I revisited "Restaurant Honjin," a reservation-only establishment located in Ichinomiya City, Aichi Prefecture. This restaurant received a three-star rating in the "Goûts et Terroirs 2023" guide, marking a significant achievement for the area. Originally opened in 1994 as a steak and seafood restaurant, it was renovated in August 2021 into a French cuisine and teppanyaki restaurant, run by the owner's son. The restaurant is about a 7-minute walk from Ichinomiya Station, which is served by the Tōkaidō Main Line and the Meitetsu Nagoya Line. It is situated in a quiet residential neighborhood along the road that leads from the station’s west exit, featuring a stylish and elegant exterior. Inside, the decor is chic and composed of calming tones. The talented young chef, Yudai Tajima, hails from Gifu Prefecture and graduated from the Tsuji Culinary Institute in France. He trained at the three-star restaurant "Maison Lameloise" before working under Chef Yuichiro Watanabe, who was the head chef at "Joël Robuchon" upon returning to Japan. Chef Tajima is also particular about his knives, using one crafted by Hiroki Kobayashi from Seki City, Gifu Prefecture, which now has a two-year waiting list for orders. Here is the menu I enjoyed today: - Caviar can with squid tartare, egg yolk, and caviar - Cranberry fermented butter sandwich - Oysters with seaweed jelly from Himakajima, sake lees, and fromage blanc - Hand-caught eel with ume sauce, okra, and eggplant - Corn espuma and corn fritters with hand-caught lobster and lobster juice - House-made focaccia using horoku rapeseed oil - Eel with mango and foie gras fritters, served with nori pepper pancakes - Hand-caught flounder with fish bone broth and Bourgogne butter sauce, peas, and edamame - Aichi duck with salmis sauce, Japanese mustard, bamboo charcoal, and Inka potatoes - Kishimen noodles from Ichinomiya Yakichiyo, served with sea bream and kombu broth, molokheiya, and yuzu pepper from Nishiya - Hojicha matcha from Nishio - Banana ice cream with cacao cream, coffee biscuit, Valrhona chocolate, hazelnuts, cacao sable, and passion fruit - Pineapple cake with semi-dried pineapple The dishes were artistically presented, with highlights including conger eel and flounder prepared by the trusted Kaze Marine Products’ craftsman. The stress-free ingredients truly transformed under the chef's care. The Aichi duck was also a delicious highlight of the meal. I had a wonderful time once again, and I look forward to my next visit. Thank you for the feast!

I was invited by my foodie friends to visit the collaboration event between HONJIN and aru in Toyohashi. The restaurant has an open kitchen, creating an engaging atmosphere. This time, the course included pairings, resulting in many glasses lined up at the counter. **[2024.02 HONJIN x aru Special Course]** ◇ Champagne TELMONT RESERVE ROSE (Aperitif) ◆ Consommé made from daikon broth with herbs and oils from trees ◆ Genji Wagyu beef, abalone, daikon, mini tomatoes; tartare made with Land Highland beef and caviar; avocado tartare with whale; tart of mini tomatoes and rosemary ◇ Ruinart Champagne Blanc de Blanc ◆ Oyster (HONJIN specialty) confit at low temperature in Hōroku canola oil, with jellied clam and kelp from Himakajima, and ice made from HONJIN's original sake ◇ HONJIN Original Sake (Okazaki Maruishi Brewery) ◆ Organic lettuce from Ichiro Farm, with a foam sauce made from outer leaves, kumquat confit, and yuzu pepper ◆ Bread made with Hōroku canola oil ◇ Your Story 2022 from Yoichi, Hokkaido ◇ Funky Blanc 2020 from Aoki Village, Nagano ◆ Saba mackerel from Kazama Suisan in the Chita Peninsula, aged for 8 days, charcoal-grilled shiitake mushrooms from Gifu Thank You Farm, with a butter sauce made from white leeks and deep-fried wakame from Shinshiro ◇ Pinot Nero del Poggiarello Lo Straniero from Northern Italy ◆ Duck pie wrapping, with different parts of the duck (breast, thighs, heart, and entrails) cooked separately, served with salmis sauce, spring greens, tomatoes from Atsumi, sesame oil, and a passion fruit sauce for the vegetables ◇ GEVREY CHAMBERTIN CHAMPERRIER 2019 ◆ Roasted duck breast with a broth sauce, accompanied by various vegetables from Higashi Mikawa (such as roasted new onions and raw purple cabbage violets) ◇ Hōraisen Risshun Asashigori Junmai Ginjo Nama Genshu ◆ Duck kishimen noodles in broth with duck breast ham ◆ Strawberry (deep red Misuzumi) and lemon ice ◆ Fruit Rouge ◇ Noble Taminga 2015 TRENTHAM (Botrytized wine from Australia) ◆ Coffee/Tea The menu was transcribed by my foodie friends at the same table, which was very helpful. Thank you! Throughout the meal, the quality of the ingredients was outstanding, and the cooking techniques brought out the best in each dish. I particularly enjoyed the lettuce from Ichiro Farm, the saba mackerel from Kazama Suisan, and the duck pie wrap. The pairings of champagne, wine, and sake complemented the dishes wonderfully. It was a very enjoyable collaboration event. Thank you to the organizers, and I appreciated the meal!

It's been a while since I've had French cuisine. I'm surprised to find so many restaurants in my hometown, Ichinomiya City, Aichi Prefecture. I tried a course that costs 16,500 yen plus a pairing. The dishes, which focus on local ingredients, are all of high quality and show a real commitment to the craft. The quality of the ingredients is exceptional, but the sauces used in each dish are also exquisite. Thank you for the wonderful meal!

I visited Restaurant Honjin! I'm @punipuni565656, and I focus on introducing Nagoya gourmet food. I have always been curious about Honjin in Ichinomiya, which has been featured in "Goémi" for two consecutive years! It seems the current chef took over from the original teppanyaki owner. The restaurant was busy with both staff and customers, creating a lively atmosphere. ✅ Chef’s recommended course: - Hourglass tuile with caviar and cranberry butter - Caviar tartare - Oysters - Spanish mackerel - Shiitake mushrooms from Thanks Farm and ribbonfish - Tai (sea bream) from Kazama's - Octopus - Wild boar - Staub rice topped with salmon and roe - Melon - Baked sweets The oysters paired perfectly with kombu jelly and fromage blanc—so delicious! The tai had crispy skin, and the sauce was exceptionally tasty! The meat was wild boar; as someone who isn't fond of game meat, I was a bit hesitant, but it had no strong gamey taste and felt light, similar to beef. My perception has changed, and it was tasty! Even though it was lunch, we were served many dishes, and the freshly baked Staub bread made a great impression on any bread lover! The presentation has an innovative flair, but the flavors are a delightful fusion of Japanese and French, incorporating many local ingredients, making it popular among locals. I would like to try the teppanyaki next time! Thank you very much! ▼△▼△▼△▼△▼△▼△▼△▼△▼△▼ Restaurant Honjin 2-4-23 Kamiyama, Ichinomiya, Aichi Prefecture Open: Tue-Wed-Thu-Fri: 12:00 - 14:00, 18:00 - 20:00 Sat-Sun-Holidays: 12:00 - 15:00, 18:00 - 21:00 Closed on Mondays 7 minutes walk from Ichinomiya Station ▼△▼△▼△▼△▼△▼△▼△▼△▼△▼ #NagoyaGourmet #NagoyaFood #AichiGourmet #Nagoya #NagoyaLunch #SakaeGourmet #NagoyaStation #NagoyaIzakaya #NagoyaSightseeing #HirumaDori #SakaeCafe #SakaeDinner #NagoyaTravel #IchinomiyaLunch #IchinomiyaDinner #IchinomiyaGourmet #RestaurantHonjin #Honjin #NagoyaFrench #AichiFrench