A splendid kitchen, a chef half Japanese and German, an incredible food combination comes out of a small kitchen to the small dining room. We arrived in what seemed to be a residential neighborhood, but who could tell as the rain poured down – it was a cold night.

Meticulous detail, hand craft, and numerous reinterpretations inspired by travel, this young man has a clear understanding of tastes, and you can see he isn’t bothered by his small kitchen, he adapts as all chefs do to his own rhythm.

Chef Tohru Nakamura has seen Japan and gets it, the precision of flavors, you can see how simple it looks, my mind wanders when I tasted the amuse bouche, a simple preparation it was executed to perfection and was truly refreshing. Just what you expect, dazzled by musical notes of Japanese flavors all in harmony. This chef has grace and finesse in his selection of ingredients and the execution and design of his dishes. By no means, they are simple to prepare and each step is carefully thought through with a surgical mind.

The beef tartar is hidden by lotus root, sprout, flower, and herbs and a creamy texture – fantastic idea and so simple it’s complex to obtain such accuracy.

The next dish was two types of oyster, pickled onion, herbs and underneath was a sweet tomato, and a second preparation.

Chef Nakamura has a “good sense” something many chefs miss, and this chef’s oyster dish is exceptional, based on two varieties of French oysters, a Gillardeau and Tarbouriech, an artisanal family-owned oyster of exceptional quality. In addition, the tomatoes used are sourced from locals, who also grow many of the micro-herbs they use.

The main plate is composed of one Tarbouriech oyster, poached in buttermilk that has been cleaned of milk solids and flavored with kombu and bonito, essentially creating a dashi liquid.

On top of this oyster are two gels; one made from citrus fruits and the other from clarified tomato water – both gels thickened using the seaweed-based materials. The garnish consists of thinly sliced chilies that curl naturally in ice water, the flowers of the chili, oyster leaf, toasted cardamom, and rings of pickled shallot.

Served with the oysters was a tomato sorbet, made from their heirloom tomatoes. The base the sorbet rests on is made by oven-drying seasoned tomatoes overnight, finely dicing them, and combining that with fresh tomatoes that have been peeled and seeded.

The final component on the main plate is the delicate oyster kroepoek, known as Dutch deep fried crackers made from starch and other ingredients, this chip is a fried tapioca-based chip that incorporates oyster meat in the dough.

The vinaigrette poured over the dish is made by blending high-quality burrata and seasoning it with sushi seasoning and chardonnay vinegar. It is mixed with an oil created in house from pine needles and parsley, the two only being combined at the last minute to give the distinctive look. This liquid is then poured from the large shell of the Taboureich oyster at the table by the waiter.

The side plate is served in the shell of the Gillardeau oyster, contains the flesh of the said oyster as well as heirloom cherry tomatoes. To season them, they make a ‘ceviche’ vinaigrette, an Asian-vinegar and broth based liquid with strong flavors of lemongrass, chili, cilantro, and lime leaves that are allowed to develop for several days.

On top of the tomatoes and oysters, we pipe dots of an oyster ’emulsion’, which is comparable to a mayonnaise, blended mixture of oysters, seasonings, and grapeseed oil. The herbs are watercress and wood sorrel, as well as more flowers from the chili plant.

Lastly, pickled red onion and freshly grated wasabi finish the side plate, with ‘stones’ of seasoned burrata that’s been kept in liquid nitrogen as the last component. /Bravo/

Werneckstr. 11, 80802 München-Schwabing
T. +49 89388 79568
Website: http://www.geisels-werneckhof.de