Koji’s cups run over for the sake of perfection
When you enter Koji, the first thing you notice is the exquisite handcrafted wine cups exhibited on the shelves — rendered from glass, porcelain and pottery.
They are all brought from Japan by the co-owner of Koji, Kazuyuki Tanioka, to allow Beijing’s gastronomes to experience authentic Japanese culture and refinement while enjoying fine Japanese cuisine.
Located in the Wangjing area, the new restaurant is run by Tanioka and his Chinese wife as their second venture alongside Toya in a drive-in cinema in the capital.
The collection of cups makes sense when you learn that the eatery’s moniker, Koji, is a nod to renowned Japanese porcelain master, Koji Inoue — in fact, some of those on display are original examples of Inoue’s work.
“If we compare Japanese cuisine to a woman, then the good utensils are like her clothes,” says Tanioka, who believes the consummate vessel not only adds a delicacy to proceedings that is typically Japanese, but also provides a visual feast for foodies.
“Porcelain has developed alongside Japanese cuisine, and Inoue has created countless unique porcelain pieces with his masterful skill and perception.”
Koji provides Japanese set menus, also known as kaiseki, starting with a platter of assorted appetizers, including steamed pumpkin, scallop with apricot and
tamagoyaki (Japanese rolled omelet).
Perfect cuts of sashimi are complemented by handmade grapefruit soy sauce and grapefruit vinegar, which deliver a delicious surprise on the diner’s culinary journey through Japanese food culture.
Equally, whether it is the caramelized silver cod or marbled rare beef, prime cuts of meat and seafood are another area of supreme indulgence at Koji.
Working in concert with the beautiful food, Koji provides Japanese epicurean delights of a liquid nature — making it a destination for sake lovers, too. Tanioka selects high-quality sake from renowned Japanese distillers that are hard to find in China — including Jikon’s Junmai Ginjyo Yumadanishiki Nama, Ohmine’s Junmai and Ippakusuisei’s Sunday Back Nine.
“There are three kinds of sake,” he observes. “The cheap sake to get you drunk, the sake that pairs with food, each complementing one other, and the sake that can be enjoyed alone. Jikon’s sake belongs in the third category.”
As a sake sommelier, Tanioka was the youngest of his countrymen to ever pass the Diplome de Senior Sommelier in 2003.
He started his culinary journey at the age of 18, when he worked part-time in the kitchen at a Chinese restaurant in his hometown of Kumamoto in Japan.
In 1998, after graduating from college, Tanioka moved to Toyko to work for an Italian restaurant, where he started to learn to be a sommelier and a chef.
He then decided to change his career, becoming a general manager of hotels in a bid to hone his management skills. In the role, he helped in the preparation and opening of many hotels and, of course, the numerous restaurants within.
He moved to Beijing in 2012. He continued to help plan new Japanese hotels and restaurants in the capital, undertaking research, marketing and conceptualization of the venues to their planning and operation.
At the end of 2016, Tanioka started to make plans for his own restaurant, Koji, and took a year to decorate it. He focused on every detail to ensure it delivered an authentic Japanese-lifestyle experience, even bringing all of the tableware from Japan to Beijing himself.
“High-quality tableware is not easy to find, even in Michelin-starred restaurants in Japan,” says Tanioka.
A gastronomic journey in Koji begins by selecting a bottle of sake followed by choosing a cup. Tanioka will recommend the type of cup that pairs best with the choice of sake if the diners want.
“Sometimes the customers will ask me to pair food with the sake they choose. It’s part of my job as a sake sommelier,” he says.
Tanioka thinks there are two rules that define Japanese cuisine — to extract the best flavor from each ingredient and to use only those that are in season.
“Koji provides food made from seasonal ingredients and countless liquors, presented in artistic vessels,” Tanioka says.
“Along with the thoughtful and attentive service — that’s the quintessence of Japanese cuisine.”