Chef's counter, far left seat
l'eau Blanche, Fukuoka
The final award for 2020 doesn't just go to a restaurant. This hyper-exclusive award signifies the best world-class experience when dining solo. It's given to a specific seat or table in a restaurant. How prestigious and pretentious!
Watch this video, then let's talk food.
Welcome to Chef Teppei Shiromizu's world. Looks like a rock star. Cooks like a rock star.
courtesy L'eau Blanche
If you're lucky to score one of six seats at the counter, take the one all the way to the left as you're facing the kitchen. Look left and you're insulated from the bustle of the Naka River below, neon lights twinkling off the water. Look ahead and you're treated with chef's inspiration: an homage to Alain Passard. Look beyond it and you've got a front-row seat to exceptional cooking and a polished staff.
views from my seat..... no zoom! You could be a sous chef from your seat.
A little background. I'm a sucker for Japanese cooking with French technique. Or is it French cooking with Japanese technique? Having dined on this trip at the newly-minted three star L'effervescene in Tokyo and one star Hiroto in Hiroshima, one star L'eau Blanche in Fukuoka was my final stop.
The menu, with some opening and closing treats, read as follows:
Some photos of the dishes include:
Just a sublime dish with the sweetness of the carrot playing off the sweetness of the uni.
We move in to "serious" territory here with a deeper depth of flavour. The best version of "black pudding" ever.
The best dish I ate in 2020, which deserved its own post.
En papillote with the yuzu giving it a flavourful and fragrant note.
Chef motioned and asked how much beef I would like. I wasn't sure how to respond, so I said, "all of it please?" I don't regret that answer for a moment. This gave a serious run to my favourite, Miyazaki beef.
The restaurant seats fewer than 20 and is staffed by maybe four people. Two in the kitchen and two on the floor. The gentleman who served me for the evening spoke fluent English and was a bridge between me and Chef.
By the end of the evening, some of Chef's friends were sitting next to me and we engaged in a healthy discussion about food and Sadaharu Oh.
It was a good night indeed.
Congratulations L'eau Blanche. Well done and continued success!
To qualify for The Single Table awards, I had to visit that location in the given calendar year.