Chef Hayahisa Osada of Restaurant Itto: Showcasing Nagoya’s Fermented Food Culture to the World

Located in Hekinan, a charming town in Aichi prefecture’s Minami Mikawa region, is the restaurant Itto by owner and chef Hayahisa Osada. His fantastic restaurant reimagines the local food culture into fine dining, encouraging customers to consider and interact with the producers of locally produced world-class cuisine. The menu at Itto is characterized by seasonal changes with dishes featuring delicious ingredients of the moment. This allows guests to enjoy flavors that can only be savored during that particular time of year.

Aichi Prefecture has long specialized in hakko (fermentation) focused foods such as Hatcho miso, shiro shoyu (Japanese white soy sauce primarily made from wheat and soybeans with a sweet and gentle flavor), mirin (sweet rice wine commonly used as a seasoning in Japanese cuisine), vinegar, and sake. Itto’s menu takes advantage of Minami Mikawa’s unique local ingredients in each original dish Chef Osada creates. 

Chef Osada also aims to pass on Minami Mikawa's collective food culture to future generations. Itto’s course menu, created and sourced locally by Chef Osada himself, offers diners refined and exquisite cuisine. The dishes feature traditional ingredients like fish and vegetables combined with the many hakko (fermentation) specialties of the region such as Hatcho miso, sake lees, shiro shoyu, and pickled vegetables. 

For sake lovers, dishes can be expertly paired with Itto’s intimate selection of local sake which Osada sources directly from trusted producers. Chef Osada’s selections are the result of long-term relationships with local food and sake makers. For every ingredient on Itto’s menu there is a real person smiling behind it. 

We visited Itto to share a meal and a conversation with Chef Osada, discussing the finer points of hakko culture and the many ways he integrates these unique ingredients into the spectacular, locally sourced menu.

What made you decide to pursue a career in cooking?

I was born here in Hekinan. During my time at university, I went to Hokkaido on a motorcycle trip. I slept outdoors and met locals while having meals and drinking Japanese sake. I realized that real communication happens mostly during mealtimes. It's when we can freely talk about our likes and dislikes. That experience made me realize that a career in food is a good thing and motivated me to study for six years in Tokyo to become a chef. I felt more confident to pursue the culinary route upon returning to my hometown.

My family has operated an unagi(Japanese eel) restaurant here for over 100 years. It was started by my great-grandfather. The reason he opened an unagi restaurant here is also connected to the many local producers. There’s an eel-producing area nearby. Next door was a tamari shoyu (soy sauce made with little to no wheat, characterized by a rich flavor and aromatic qualities more intense than regular soy sauce) shop, and nearby was a mirin shop. We already had the ingredients we needed without needing to go far. 

What is Hakko (fermentation)?

Hakko adds character. It’s also local. That's because fermentation is something that only happens in certain places. Originally, its purpose was the preservation of food, but it can come to define the food culture in certain areas. Even the scent. Consider the potent aroma of Hatcho miso and vinegar in Minami Mikawa. 

How does the local Hakko culture of Minami Mikawa influence the menu at Itto?

Since opening Itto, I really wanted to use these local ingredients. I went to observe the factories of Hatcho miso at places like Maruya and Kakukyu and found all these tours and the owners very interesting. I knew I wanted to use all these local producers' ingredients so I built my network with them. I launched an open college course at the university, where I have spoken with approximately 150 producers so far. Currently, I provide opportunities for them to forge connections every year.

Inspired by the local zoni, this dish has been adapted to create an original taste for the restaurant.

Another example, Aichi has unique traditional vegetables. There are various kinds available seasonally. For example, the Yanamaru satoimo (a type of taro potato) was once commonly used in kyodo ryori (regional cuisine) and has its production rooted in the area. Unfortunately, many local dishes featuring these rare traditional vegetable varieties are rapidly disappearing today.

When looking at the shiro shoyu (white soy sauce) and mirin used at Itto or the Japanese sake we serve, all of them might be made in the same town but at a different kura (earthen storehouses). Therefore, the flavors are completely different. 

This shows the diversity of local hakko cultures even in the same place. Different countries have different bacteria and fermentation cultures. For example, Japan mostly uses koji (Aspergillus oryzae mold) which imparts a particular flavor to whichever ingredient it’s applied. This includes sake, miso, or shoyu, whereas other countries have their own unique live cultures for fermentation.  

When creating Itto’s menu, do you find the ingredients that inspire the dishes first or do you seek out ingredients based on the particular dish you want to make? 

Both! Sometimes I’ll decide I want to use an ingredient such as shiro shoyu and traditional local vegetables and create a dish around that. Sometimes I have the dish in mind and realize that adding a specific ingredient will complete it. 

For those who find hakko (fermented) foods, like natto, difficult to eat, are there ways they can learn to love them?

Takikomi gohan (a Japanese rice dish cooked with a variety of ingredients) made with local carrots that are mild and sweet

Natto is a tough one! But there are types of natto that don’t have the odor which usually turns people off. Learning to like fermented foods is similar to how kids don’t like vegetables. Parents have to find clever ways to introduce them into their diet.  

For example, carrots are said to be in kids' top five most disliked foods in Japan. But they are also in kids’ top 3 most liked foods in Hekinan City. That’s a big gap. Aichi Prefecture has a particular variety of carrots called Hekinan Bijin (The Beauty of Hekinan) which we use at Itto. This variety is sweet and has none of the usual kuse (green taste) of carrots that kids dislike. It’s about finding the unique varieties and tastes that are out there. 

Therefore, if you initially find, say, Hatcho miso too strong or salty, then try adding a bit to your usual miso soup or a rich dashi. You might learn to love it little by little. 

Most of the world has now heard the word umami and knows what it means, but the word hakko and hakko foods is lesser known. So why should people all over the world pay attention to them?

Fermented seasonings used in the restaurant were created specifically for this region

When talking about Japanese culture, and certainly Japanese food culture, it mostly comes from hakko (fermentation). It's almost to the point that you can say Japanese food culture equals hakko.

You see a lot of foreign food sake producers popping up now. How do you feel about foreign producers experimenting with hakko culture to make things like sake and koji whisky?

I think it’s great! At first, I’ll admit I initially thought, “This is not authentic." But now I think there’s not a lot wrong with freely experimenting. When you look at Japanese beer, it used to be exclusive to major brands. However, we currently have craft and alternative beers—a reflection of the times that we're headed to doing things more freely.

Itto is a Japanese restaurant but are there any Western influences in the dishes you serve here?

Of course. We use seasonings from abroad. And I also utilize influences in my cooking techniques. Specifically, I use French, Italian, and Chinese techniques. For example, the cooking temperatures are influenced by what I learned from French cuisine. You can also see this impact in my presentation.

For foreigners visiting Nagoya and Aichi prefecture, why should they make the trip out to Minami Mikawa and have a meal at Itto?

Well, if you are someone who wants to try the unique local hakko (fermented) ingredients of the food culture I’ve mentioned—shiro shoyu, tamari shoyu, and mirin—I think you should come to Hekinan and visit Itto to try them for yourself in a great meal.

A closer look at Itto’s special course menu

Itto’s Okondate menu on this day is served gradually in 8 splendid courses: zensai (appetizer), sunomono (ingredients marinated in vinegar), nimono (simmered dish), sashimi, shokuji (main course), agemono (fried dish), and dessert.

The menu for the dishes served within these courses changes seasonally. During the interview in January, which is the New Year’s period, dishes incorporating traditional Japanese New Year cuisine were offered.

Appetizers (Zensai)

From left to right, there is Kohaku Namasu (pickled daikon and carrots) with ikura (salmon roe), a dish commonly enjoyed during the Japanese New Year. The yellow dish contains burdock root with sesame vinegar dressing, the blue dish features Aichi Prefecture's duck with lotus root in a vinegared miso sauce, followed by an omelet using hase (sweetfish) tsukudani (seafood simmered in soy sauce). Lastly, the dish in the lower right is sushi topped with karasumi (salted, dried mullet roe).

Sashimi

Sashimi made from locally caught fish is served with tamari shouyu. This soy sauce is primarily made from soybeans and is characterized by its rich flavor and aromatic qualities, making it more intense than regular varieties.

Fried Dishes (Agemono)

These are spring rolls filled with chicken, eringi mushrooms, local taro potato, and a hint of miso for added flavor. The texture is unique, with the creaminess of the taro contrasting with the crispy outer coating. The umami of the chicken, the aroma of the eringi, the sweetness of the taro, and the accent of miso create an exquisite culinary experience that is truly remarkable.

Simmered Dish (Nimono)

By using sake lees and mirin lees (the residue left after producing sake and mirin), the meat is tenderized while adding depth to the flavor. Additionally, it enhances the natural sweetness and umami of the ingredients. This dish evokes the essence of a creamy stew, bringing a sense of nostalgia that feels universally comforting. It is a heartwarming culinary creation.

Dessert

This dessert features a special monaka (a traditional Japanese sweet made with thin, baked rice wafers) custom-made by a local manufacturer. It is filled with fruit and fragrant kurikinton (sweet chestnut paste). When enjoyed alongside a cup of matcha, the combination of bitterness and just the right amount of sweetness is exceptional.

Summary

The name "Itto" reflects Chef Osada's intention to be a guiding light that conveys the food culture of Minami-Mikawa through hospitality and cuisine. He also hopes to foster interactions and revitalization efforts between customers and producers. 

I realized after hearing Chef Osada's story that the fermented food culture of Aichi Prefecture is an essential element for him to create unique flavors born from the specific environment of this region. This interview reaffirmed my belief that delicious washoku (Japanese cuisine) cannot be discussed without acknowledging the culture of fermented foods.

Itto

447-0874 1-16 Sakuzukacho, Hekinan City, Aichi Prefecture