SOTO

The owner's thoughts, the concept of our shop

　Our restaurant specializes in "chef's choice" courses .

We create a daily menu centered around fresh ingredients caught that morning in Toyama Bay.

A characteristic of Toyama Bay is that a wide variety of marine products are landed there depending on the season, ranging from deep-sea creatures to migratory fish and resident species.

From deep-sea fishing using bottom trawling and cage fishing, to migratory fish and resident fish using fixed nets, gillnets, and fishing lines, various types of fishing have continued to evolve tirelessly from ancient times to the present day.

　While we often hear news reports about a general decline in fish populations in Japan, the shift from quantity to quality is also progressing rapidly. Thanks to groundbreaking techniques for killing and handling fish, even fish that were not considered luxury items in the past are evolving into remarkably appealing ingredients thanks to local fishermen and suppliers who are leveraging the freshness of coastal fishing and applying proper bleeding and killing methods. This is something I find extremely interesting as a chef.

As a chef, I believe it is the role of chefs in Toyama going forward to avoid letting the efforts of those who supply the ingredients go to waste, to look at fish without being bound by past preconceptions, to interpret and express the unique characteristics of the ingredients in my own way, and to beautifully present them on the stage.

However, since the catch is wild, the fishing rate changes daily depending on the weather and tides. Not knowing what's available until you go to buy ingredients in the morning is a challenge for anyone who cooks in Toyama.

Since a wide variety of seafood is landed early in the morning in the nearby area, I am constantly exploring ways to make the most of its freshness and variety, and to create the appeal of course meals that cannot be offered in the city .

With this in mind, we have adopted "local production for local consumption, small quantities, wide variety" as our store's concept.

"What should be expressed through sushi should be expressed through sushi, and what should be expressed through cooking should be expressed through cooking." To bring out the unique characteristics of various ingredients, the course is long, lasting three to four hours , with varying approaches throughout .

Our aim is to keep our customers entertained by varying the flavors and presentations of each ingredient, allowing them to enjoy a pleasant and relaxing evening with the ingredients of Toyama Bay.

Furthermore, due to the unique challenges of the service industry in rural areas, we inevitably operate with a small staff, and I personally print the day's course menus just before customers arrive. Three of us work together to prepare all the natural ingredients that we source in the morning, check their quality, decide how to use them, and then prepare them without stopping for as long as time allows. In Japan today, especially in rural areas, it seems that limitations on manpower have become a new fate for the service industry.

In urban areas with centralized markets from all over the country, you can pretty much finalize your menu the day before. I used to do that too. But here in Toyama, where we're dealing with nature, it's a one-shot deal from morning until the customers arrive, so I'm constantly busy checking the time and menu.

However, the feeling of "cooking with what nature has given us that day" is a unique pleasure for chefs in Toyama that cannot be experienced in the city, and I believe it is a good kind of tension that comes from being closely connected to nature.
　　

SOTO Shop Owner: Toshihiro Kosugi