As satisfying as the chakaiseki cuisine is at Uchiyama, I must confess to deriving almost as much pleasure from merely being there as I do from the eating.
There is something I find deeply inspiring — nourishing, you could say — about simply sitting at a handsome timber counter of well scrubbed cedar, observing the chefs at work. The calm precision of their moves; the way they respect each other's space, their steps appearing almost choreographed; and above all, the expertise of their knifework.
On this day, Chef Uchiyama was out, supervising his then-shortly-to-open second restaurant. But his second-in-command, Kono-san, takes care of everything most ably. Besides keeping an eye on all 11 customers at the counter, and making sure everything is being served correctly, his main duty is to slice the sashimi. While I sipped my sake and nibbled on the contents of my bento-bako, I was able to sit back and watch as he filleted the madai for the chazuke.
