W
henex-NomachefThomasFrebelbitesintoaningredientpulledstraight
fromtheearth– perhapsit’sthewildmountainvegetableamadokoro,
withitsasparagus-likestems, ortheJapanesewildkiwi,whichhesays
tasteslikea mixofcultivatedkiwi,lychee,mangosteenandeventhefruit
ofthemonsteraplant– he’shitbytwosensationsalmostsimultaneously.“Firstyou’re
enjoyingtheflavourandthatmomentofdiscovery,”hesays.“Andthenyoucometothe
quickrealisationthatourguestswillneverexperiencethis,unlesswebringthemhere.”
It’saninescapablefactthatthemomentyoutakeaningredientfromitsnatural
environment,youareholdingit at itsfragilepeak.Deteriorationis theonlypossible
nextstep.“Thatrazorclamyoupullfromthewaterortheberryintheforest,orthat
tomatothat’sbeensittinginthesunforfivedays– it’sjuicyandacidicandyoucan
feelthetemperatureandtextureoftheskinasyoubite,”hesays.“Thatis likelyto
bethebesttomatoyouwillevereat.Butallyoucandois rememberit astheexample
ofwhata tomatoshouldtastelikeat itsbest.Fromthere,itsqualitygoesdown.What
wedoaschefswhenwehavea tomatoinourkitchenis trytobringit backupagain,
ascloseaspossibletothatmomentyoupickit.That’sprettymuchourjob.”
It’sthisphilosophythatunderpinsthethinkingat German-bornFrebel’stwo-Michelin-
starredrestaurant,Inua(itsnamecomesfromanInuitwordmeaning“spiritofnature”),
whichopenedinTokyoinJune2018,wheretheseasonalingredientsofJapanare
presentedat theirpurest,wrappedina packageofNoma-levelcreativity.Theideaforthe
projectgerminatedwhenFrebel,whoworkedat theworld-famousDanishrestaurantas
headofresearchanddevelopmentformorethana decade,visitedJapanaheadofNoma’s
hugelysuccessfulpop-uprestaurantat theMandarinOrientalinTokyoin2015.Hethen
spenttwoyearstravellingthroughthediverseJapanesecountrysidetasting,foraging,
huntingandgatheringtotryandgeta senseofthecountry’sfoodlandscape– allwithout
speakinganyJapanese.“Ittookmea lotoftimetogetusedtothefactthatI couldn’t
communicate,” he says. “But I think travelling in Japan as a chef is the easiest way to enterAbove,fromtop:
aeratedmonkfish
liverterrine,
asparagusand
beechnuts;
blackenedbarley
andkojiice-cream
andpinecones
preservedin
honey,both
atInua.Left:
Thomas Frebel.PHOTOGRAPHY BENITO MARTIN (PORTRAIT & RESTAURANT EXTERIOR).