As vegetarian and vegan diets become more prevalent around the world, interest in vegetarian-based Japanese cuisine is growing more than ever.
Kurasei, a Japanese restaurant in Otaki Town, Minami Boso, Chiba, specializes in fermented seasonings, the essence of this increasingly globalized Japanese cuisine, and serves vegetable dishes made with local, pesticide-free vegetables.
The restaurant's name, "Kurasei," comes from the koji mold that grows in the brewery, which resembles a brewery fairy.
Otaki Town, home to the popular outdoor spot Yoro Valley, was the castle town of Honda Tadakatsu, a warlord and vassal of the Tokugawa clan from the Sengoku period to the early Edo period. Even today, the townscape is filled with old mansions and storehouses. Owners Seiichi and Yoko Yokoyama opened "Kurasei," a brewery-style restaurant that blends in with the town's atmosphere, eight years ago. Seiichi, who is in the kitchen, spent about 19 years in New York, where he worked as a chef at a Japanese restaurant there.
Seiichi and Yoko Yokoyama, owners of "Kurasei." Seiichi is in the kitchen, while Yoko is in charge of customer service.
"After graduating from college, I moved to New York simply because I wanted to live there. It was there that I met my wife and had our child. At first, I thought about opening a restaurant there, but my wife wanted to do her best work using Japanese, so we decided to return to Japan. I'd been interested in fermented foods since my time abroad, and if I were to work in Japan, I wanted to start by making miso. From the outside, it seemed like that was what made Japan unique. So, if we were to feature traditional Japanese food culture, it would be best to live in the countryside. We ended up opening our restaurant in Otaki Town, not far from my wife's family home."
All fermented seasonings are carefully selected using natural koji mold. In addition to purchased products, we also use soy sauces made with our own miso and used by local friends. Our dishes, which are free of animal products and feature locally grown seasonal vegetables, are safe for vegans.
"Cheese Platter (800 yen)" features cheese from Cheese Factory "Sen," arranged with seasonal bamboo shoots, unripe plums pickled in natural sake, unrefined soybeans, and soy sauce koji.
"Our restaurant offers a menu of modern Japanese dishes based on local cuisine. While it's true that our food is Japanese and vegetarian, it's not specifically vegan or macrobiotic. I've been loosely vegetarian since my days in New York, and I thought it would be more interesting to run a restaurant that had some distinctive features. We also serve cheese as an a la carte item. It's from the nearby cheese factory, Sen, and after talking with the people at the factory, we realized there was a connection between their pure passion for cheese and the spirit of Kurasei. Their cheese is made from fresh milk from cows raised on high-quality fertilizer, and has a refreshing taste that pairs perfectly with Japanese food and sake."
The lineup is centered around natural sake from breweries in Chiba. They also offer beer, shochu, and homemade fruit liquor.
The selection of natural sakes to complement the food is also unique to this restaurant. They offer a selection of Chiba's finest sakes, including "Afusu," a pure rice sake with a light, wine-like texture from Kidoizumi Sake Brewery in Isumi City, adjacent to Otaki Town, and "Gonin Musume," an unfiltered natural sake from Terada Honke in Katori County, which uses natural ingredients not only for yeast but also for koji.
The restaurant is small, with only 10 counter seats. Yoko's cheerful and courteous service is a comforting experience.
"My first priority is to ensure that our customers enjoy their meal while passing on Japan's traditional food culture to the modern age. However, I believe that the vegetable dishes, cheese, and alcohol we offer here are all of world-class quality. Going forward, I'd like to share their appeal from the Chiba countryside with the world."
Lunch is centered around set meals, while dinner (reservations required) focuses on course meals. Starting in late June, vegetable dishes such as green plums, cucumbers, eggplants, and corn will be added to the menu.
【Shop Information】
Kurasei
Address: 32 Sakuradai, Otaki-machi, Isumi-gun, Chiba Prefecture
Telephone: 0470-82-4949
Opening Hours: Lunch 11:30-14:30 (reservations required), Dinner 17:30-21:00 (reservations required at least two days in advance)
Closed: Mondays (lunch only), Tuesdays (occasionally closed on certain days) *Mondays and Tuesdays from January to March
>>Series [A Relaxed Journey in Chiba and Minami Boso]
Kurasei, a Japanese restaurant in Otaki Town, Minami Boso, Chiba, specializes in fermented seasonings, the essence of this increasingly globalized Japanese cuisine, and serves vegetable dishes made with local, pesticide-free vegetables.
The restaurant's name, "Kurasei," comes from the koji mold that grows in the brewery, which resembles a brewery fairy.
Otaki Town, home to the popular outdoor spot Yoro Valley, was the castle town of Honda Tadakatsu, a warlord and vassal of the Tokugawa clan from the Sengoku period to the early Edo period. Even today, the townscape is filled with old mansions and storehouses. Owners Seiichi and Yoko Yokoyama opened "Kurasei," a brewery-style restaurant that blends in with the town's atmosphere, eight years ago. Seiichi, who is in the kitchen, spent about 19 years in New York, where he worked as a chef at a Japanese restaurant there.
Seiichi and Yoko Yokoyama, owners of "Kurasei." Seiichi is in the kitchen, while Yoko is in charge of customer service.
"After graduating from college, I moved to New York simply because I wanted to live there. It was there that I met my wife and had our child. At first, I thought about opening a restaurant there, but my wife wanted to do her best work using Japanese, so we decided to return to Japan. I'd been interested in fermented foods since my time abroad, and if I were to work in Japan, I wanted to start by making miso. From the outside, it seemed like that was what made Japan unique. So, if we were to feature traditional Japanese food culture, it would be best to live in the countryside. We ended up opening our restaurant in Otaki Town, not far from my wife's family home."
All fermented seasonings are carefully selected using natural koji mold. In addition to purchased products, we also use soy sauces made with our own miso and used by local friends. Our dishes, which are free of animal products and feature locally grown seasonal vegetables, are safe for vegans.
"Cheese Platter (800 yen)" features cheese from Cheese Factory "Sen," arranged with seasonal bamboo shoots, unripe plums pickled in natural sake, unrefined soybeans, and soy sauce koji.
"Our restaurant offers a menu of modern Japanese dishes based on local cuisine. While it's true that our food is Japanese and vegetarian, it's not specifically vegan or macrobiotic. I've been loosely vegetarian since my days in New York, and I thought it would be more interesting to run a restaurant that had some distinctive features. We also serve cheese as an a la carte item. It's from the nearby cheese factory, Sen, and after talking with the people at the factory, we realized there was a connection between their pure passion for cheese and the spirit of Kurasei. Their cheese is made from fresh milk from cows raised on high-quality fertilizer, and has a refreshing taste that pairs perfectly with Japanese food and sake."
The lineup is centered around natural sake from breweries in Chiba. They also offer beer, shochu, and homemade fruit liquor.
The selection of natural sakes to complement the food is also unique to this restaurant. They offer a selection of Chiba's finest sakes, including "Afusu," a pure rice sake with a light, wine-like texture from Kidoizumi Sake Brewery in Isumi City, adjacent to Otaki Town, and "Gonin Musume," an unfiltered natural sake from Terada Honke in Katori County, which uses natural ingredients not only for yeast but also for koji.
The restaurant is small, with only 10 counter seats. Yoko's cheerful and courteous service is a comforting experience.
"My first priority is to ensure that our customers enjoy their meal while passing on Japan's traditional food culture to the modern age. However, I believe that the vegetable dishes, cheese, and alcohol we offer here are all of world-class quality. Going forward, I'd like to share their appeal from the Chiba countryside with the world."
Lunch is centered around set meals, while dinner (reservations required) focuses on course meals. Starting in late June, vegetable dishes such as green plums, cucumbers, eggplants, and corn will be added to the menu.
【Shop Information】
Kurasei
Address: 32 Sakuradai, Otaki-machi, Isumi-gun, Chiba Prefecture
Telephone: 0470-82-4949
Opening Hours: Lunch 11:30-14:30 (reservations required), Dinner 17:30-21:00 (reservations required at least two days in advance)
Closed: Mondays (lunch only), Tuesdays (occasionally closed on certain days) *Mondays and Tuesdays from January to March
>>Series [A Relaxed Journey in Chiba and Minami Boso]
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