No, not toast as in kanpai. Toast as in bread. Apparently Tokyo is going through a bread phase.
The Newswalker site reports on a recently re-opened restaurant, sister business to a bakery, that takes inspiration from Hawaiian experimental cuisine and presents its sushi on toast instead of on rice. And pairs the lot with sake.
Operating as the cafe 15°C during the day and transforming into restaurant Yoru 15°C (where yoru means evening, 夜) at night, this tiny Shibuya bread destination only seats 20 people at a counter plus a few tables.
Chef Ryūichi Katō is given free rein by owner Akimasa Sugikubo to create dishes using trusted ingredients such as organic Japanese vegetables, but one of the bread-paired dishes on offer is both unique and popular. Apparently most guests order the bread sushi, which comes as a starter with two bite-size pieces: sardine balanced on small pieces of toast topped with creamy avocado, plus a featured fish of the month.
Although the French-Italian menu would suggest a wine pairing, the restaurant recommends having their bread sushi with sake. Manageress Noriko Watanabe explains that sake has a fruity, lactic acid aroma that comes from being brewed from rice, which goes perfectly with bread. She selects sake from all over the country, with four on offer on the night of the review, including Nara’s Hanatomoe, and she plans to add more.
Links
- Original article (Japanese, Newswalker, 30 March 2018) Click through for a photo of the sushi on toast.
- Ultra Kitchen, parent project of 15°C/Yoru 15°C and bakery 365 Days (Japanese)
- Hanatomoe brewery (Japanese)