by Henry Huang

When people talk about the Japanese spirit, many people refer to Bushido (dignity, loyalty, and honor). To me, what represents the spirit of Japan is, in fact, the artisanship. The Japanese believe that they are supposed to do the best in their every pursuit: whether building a bridge or cooking street food. Today, our example of artisanship is found in a restaurant in Tokyo.

The restaurant is called Hirooichie. This restaurant was awarded a coveted Michelin Star–a universal recognition of culinary excellence. I was lucky enough to get a reservation during my trip to Japan. This restaurant is in a residential district in downtown Tokyo. When my friends and I walked into that restaurant, I realized the spirit of artisanship starts here.

In order to keep the quality of the dinner, the chef only serves 15 people per night. The meal was in fact, a show, a show that only has a chef and a zyoshou (a traditional Japanese waitress) on the stage. The chef, to me, is a representation of artisanship. He was working behind the counter so all the customers could see what he was preparing. Without great confidence in his skills, no chef would dare to cook under the watchful eye of his customers. What’s more, the restaurant was an Omatase, a restaurant without a menu. The chef has to satisfy instinctively the desires of his customers. All his tools were well organized, another symbol of excellent craftsmanship. The zyoshou was very friendly to us. We were the only foreigners in the restaurant. Even though there was a language barrier, the zyoshou tried her best to introduce the dishes. One of the details that I will never forget was how the zyoshou constantly refilled my glass, like she could read my mind.

The moment the food was served, I could feel the artisanship of the establishment. When I looked at the chef, he had an extremely focused expression. He worked at a very mild and pleasant pace. At that moment, his seriousness was palpable. The chef works alone. There is no apprentice to assist him. He tried to ensure the satisfaction of every customer. The zyoshou was the epitome Japanese elegance (silently meeting everyone’s needs with a pleasing aesthetic). When she realized that we were Chinese, she made cards in Chinese to tell us what was in the dishes.
The food was magnificent. All the food was made with simple ingredients; however, every bite appealed to every taste bud. The presentation of the dishes was glorious. Although simply decorated, every dish was so attractive that I almost didn’t want to take a bite. The simplistic style of cooking produced the ultimate enjoyment of taste. There are no words to describe the absolute magnificence of my culinary experience. Hirooichie opened the door for me to observe the artisanship of Japan.