[JO1] ELLE 221006

https://www.elle.com/jp/gourmet/gourmet-restaurants/g41186406/kimata-sushi-with-ren-22-1006/

[Part 1] JO1‘s Kimata Syoya tastes New Wave Edo Style sushi together with Kawashiri Ren! | The true tone on Kimata Sushi Vol. 5

A popular series that brings you the latest sushi trends!

The series “The true tone on Kimata Sushi” is by the JO1’s Kimata Syoya who just loves sushi too much. In this popular series one other member is chosen each time and the two will talk honestly over delicious sushi at a restaurant with seasonal sushi.

This time, dressed up a bit he went with the group’s stoic performance leader, Kawashiri Ren, to the New Wave Edo Style sushi restaurant in Azubu Juban (Tokyo). We caught up with the pair who spent quality time at the counter (of the restaurant).

To a mature restaurant with Kawashiri Ren, whose appearance was long awaited.

This time his partner is Kawashiri Ren, the first older member in this series. He is the second oldest one of the members and furthermore he is in charge of bringing the team together as the performance leader… so we assumed there could be some tension in their honest talk, but then they quickly made their standard move right in the front of the shop. The start of an enjoyable time.

Visiting “Sushi Yoshikawa” in Azubu!

The two visited “Sushi Yoshikawa” which opened in Azabu in March 2021. The founder and owner of the “Yoshikawa” brand, Yoshikawa Takamasa, first apprenticed with his father, when he was just 13 years old, and then learnt French cuisine before returning to the world of sushi. This experimental sushi restaurant has become a hot topic as it offers sushi based on the orthodox Edo style combined with western elements and a touch of craftsmanship together with seasonal ingredients, that will please both the eye and the tongue.

Syoya: Today is the time for the long awaited appearance of Ren-kun who loves sushi nearly as much as I do (adds emphasis).
Ren: Yes yes, nearly as much as you. I looked forward to this for so long! You know, earlier I talked with Syoya. “Is it okay to do this as a job?” (laughs)
Syoya: Right? (laughs) When was the last time you ate sushi, Ren-kun?
Ren: I think about a month ago. It happens quite often that during the lunch break of our dance practices I eat sushi with Syoya.
Syoya: That’s right. Oh, I ate it the day before yesterday.
Ren: ahaha! You really love it.

Syoya: I looked up this “Sushi Yoshikawa” on the internet before and I felt “The atmosphere of this restaurant suits to Ren-kun ~”
Ren: No really, I feel honoured to be invited by the famous “The true tone on Kimata Sushi” (laughs). I usually go to casual sushi restaurants, so I always wanted to visit such a mature sushi restaurant. Thank you, Syoya.

Syoya: What would you like to try, Ren-kun?
Ren: This looks amazing from here… I like sea urchins, so earlier I thought I would like to try them. Anyway, I have been looking forward to this since this morning!
Syoya: We received counter seats today, so there are only tempting things right in front of us already. There are shrimps and this one looks like french toast? I wonder what it is. Today we are at a New Wave Edo Style restaurant, so I’m really looking forward to the various ways of how they prepare it.

Syoya: Since Ren-kun is the second oldest member in the group, I felt such a mature restaurant would suit him.
Ren: Mature… Sure enough, when I see the members go crazy, I think they are cute and like children, so I guess I think of myself as an adult (laughs). Everyone is still so lively~
Syoya: That’s how you become an adult…
Ren: But sometimes I joke around with you.
Syoya: When I’m going crazy, I see Ren-kun watching me and think he is mature! This makes me feel as if I am an adult, too. Ren: hahaha!

First, toasting with Moringa tea!

Syoya: We have an intense full member dance practice later today, so let’s have a healthy tea now (laughs). And Ren-kun cannot drink alcohol.
Ren: I’m curious about this “Moringa tea”.
Chef: This tea is made from the leaves of Moringa, which is considered to be a superfood, and it is a strong and greenish juice like tea. It is very good for the body.
Both: One Moringa tea please!
Syoya: Shall we make a toast?
Ren: Cheers! It’s delicious and kinda calming (laughs).

Syoya: Today we will eat the “owner’s recommended course”, a very comprehensive one, as it includes sashimi, grilled things, nigiri, as well as rolls and the daily speciality. As Yoshikawa Takemasa also studied french cuisine and these French skills are used everywhere here.
Ren: This is so interesting! You can see the ingredients being prepared from the counter, so I am excited to see how everything will turn out.
Syoya: It is also exciting to see how the chefs work with their knives. I always buy fish at the fish market and at home I try to imitate sushi chefs by quickly moving my knife forward to make sashimi, but I cannot cut it as coolly as them. I want to go and buy a good knife. But it takes some skill to cut it coolly.
Ren: Ahaha! You also do such things?

3 exquisite sashimi dishes

Syoya: The first three dishes are the sashimi!
Chef: This is fatty tuna sashimi with raw wasabi, fried bonito and marinated scallops in sweet sauce.
Ren: Wow!
Syoya: The fatty tuna, so delicious! The wasabi on top isn’t strong at all and the flavour comes out. It is something that even Shosei who doesn’t like wasabi can eat. I want Shosei to discover the good sides of wasabi here.
Ren: You are not talking about the sashimi at all, just about the wasabi… (laughs). Why are there cuts in the tuna?
Syoya: So that the soy sauce can be absorbed. It is a common technique in sushi restaurants.
Ren: It is common in the sushi world (laughs)!
Chef: Our tuna is the Pacific bluefin tuna, but we only use a part of the belly that is close to the head, which has the most fat.
Ren: True, as soon as I put it into my mouth I can feel it melting. That’s why even if you used more wasabi, it would still lose to the fat.

Chef: The bonito was slightly fried on the surface. It is fried on the outside and marinated on the inside.
Syoya: Eh! It is fried?
Chef: And it is topped with tomato sauce.
Ren: A touch of French influence! It is a piquant tomato sauce.

Syoya: That it is fried feels so new… And bonito and tomato sauce fit very well, Isn’t the colour amazing, too? Both at the fried and non fried areas.
Ren: Ah, I like the smell… It feels a little nostalgic, but also a little warm when you put it into your mouth.
Syoya: It’s so amazing!

Ren: Next one is the scallops one.
Chef: The scallops are lightly marinated.
Syoya: Marinated ♡♡
Owner: A little sweet sauce on top of the marinated scallops and enjoy the aroma of yuzu.
Ren: Thank you!
Syoya: It is very meaty. You need to chew more than usual. The texture is great!
Ren: The scallops are chewy. I can feel they enjoy being in one’s mouth. Like they are dancing? The sweet sauce adds an accent.
Syoya: They are dancing! They are!

Syoya: Nigiri are also good, but I love this kind of sashimi and appetisers… (impressed)
Chef: Do you like all kinds of fish?
Syoya: There is no fish I dislike. I like all of them. Oh, there is more, right? There was no nigiri sushi yet, which is the main part of “The true tone on Kimata Sushi”. This is only the beginning! We have just started. I heard this is a new wave restaurant and it is some kind of a new genre.
Chef: We are selling things that incorporate something new.
Syoya: Did you come up with this yourself?

Chef: Yoshikawa Takemasa also made experiences in France and I am following his footsteps and learn from him, so I am trying to come up with original dishes like this. It is Edo style sushi, but I am aiming for something a little unconventional, something new and less orthodox.
Syoya: That’s what the sashimi at the beginning was! I wonder what is going to come next (laughs).
Ren: ahahaha!
Chef: Thank you very much. These were the three appetisers and next will be the grilled ones.

Deep fried tilefish with miso soup

Syoya: The grilled dishes are here! Deep fried tilefish. With Japanese mixed rice under it! What is this dashi-like soup on the side?
Chef: This is our special thick ara sauce, which you should eat by mixing the tilefish with the rice first. Then, please mix it with the thick ara sauce in your mouth and enjoy it.
Syoya: Wow~ It’s crispy. ASMR!!!
Ren: hahahaha!
Syoya: There are also a lot of vegetables. I kinda want to say a lot. The white fish is deeply fried but not falling apart, so it is tender. It matches the dashi soup.
Ren: Crispy and tender… It is hard to describe. It is satisfying, but the gentle taste makes you feel at ease. The ease of your home.

Ren: This ara sauce? Soup? is super delicious. You could eat it all alone.
Syoya: I want to drink it in the morning instead of hot water! How do you make this?
Chef: This is… (omission) Then you slowly and steadily boil it for two hours. Afterwards you filter the boiled product and add a little bit of soy sauce to the finished product…
Syoya: … I think I will make it. To drink it in the morning.
Ren: Nah, you just want to drink it (laughs). You can’t make it easily! It takes about 2 hours, doesn’t it? You start making it the night before?
Syoya: I’ll totally do that!
Ren: It was said before, but we are not even at the main part (the nigiri) yet. And yet, I already feel satisfied.
Syoya: I’m warmed up!

Finally the start of the nigiri!

Syoya: Here they are finally, from now on we eat nigiri.
Chef: Now then, let’s start with the sushi.
Both: Please!
Syoya: Red sushi rice! That’s indeed Edo style.
Chef: Flounder is the first course, followed by botan shrimp. You like shrimps, right?

Syoya: I reeeeeally love shrimps. Wow! Wow! I thought about ordering those from the Hometown tax donation program. I clicked the like button for all of them and saved them. All I need to do is to put them into the cart and order them.
TN: The hometown tax donation program is a program to support underdeveloped rural areas in Japan. People donate a part of their residential tax to a specified municipality and in turn they get a tax reduction and receive certain local products and specialities worth 30% or less of their donation from that municipality. Unlike the name suggests that area doesn't need to be your hometown.
Ren: But when your order comes, you have to do all the preparations, right?
Syoya: I will do all of it! Where do these come from?
Chef: These come from Alaska. They are bigger in this season and taste better than the ones from Hokkaido.
Syoya: Wow, they seem so delicious. I heard they fry everything except the body and serve it as tempura. Thank you in advance.

Chef: Botan shrimps with caviar on top, please enjoy.
Ren: Syoya, the shrimps are here!
Syoya: The moment I was nervous about has come. It’s always great to see. Beautiful. It is shaped like this to be put on top of the sushi rice?

Ren: Hahahaha! I guess this botan shrimp is going to be your favourite.
Syoya: No, it is really delicious! It has a nice crunchy texture. It’s so good, so good. Sauna like. It’s a harmonious shrimp.
Ren: Syoya values the texture a lot, doesn't he?

The French fusion technique comes out one after another

Chef: This is super fatty tuna with shallots on top.
Syoya: These shallots are the french influence again, right?
Chef: This is made from young, small, fresh pickled scallions, which are sliced and boiled into scallion oil.
Ren: So you are taking a french vegetable and arranging it in a Japanese way?
Syoya: Let’s take a moment to reset and focus. It would be easy to go for a quick bite, but this is where the pickled ginger comes into the game.
Ren: This is important!

Syoya: The moment adults say, you shouldn’t devour it, taste it properly… you are already a child.
Ren: Hahaha!
Syoya: The shallots are delicious! They are a whole revolution~ They are going to be a trend this year, the shallots. They will be a trendy food.

Next time on “The true tone on __ __ Sushi ”…?

Ren: What comes next? White meat fish?
Chef: How about you guess while eating it?
Syoya: I like this kind of thing! But as the sushi prince, I’m pressured to guess correctly…
Ren: If I am the only one to guess right, the series might become “The true tone on Kawashiri sushi” next time (laughs)!
Syoya: Hopefully not!

Syoya: It looks like white shrimp or the rare cut of a flounder… Which could it be?
Chef: You might know directly after eating it. Because some of the texture remains in your mouth.
Ren: (He will know it) Because Syoya is the texture master! Now, let me try it. It’s surely something I have eaten before. I know what it is.
Syoya: I got it! Yes, I know this. 1…2… ah, if I am wrong, it will become Kawashiri sushi, right?
Everyone: hahahaha!

Ren: It was very melty.
Syoya: Chopping it into small pieces and adjusting the taste… hm… I’m scared to say the wrong thing, so tell me Ren-kun’s answer… (whispers) Eh, I see! This will end up in Kawashiri sushi! The correct answer is… 1…2…
Both: Squid!
Chef: Correct!
Syoya: Wow~ So this is how squid becomes (here). I’m impressed. The texture is different from the squid served in regular sushi restaurants.

What the sea urchin loving Ren-kun has been waiting for

Syoya: Next up is crab! Everyone loves them. I mean, crabs are a delicacy, aren't they?
Chef: Today’s special is not part of the course, but we are offering this for you. It is crab flakes with sea urchin on top.
Ren: Ah! There is the sea urchin! It is a sea urchin pillow. Wow, I want to sleep on it (laughs).

Syoya: Eh maybe… It’s crab with sea urchin on top! I haven’t eaten crumb together with sea urchin before.
Ren: Hahaha! The crab meat is flavoured with crab paste so it’s two rich flavours together. Both are the stars of the dish. I think it’s been a while since I last ate crab.

Syoya: It melted away in my mouth. Moreover, the sea urchin is just sweet. There is zero bitterness! I want to have another one.
Ren: I love sea urchin but… it happened so fast, I can’t help but be impressed (laughs).

Ren: When you go in private, you can’t talk to the sushi chef like this. You don’t receive such explanations.
Syoya: Indeed.
Ren: Normally, the conversation is nothing more than “This is delicious!”. But eating it while hearing about all the different hidden flavours, like today, made it even more delicious.
Syoya: Because that’s where your nerves go, right?
Ren: I actually said something very nice now (laughs)!
Syoya: The number of seats at the counter is just the right number to fit all JO1 members and Choi CEO. Already during the first three appetisers I made up my mind, “Ah, I have to come here again with everyone” (laughs).

Syoya: Oh no, the next one is being prepared so we have to reset (our taste buds) with pickled ginger! Time to focus!
Ren: There is still (the taste of) sea urchin in the mouth. Time to reset!
Chef: This is red flesh (of tuna) marinated in red wine, topped with yuzu koshou cream cheese.
TN: yuzu koshou is a fermented paste made of yuzu, salt and chili peppers.
Ren: Finally cream cheese!
Syoya: The cream cheese women love.

Chef: We marinated the tuna in a sauce made half of red wine and half of soy sauce. This is combined with cream cheese and finely chopped pickled ginger.
Syoya: Awesome! To combine these things! Furthermore, until the yuzu koshou. This makes it a little spicier. This is like an appetiser.
Ren: It caught my eyes already before, but the photographer makes really beautiful pictures of sushi. The deliciousness is conveyed!
Photographer: Thank you very much (laughs).

Chef: You two really love sushi.
Syoya: (while eating) I love it.
Ren: Syoya eats it 5 times a week.
Syoya: It's nice to see the chef being in the spirit of surprise or rather being caught up in his intention.
Ren: It is not so much his intention but the fact that we were caught up (laughs).
Syoya: But actually you don’t like that, right Ren-kun?
Ren: That’s right. I’m in the type who doesn’t want to be tricked.
Syoya: But today you lost.
Ren: I did. It was a complete defeat.
Syoya: It’s delicious! For real, I am yielding to this.

[Bonus] Their feelings regarding their first arena tour?

JO1’s first arena tour that started in September included Aichi, Osaka, Kanagawa and Fukuoka and now only the extra shows in Tokyo on 22nd and 23rd October are left. What are the feelings for the tour right after the announcement?

Syoya: When this article is released, we finished all shows up to the ones in Fukuoka. Ren-kun cried when the tour was announced.
Ren: That made me cry. I recalled a past shock.
Syoya: A shock?

Ren: I am the second oldest one of 4 brothers and when I was young I had a really heavy fight with my oldest brother. I can’t forget the shock from back then despite I was quite young back then. For a long time there was nothing that shocked me more than that, but I grew up and when I went to see a BIGBANG concert, it started with an amazing amount of cheers and this moment felt like ot physically hit me and this shock surpassed the one of the fight with my older brother (laughs). It is a whole different type of shock, but it made shocks into something enjoyable. From then on I started to think “I want to make music. I want to dance.”.
Syoya: The cheers at a show of BIGBANG seem amazing.

Ren: Since we became JO1 we were unable to hear such cheers and I forgot about this shock. But when the arena tour was announced at the event in May, JAM ended up cheering loudly for a moment, right? When I heard those, I remembered the cheers I heard in the past and I was completely shocked.
Syoya: Right. Since you experienced these cheers also in your time as a dancer, you know that feeling. Compared to me you have a lot of experience on the big stages and I think it that sense you have these strong feelings regarding cheers. I also remember those from the predebut fan meetings and the audition. Once you experience them, you can’t stop (craving them), right?
Ren: You can’t.

Syoya: Sure enough real concerts are great. Even when the audience is wearing a mask, you can see their facial expressions by their eyebrows and eyes, whether they are happy or crying. I really like the feeling of seeing their reactions directly.
Ren: It’s like playing catching balls with the audience, right? I always knew that performing live is the reason why I wanted to take up this work.
Syoya: I’m reallyyyyyy happy that we are finally able to have such a tour. I want to do this more and more in the future!