Continued, Tokyo New Wave

The architect Kengo Kuma is one of Japan’s most noted design talents. His buildings convey a strong sense of place and Japanese identity without feeling traditional. The Nezu Museum is one of his best-known works in Tokyo, as is the Baisoin Temple in Minami Aoyama, where I first photograph Kuniatsu Kondo.

The reinterpretation of Japanese tradition I see in Kuma’s buildings I observe in Owan, Kondo’s warm little izakaya in Ikejiri-Ohashi. The whole concept of this handsome space is centered around the bowl, or owan. A simple collection of predominantly lacquer bowls is displayed on illuminated shelves. Every choice of cutlery or vessel is intentional and deliberate, meant to convey the warmth and nostalgia of meals from his past. Kondo named his restaurant Owan after a feeling he remembered as a child—holding a bowl in his hands during a meal.

Kondo, forty-two, is overtly kind and gracious. I don’t often use the word sweet to describe chefs, but it applies here. His ego is not at all evident; he is humble, unaffected, and gentle.

Three design elements at Owan further reveal a lot about Kondo. First is the absence of music. The sound of water trickling and cascading in a small receptacle at the corner of the counter is the soundtrack for Owan, together with the murmur of diners’ voices. I share this observation with Kondo, who smiles, gratified that I notice.

Second is the menu. It is written and beautifully painted by the artist Koji Takano. Changed monthly, it is worth a visit just to see this artwork.

Third is the position of the seats and counter in relation to where Chef Kondo is cooking. Kondo says he spent ages with the restaurant designer painstakingly calculating the appropriate height of the counter and chairs in relation to the slightly sunken kitchen so that he would always look up at his guests, rather than look down at them. Kondo tells me that this was a deliberate choice to extend hospitality and convey his respect for his customers.

Rain is falling on the hot summer evening when I visit. I sit at the corner of the counter, savoring the sounds of the cascading water both outside and inside the restaurant. There is a crackling fire before me; fish is being grilled on skewers. Steam emanates from a large wood ohitsu (wood container) where handmade pork shumai (dumplings) are being steamed. Kondo is preparing corn tempura, kishimen (handmade Nagoya-style flat noodles), and potato salad. One of Kondo’s staff offers me a warm towel, and I wait for my omakase (chef’s choice) dinner to begin.

My mother owns an izakaya in Mikawa Anjo in Aichi prefecture where I am from. I always wanted to be like my mother, who always made people happy making Japanese food. When I was eighteen, I wanted to cook French food, but I realized that my mother was a great influence on me and that I’d rather cook yōshoku food [Japanese-influenced Western food].

The dashi in oden [a one-pot dish of simmered fish cake, egg, daikon, and other vegetables] made by my grandmother. Before my mother, my grandmother ran and owned the izakaya. The dashi was great, and I had it every day. I just really liked it. My grandparents and I lived all together, and I always went to the kitchen. I wanted to sip the dashi.

Courtesy, manners, honesty—to do everything honestly and sincerely. Often, it’s much easier to be honest, so people understand this about me. I am proud to be Japanese. I haven’t seen a lot of the world. I have only been once to France; I don’t have time and the opportunity to go to other countries.

There are a lot of serious people, in a good way—sometimes stubborn in a good way, like shokunin [master artisans]. I love this about Japan. I wanted to be a shokunin. Being a shokunin is to have a certain spirit, more than one’s age.

I don’t really think about goals; I’m focused on what I have now. I think more about the present. I would like to teach cooking to children; I would like them to know that it is fun. I allow children in my restaurant, unlike most restaurants in Japan. I feel this is important.

Cinema Paradiso. I like the soundtrack, and the story. I could watch it many times. It touches me always.

My recipes are not inspired by something or someone. I always create my dishes with my intuition. After I create a dish like my potato salad, I will continue to tweak and improve it according to my customers’ reactions and input. Usually, one would expect potato salad to be one of the fastest dishes to prepare at a restaurant or izakaya, but our potato salad is different. Nothing is made in advance. We cook the entire dish from scratch when we receive the order; this way our customers always receive the freshest food, and the freshest potato salad.

MAYONNAISE

2 egg yolks

1 tablespoon rice vinegar

Pinch of salt

Pinch of pepper

½ cup vegetable oil

OWAN SPECIAL DRESSING

⅓ cup corn oil

½ cup plus ½ tablespoon rice vinegar

3 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil

3 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon light soy sauce

1 teaspoon grated garlic

POTATO SALAD

1 medium russet potato (3 to 4 ounces)

1 egg

3 snap peas

1 teaspoon karashi (hot Japanese mustard) or Dijon mustard

Pinch of salt

Pinch of pepper

1 ounce (about 1 slice) thick-sliced bacon, cooked and cubed

2 peeled and cooked shrimp, cut into bite-size pieces

To make the mayonnaise, whisk together the egg yolks, ½ tablespoon of the rice vinegar, the salt, and pepper in a bowl. Gradually add the vegetable oil and whisk continuously until it begins to thicken. Whisk in the remaining ½ tablespoon rice vinegar. Taste and adjust the seasoning.

To make the potato salad, place the potato in a steamer and cook for about 25 minutes until soft. (If you don’t have a steamer, you can put the potato on the steam function in the microwave.) Peel with a knife while still hot, and cut into chunks.

While the potato cooks, bring a small saucepan of water to boil and cook the egg until firm, about 5 minutes. Let cool, then peel. Make one nice slice of the egg for garnish and chop the rest to stir into the salad.

Return the water to a boil and blanch the snap peas until crisp-tender. Rinse in cold water to cool, then chop into quarters.

In a large bowl, whisk together 1 tablespoon of the mayonnaise, 1 tablespoon of the dressing, the karashi, salt, and pepper. Add the chopped hard-boiled egg, peas, bacon, and shrimp and stir together until combined. Add the hot potatoes. With a fork or potato masher, mash together all the ingredients until well incorporated but still chunky. Garnish with the reserved slice of egg and serve immediately.

NOTE: You will have leftover mayonnaise and dressing to use in other recipes; store each, tightly sealed, in the refrigerator. You can also use store-bought mayonnaise instead. The potato should be steamed, not boiled, and still hot when you toss the salad together.