because he surprised us at the end of the meal with a bonus<\/span> dessert plate:<\/p>\n\n

<\/a>\niPhone 4S at an effective 35mm — 1<\/sup>\/<\/big>15 sec, f<\/span>\/2.4, ISO 400 —\nmap & image data<\/a> — nearby photos<\/a><\/span>\nBonus Dessert Plate<\/span>\nwhat a nice, personal touch\nMay 16, 2014\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n

Last year we brought Fumie's folks for a family<\/span> dinner, and for that I actually<\/span> had a real<\/span> camera...<\/p>\n\n

<\/a>\nNikon D4 + Sigma 35mm F1.4 DG HSM — 1<\/sup>\/<\/big>125 sec, f<\/span>\/1.4, ISO 2500 —\nmap & image data<\/a> — nearby photos<\/a><\/span>\nKid's Plate<\/span>\nOct 27, 2015\n\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n

Somewhere along the line he changed from a menu<\/span> system to a set<\/span> course, where you show up and get the day's meal.\nWhen you make your reservation, you can mention allergies and special requests, but for the most part it's a set<\/span> course.<\/p>\n\n

The flavor and presentation are decidedly adult, but he's not at all kid averse, so while us four adults had the day's\nset-course meal, he made a special<\/span> plate of kid-friendly tastes for 13-year-old Anthony. The presentation<\/span> is still top notch, though.<\/p>\n\n\n

To be able to abandon a menu and tell customers “<\/span>show up and I'll decide what to give you”<\/span>, well, I thought<\/span> that it must be a\ntestament<\/span> to how well the restaurant is doing. I imagine<\/span> it lets him concentrate more on specific dishes that offer variety over\ntime instead of limiting oneself to what you can provide all the time. As a customer<\/span>, you give up flexibility for a more<\/span> unique,\ntasty experience. I suppose.<\/span><\/p>\n\n

(Another friend has a two-Michelin-star restaurant, and he's never had a menu<\/span>; he didn't even want to\nbe listed in the Michelin Guide and tried to get them to take his restaurant out, but apparently to no avail since it's still\nlisted.)<\/p>\n\n

A similar testament to how well he's doing is my inability to make a reservation<\/span> at short notice;\nhe's too popular for a spur<\/span>-of-the-moment date night. You know, one would think that having been his\nfirst customer would get me free meals for life and maybe even a kidney<\/span> or two, but no, I can't<\/span> even get a next<\/span>-day reservation. First-world problems.\n\ud83d\ude42<\/span><\/p>\n\n

<\/a>\nNikon D4 + Sigma 35mm F1.4 DG HSM — 1<\/sup>\/<\/big>125 sec, f<\/span>\/1.4, ISO 2200 —\nmap & image data<\/a> — nearby photos<\/a><\/span>\nTableside Preparation<\/span>\nOct 27, 2015\n\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n

One thing Tetsuo does better than anyone I've ever seen is prepare food at your table. He brings<\/span> it\nover in bulk, perhaps does a final<\/span> slice or mix, and then dishes it out to the plates as seen above.\nThe impact<\/span> of how he does it is completely lost in these words, but it's amazing. The\nquiet care and<\/span> precision of his movements exude the sense that you're witnessing a true<\/span> expert at work,\na feeling<\/span> all the more enhanced by his humble demeanor and a total<\/span> lack that it's being done for show.<\/p>\n\n

It sets a mood of anticipation, and very high expectations that don't fail. It really<\/span> added to the experience when he did this\nfor our table.<\/p>\n\n

<\/a>\nNikon D4 + Sigma 35mm F1.4 DG HSM — 1<\/sup>\/<\/big>125 sec, f<\/span>\/1.4, ISO 4000 —\nmap & image data<\/a> — nearby photos<\/a><\/span>\nThe Paella Reveal<\/span>\n\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n

Fumie is a particular fan of paella<\/a> and we've tried it at many Spanish\nrestaurants in the area, but his paella is the only one that can match what she had in Barcelona. Every time we try the paella at\na new<\/span> place, we're disappointed. “<\/span>It's not as good as Tetsuo's.”<\/span> I'm a particular<\/span> fan of his black squid-ink paella.<\/p>\n\n

While we're talking about what he's spoiled for us, I've got to add in there sangria. I love a<\/span> good sangria, and he makes his\nown that's simply amazing. A glass<\/span> of it ends with an apple slice at the bottom, the slice having been soaking in wine and other\nfruits, so to pluck it out and eat it is a slice<\/span> of heaven.<\/p>\n\n

(Sadly, like the whole restaurant, it's a bit<\/span> pricey for my normal level, but since we're indulging in the first place even to\ngo, in this I let<\/span> myself indulge even further.)<\/p>\n\n\n

<\/a>\nNikon D4 + Sigma 35mm F1.4 DG HSM — 1<\/sup>\/<\/big>125 sec, f<\/span>\/1.4, ISO 1100 —\nmap & image data<\/a> — nearby photos<\/a><\/span>\nLemon Slice<\/span>\nwith the fish paella\n\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n
<\/a>\nNikon D4 + Sigma 35mm F1.4 DG HSM — 1<\/sup>\/<\/big>125 sec, f<\/span>\/1.4, ISO 1800 —\nmap & image data<\/a> — nearby photos<\/a><\/span>\nIce-Cream Dessert<\/span>\n\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n
<\/a>\nNikon D4 + Sigma 35mm F1.4 DG HSM — 1<\/sup>\/<\/big>125 sec, f<\/span>\/1.4, ISO 3200 —\nmap & image data<\/a> — nearby photos<\/a><\/span>\nBonus Fudge-Chocolate Dessert<\/span>\nluckily, calories don't count on special occasions\n\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n

Now that he's listed in the Michelin Guide with a star,<\/span> I suppose<\/span> that reservations will be even harder to get. Best to call\nwell ahead. (I don't<\/span> know about his staff, but Tetsuo is perfectly fluent in English. I also suppose<\/span> he speaks Spanish as\nwell.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Congratulations to Tetsuo Azuma for his restaurant ac\u00e11\u00b0 having been awarded a Michelin star, the only Spanish restaurant in Kyoto to have earned the honor. For comparison, Osaka, which has double the population, has none. Tokyo, which has about 10 times the population, has three.<\/p>

After working and apprenticing in Japan, New York, and Spain, he opened his own restaurant in November 2013. I was his first customer.<\/p>

We've seen Tetsuo on my blog before, a year before opening his restaurant, in \"Father\/Son Photo Shoot: Tetsuo and Issei\".<\/p>

The thin-sliced ham calls to mind the tasty Spanish ham and beer [...]","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1,2],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/regex.info\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2742"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/regex.info\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/regex.info\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/regex.info\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/regex.info\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2742"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/regex.info\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2742\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/regex.info\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2742"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/regex.info\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2742"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/regex.info\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2742"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}