This blog was requested by the salon owner, Kawori Maruyama, and the following linked blog is a translation done by the Top therapist Anna Cortez.
https://www.ikyu-no-hirameki.com/2023/07/26/hasabon/
To all visitors to this page
Hello. My name is Kawori Maruyama from Ikkyu no hirameki !
HASABON, a Japanese-French restaurant in Kagurazaka, is a favorite of our
salon’s visitors and fans due to our collaboration project in 2021.
HASABON is located in Yokotera-machi, less than two minutes’ walk from Kagurazaka Station Exit 1a, but it is a little tucked away from the street and the building is in a renovated old private house, as a first-time visitor you may get excited wondering if this is really the establishment. The interior, designed with the help of architects from Kyoto, features a counter on the first floor (about 6 seats), and on the second floor, there are spacious tables, an open tea room with a hearth, a pottery gallery (also selling their wares).
It’s a cozy little house where old and new blend perfectly into a modern Japanese style.
As someone who has been feeling an affinity with tea ceremonies since my
student days and even as a working adult, the space near the“ Japanese style
furnace” is particularly calming for me.
They also offer tea ceremony experiences, so if you’re interested, it might be
worth inquiring! In fact, we once introduced a male customer who was
interested in the tea ceremony from my salon, and he seemed to have a good experience and has continued to learn the tea ceremony since then.
Many of you may know, HASABON opened in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic in April 2020. Given the circumstances at the time, they couldn’t even hold a reception party or advertise properly.
It was July 2020 (exactly 3 years ago) when Ikkyu no Hirameki officially moved from Kudanshita to Kagurazaka, so I feel as if I am sharing the same feelings of that time period, and I have been secretly supporting HASABON as a fan! In my case, I usually visit the restaurant alone to enjoy a delicious meal, reset my energy, and recharge my batteries.Even if I visit alone, I feel at ease because of the warm hospitality I receive.
Therefore, I would like to share with you this blog with the utmost respect and love for HASABON, a place I love very much.
Although I’ve gone on a bit longer than usual, the truth is, I’ve been thinking for a while about doing a special project that only adults can do…
That is 【to compare lunch and dinner at my favorite restaurant】, HASABON, within the same month. I was so excited to see the result of this project.
Wow.
I wonder if it’s okay for me to do such a big deal♡
Even for me that I tend to be the most audacious and shameless of all, with a little sense of cute guilt in my heart, said, “But, you know, I survived the first six months of 2023 pretty well, didn’t I?“ So, I confidently decided to pamper myself!
So, here are the details of our lunch and dinner at HASABON on some day in July, with an actual food report.
＜First of all, The reservations＞
Reservations can be made by phone, but I really liked the ease of use of the online reservation system. The reservation is done through TableCheck that I have the impression the really good restaurants do not rely on coupons to attract customers but instead of that they are using TableCheck for reservations. It seems that many restaurants in Kagurazaka in particular have introduced TableCheck. You can access to the link for HASABON online reservation on their home page. On this way, you can inform them in advance of any allergies or food items you may not want.
When my husband and I visited the restaurant for a special course (dinner) with the chef, he told us that he could prepare a course based on a “theme”. Since my husband and I are both from Hokkaido, the chef prepared a course based on the theme of “Hokkaido. The main ingredients were all from Hokkaido, and many of the sub ingredients were also from
Hokkaido. I remember how grateful I was for the meal with tears in my eyes, thinking of my beloved Hokkaido, as the time was still in the COVID 19 pandemic, unable to go back to family home. I was really grateful for that. Whenever you want to treat someone special with a surprise (for example, using ingredients from a memorable place that you both traveled), do not hesitate to select a special course. We recommit you to ask Chef Kosaka
if you can follow such a menu concept.
＜Let’s start with lunch>
We visited the restaurant around 11:30 on a weekday. We were served at the back left of the counter. On the opposite side of the counter, two young ladies in pastel-colored dresses have already started to eat.
<About the drinks＞
Although pairing drinks is possible for lunch as well, this time, the guests did not pair drinks because he was “thinking about their work afterwards” (but in the end, the drinks were delicious and he was consumed just fine (HaHa). My impression was that if you like alcoholic beverages, it would be better to have the alcoholic beverages-pairing with lunch meals. I think that if you suggest to your partner in advance, “Please adjust your work schedule so that you can work loose in the afternoon, or make the scheduling so that
you don’t have to work,” he or she will be able to relax and enjoy it fully. I was impressed by the staff member Ms. Iwasaki’s wonderful smile, which is noticeable even when she wears
a mask.
Incidentally, I usually try not to drink alcohol, but for those people like me, HASABON has a wonderful menu by a tea sommelier called “Tea Pairing!
If your partner enjoys alcoholic beverages, you can enjoy tea pairing with your partner if you can’t drink (or if you have decided not to drink) without making your partner feel shy or reserved about the pairing. I think this is a really good idea. I’m going to give it a try next time, man.
And so, it goes.
This is the first lunch dish!
＜Appetizer>
Terrine of swordfish, rhubarb and cucumber
with Rose geranium kombucha sauce
Drrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrum-roll, please!!
TA-DA-DA!!
From the very beginning, right from the start, it was a masterpiece.
The dish that I liked the most at this lunch, and in a way, the one that really knocked my socks off, was this “Rose Geranium with Kombucha”
Although I look like such a goofy, I used to be a lecturer at the AEAJ Aroma Environment Association, so I’m supposed to be familiar with aromas. And that I thought it wins the highest praise.
There’s no way to explain it, so all I can say is, by all means, try it. I don’t know how Chef Kosaka came up with this combination, but I am sure it is a dish in which his talent is on full display. I mean, can you even think of it? Kombucha with rose geranium… But it’s unbelievably delicious. According to Chef Kosaka, kombucha is a drink made with fermented black tea, which converts sugar into acetic acid and lactic acid bacteria. That’s what gives it its flavor, he says. I’m sorry the photo didn’t capture it very beautifully (;_;).
Nevertheless, I think the charm of Chef Kosaka and thus of his work lies in the way he creates this contrast. And it’s a contrast that comes out in a very natural way, even though he doesn’t aim for it. When I asked him about it before, he said, “I always love to think about ingredients, and I think about them all the time”, so I’m sure this kind of combination just comes to him. Chef Kosaka says that after training in French cuisine, he entered into training in Japanese cuisine, despite everyone around him saying that such a
switch was unthinkable. Thanks to his wise decision, ordinary people are now able to enjoy the benefits of the delicate and audacious creations of a genius. I have nothing but gratitude.
This is the second lunch dish, quietly waddling along.
＜Appetizer＞
Abalone, Kamo eggplant, black garlic rice salad, green tea crumble and basil served in a bowl designed by Yui Tsujimura.
First of all, I like Yui Tsujimura’s dishes so much that I ordered them two years ago and use three of them in my salon on a daily basis. Those of you who attend my salon are familiar with these bowls, aren’t you? This is originally made as a wine cup, but of course it can also be used for tea. The pattern of the glaze (I think) inside the bowl is so interesting and beautiful that even if you use it for two years, you will not get tired of it at all. Rather, it is a tea bowl that makes you feel grateful to be able to be with it more and more lovingly. Those are the three pieces of Tsujimura Yui’s tea bowls that we are using at Ikkyu no Hirameki.
Speaking of which, his father, Shiro Tsujimura, is a potter who has appeared on NHK’s Professional Ryugi, and although there are rumors that he may be the next Living National Treasure, he himself has no interest in being a Living National Treasure. He is truly a master of the art of pottery.
The abalone’s elasticity, the crispness of the Kamo eggplant, the crunchiness of the crumble, the firmness of the rice and the textures are all enjoyable, while the light and refreshing aromas of the matcha, garlic and basil run through your nostrils and into your brain. A dish that is sure to keep you energized all summer long. I felt that my companion liked this dish the best.
The main course, the third dish of the lunch.
<Meat Dish>
Roast pork from Kumamoto Prefecture
Komatsuna, bell peppers, cucumber, iris turnips and mushroom purée sauce.
Chef Kosaka actually visited Kumamoto and saw the Running pigs(Hashiru Buta)! When the Running pigs living here feel a little under the weather, they munch on mug wort that grows wild and heals itself, according to Chef Kosaka. That’s right, they don’t need antibiotic food, do they? The life of the pigs that are forced into a limited space is different compared to the pigs that have survived strongly by eating wormwood on their own will while Running in Kumamoto. I feel there is such a difference between them that they are completely different creatures. Chef Kosaka said that the pigs were a bit shy, but I could taste the strength of the pigs, who must have grown up healthy and carefree. After listening to the story, I couldn’t help to be thankful for the meat and pray for the pigs. In essence, we are ‘taking life’, so we should always face food with this kind of feeling, sincerely. The decoration was also beautiful to the eye with a combination of summery and vivid vegetables.
The last of the beautiful, fourth lunch item.
＜Dessert>
Crème d’Ange
Mango, passion fruit
The feeling that not even the smallest detail has been left out, even down to dessert, is irresistibly lovely, and those who are not against sweet food should definitely make dessert a must at HASABON. I think you can already smell the deliciousness from the photos, so I’ll make no comment ♡.
So, it’s time to finish off with matcha tea!
You can choose from matcha green tea, matcha latte or hojicha (rosted green tea) latte.
My companion had matcha green tea and I had matcha latte.
My companion said that “The food, the taste, the space, the hospitality was all perfect! It was a very good time that I have never experienced before!”. I’m so sure that she has been in many of great restaurants in her life.
But HASABON is one that even those people will make feel like “This is the first time!!” and be satisfied with. I’m so happy with that fact!
＜Next one will be a Dinner＞
So, on a certain day in July, we finally went for dinner.
We visited at around 19:30 on a weekday evening. As soon as we entered the restaurant, my companion said to me, “It’s a space with a good flow of energy“ Well, as expected, she has such a high sensitivity. On the right side of the counter seats, there was a couple who were enjoying their meal peacefully. When we asked them about it later, they told us that they had been customers since the time when Staff Iwasaki-san was the owner of the
Kagurazaka Italian restaurant, and that they come almost every month. You can see how much they love not only the food, Butalso their personalities, including their hospitality. All in all, it is a real learning experience. My companion and I were taken to the counter at the left side, where guests are already chatting in the upstairs seating area.
We made a request in the following way this time,
・Light dinner course (for me)
・Dinner course (for my companion)
The dinner course includes fish and meat, while the light course is meat only.
Once again, about the drinks
As mentioned above, I have a rule of not serving alcohol, Butas my companion also likes to drink, she decided on an alcoholic beverages-pairing. If you like wine, we overwhelmingly recommend an alcoholic beverages-pairing it with wine. She didn’t have sake this time, but when I visited with my husband, and the they served us many bottles of sake, from one end of the counter to the other (haha), and my husband was enjoying his choice with a big smile on his face. I don’t drink, so I was just watching from
the side, but we heard valuable stories about the sake brewery from Sachiko-san, who used to be the owner and is now often at Fushikino where you can have Kaiseki cuisine in Kagurazaka , and my husband was just so happy. The selection of wine and sake is sure to please both wine and sake lovers.
So, here is the first dish of the dinner!
＜Amuse＞
Bruschetta
Ezo deer ham, blueberries and cream cheese
I ate it in two mouthfuls, Butas a Hokkaido resident, I was still curious about the Ezo sika deer. When I was in Hokkaido, it used to be quite difficult to enjoy eating the Ezo deer, but nowadays, perhaps because of the improvement in cooking and freezing techniques, we have more opportunities to enjoy it with gratitude. It was a work of art, a mixture of richness and the refreshing acidity of early summer. The dish was also beautifully presented, and it started with a dish that did not betray our expectations.
We are awaiting the second dish of the dinner.
＜Appetizer>
Bonito and plum tartar
Accented with olives and anchovies
Tomato jelly
Ah, how beautiful… Jewelry-encrusted (my companion had described it more beautifully, and seemed to have received Mr. Iwasaki’
s praise, but I defeated by my appetite so I had already forgotten that power word….Sorry…..) It was cool and made me want to watch it all the time. The inosine acid from the bonito and the glutamate from the tomatoes gave it a fresh punch (haha), while the olives and anchovies rounded it off. It is a truly refreshing, beautiful punch, different from the shocking impact of the other Appetizer to be presented later. It was so delicious that I could easily refill another plate.
So, this is the third dish of dinner.
＜Soup＞
Vichyssoise with leeks
Water shield and nasturtium from Akita Prefecture
Unconditional and insanely tasty. The tasty texture is probably coming from the leeks. I think about it, soup is only a moment to eat, but for an amateur like me, even if you use a food processor to make it properly to a certain extent, it’s quite frankly a looooot of work, I couldn’t help but feel love for each and every scoop. Normally, I would have thought that the combination of the leeks would have been more common, but here, the Water shield
and the slightly bitter nasturtiums (the lovely green leaves on top) were added with a pop, which was a perfect balance. I think the balance is typical of Chef Kosaka. Yes, it is a fusion of Japanese and French cuisine, a gap. And it’s a gap with harmony. It’s irresistible.
And I always think about this, but I love the soup plates like the outer space of HASABON-san (laughs).
Finally, the shocking fourth dish of dinner.
＜Appetizer＞
Sautéed Japanese parsley
Grilled corn and fresh sea urchin in salted water
Caramelized honey and soy sauce
My tongue has already told me that I will never forget it.
The dish was the best, greatest and I’m defeated by the taste!
“When you think of Seseri（chicken neck meat in Japanese）, you think of
HASABON!.“
The staff member, Mr. Iwasaki, even said a upper definitive line.
Is this possible? The taste is astonishingly delicious. If you are one of those who like sweets, what should you do with it?
Hey, it’s Seseri. I didn’t come to a yakitori restaurant. I’m not here for a yakitori restaurant. In the face of this unexpected and extraordinary gap, Mr. Iwasaki, to those of us who seemed to be looking like pigeons had just eaten a peashooter, said briskly,
“Chef Kosaka loves yakitori, you know.“
He said that in a pleasant way.
The shock of putting this dish in our mouths was so great that both my companion and I were rolling our eyes up and down.
Wow….. I’m embarrassed, but when someone does something like this…
If I had to use a metaphor, I would say that I’m too happy and bewildered. I had completely forgotten how it felt, and I wondered how long it had been since I had felt something like this, and I felt a kind of awe and deep gratitude towards the Seseri caramelization in front of me. To be able to make people feel like this with Seseri, well, the chef profession is irresistible. (I’m completely at a loss for words from this point onwards (^-
^;)).
And then, as if by some kind of genius, he serves it in the best possible quantity, so it’s not too much, and we are able to keep the impressiveness of the impression as it is.
I don’t need to bring up the law of diminishing marginal utility, should I say “good state“? There are a lot of things that I can learn from the dish with all his might of life.
So, without letting the excitement fade, we are now on to the fifth dish of dinner.
＜noodle＞
Pho
Homemade water kimchi and chicken soup
Sweet fish fritters and coriander
By coincidence, my companion had been in the food and beverage business in Vietnam in the past, and he laughed nostalgically and said that “it’s unexpected that pho was served at a Japanese-French restaurant (Haha), and that I used to make it myself.” It was indeed unexpected pho at a Japanese-French restaurant, but it was a summery and very tasty dish that brought back the richness of the fourth dish.
Then came the sixth dish of the dinner.
This fish dish was served only to my companion.
Sadly, I forgot to ask for the ingredients, so I will ask for them later and add them to this page.
Forgive me if I only have the photo.
In addition, the seventh dinner items.
<Meat Dish>
Pork cutlet with Hashiru Buta (Running pig from Kumamoto Prefecture)
Tamarind jam and blackcurrant sauce apple, red onion and bacon
This is the “Running pig”(Hashiru Buta) that also made an appearance at lunch. When it became a cutlet, it was different from roast pork, and I felt it had a tighter texture. The cutlet itself had the nostalgia of a Western-style restaurant, while the sourness of the blackcurrant and the fruity tamarind jam gave it a summertime flavor. It was a vibrant dish with red at the forefront. From my point of view, I also quite liked the roast pork we had for lunch. Both of these dishes are very different from each other, so it may be that this is a place where tastes differ completely.
In the meantime, in no time at all, it was time for the eighth dish of dinner.
＜Dessert＞
Forêt noir – black forest
American cherries, chocolate mousse, choir, pandepis powder, caramelized nut nougat
Right. The black, after the red.
Even the color scheme was calculated and we were able to enjoy the deliciousness to our eyes until the very end.
After the sourness of the Running pig, the sweetness was just right and I felt again that it was the best balance in total. In contrast to the refreshing mango we had for lunch, this dish is a dessert for adults that is a perfect ending to dinner, with colors that are wrapped in a night atmosphere, a richness that is mellow, and a lightness that can be enjoyed with the
crunchy texture and sourness of the cherries.
And so, this is a much-loved dessert wine that we can’t help but recommend.
My companion was also a great admirer. of it.
Even me, who has decided not to drink alcohol, took this as something else (Haha).
It is pure and irresistibly delicious.
It seems to be sold wholesale to restaurants, so it is basically not sold in the market.
If you are not incapable of consuming alcohol, I would definitely recommend it to those who would like to have just one drink at the end. It is also a perfect item for who are considering coming as a pair and want their partner to “get drunk just a little bit, but in a cute way”, such
as a couple at the beginning of their relationship, perhaps. If you are young people with a bright future and have found your way to this blog, please take a look…
just for your information…..
And what’s more, the last drink is the same as lunch, it’s tea time!
You can choose from matcha green tea, matcha latte or hojicha latte, both my companion and I chose matcha latte.
Like at lunch, you are allowed to choose from several different types of tableware.
Umm, how do I explain this…. It’s like a game of “I knew you’d choose that! ” . It’s fun to see the considerate of leaving out the tableware that the other person might like, at the same time. Tea sommelier Mrs. Sasaki carefully brewed the matcha latte with so bubbly and fluffy steamed milk, which left me feeling deeply satisfied from bottom of my heart.
In this way, I was able to enjoy the beautiful flow of the series of dishes and the sense of a gap between the two (well, Chef Kosaka probably doesn’t think so at all, but I’m just overwhelmed, yes). I was sipping vigorously the last sip of it.
And so, I just ended up saying.
’Oh, I’m so glad I’ve grown up ♡’.
When I thought I had completely closed the scene…
“That’s the third time you’ve said that line today”
I was told by my companion.
I smiled dearly and wondered if I had said it three times, but then I wondered if there was such a luxury as the freedom of being able to enjoy such delicious food in my favorite place, Kagurazaka, in such a wonderful space, with friends with whom I have a peaceful and rich relationship. It is such a rare thing and luxury, I am extremely grateful and thankful,
I am happy to be an adult, I am happy to be alive. I have nothing but gratitude.
So, having received the strongest energy from HASABON day and night, I will be going all out in the second half of 2023 (*^^)v I have been given such luxury, so I will give it back in all my treatment.
Finally, a post-editorial note.
I am often told by customers whom I have introduced to HASABON, “Mrs. Kawori, I don’t want to tell anyone but the people I really care about HASABON“. Yes, I understand what you are saying very well. I also think that this restaurant is the only one I wouldn’t take anyone other than someone really important to me, and in a good way, I think it is a restaurant where you have to choose the right person to go with.
I dare to say this but I am often told that “I would like to introduce this establishment to only the person who is important or special for me.”
I take this as a compliment that I am very grateful for.
But that’s why, as a business owner, I think that no matter how good the establishment is, even if you want to keep it a complete secret, you still have to make sure that a certain number of customers know about it and come to the salon. (Of course, I learned about HASABON from my gourmet customer who lives in Kagurazaka, thank you very much.) But in reality, it is difficult for most people to come here every day, no matter how much they
love the shop (*^^)v. If that is the case, it cannot be a healthy business unless a certain number of customers know about it and come to the establishment.
Furthermore, if you want the owner, chef and staff to be able to continue to produce and serve their work and dishes in a stable and comfortable way, as if they were playing with each other, it is human nature to want to make introductions that are as pleasant as possible and expand the harmony of the restaurant. I think this feeling is even stronger for those who run their own business, but I believe that paying a bill is almost like a vote of support for the people who work in the place. I hope that he will continue to have the
energy to search all over the country for wonderful foodstuffs and unique dishes, that he will of course take a proper day off as well, and that he will take deep root in Kagurazaka and become a place of relaxation. that’s why I even wrote this passionate blog (Haha).
Please continue to provide us with delicious and rich works of art with pleasure♪
I also would like to continue to be diligent in order to become a salon that is rooted in Kagurazaka and loved by Kagurazaka, with the feeling of taking a lesson from HASABON In this way, I sincerely hope that everyone who reads this blog will also come to love the land and people of Kagurazaka, and that we will all be able to make it a lively place (^^)/.
I would like to thank my esteemed chef Takahiro Kosaka, the service manager Ayataro Iwasaki, whose wonderful smile could be seen even through his mask, and Mrs. Kaori Sasaki, who made the most wonderful matcha latte, for the wonderful time we had. Thank you very much! Please let us visit you again. Thank you very much.
*By the way, here’s a blog about the past collaboration project between Ikkyu no Hirameki and HASABON. It was a great success! Thanks ♡♡♡!
Celebration for the first anniversary of the relocation to Kagurazaka!!
http://www.ikyu-no-hirameki.com/2021/07/07/kagurazaka2021/
Thank you for reading until the end.
I am looking forward to write to you again.
Sincerely, the Representative of Ikkyu no Hirameki: Kawori Maruyama