DOWN TO THE LAST DETAIL
The cuisine of three-Michelinstar chef Masaki Miyakawa is about anything but him.
Bjorn Frantzen zeros in on the elements that define the DNA of his growing empire.
He left Hokkaido to train to become a sushi master. But it was his pining for home that led chef Masaki Miyakawa to become his own man.
He was at the helm of his mentor Masahiro Yoshitake’s Hong Kong outpost Sushi Shikon – and catapulted it to three-Michelin-star status within two years of opening. Returning to Hokkaido in 2014, Miyakawa opened his eponymous sushi restaurant in Sapporo, followed by Sushi Shin in Niseko. And, despite the Michelin stars to his name, he remains completely unaffected. “I am honoured, of course, but it is not something that I think about. It is not what I am about,” says the 46-year-old with a serene smile.
To be clear, Miyakawa, who was recently in Singapore to be a guest chef at Nami Restaurant at ShangriLa Hotel, emphasises that his cuisine is not even about him. It is about the fishermen – most whom he knows by name – who have mastered the art of preserving the freshness of their catch, and in so doing, brought about more pronounced umami flavours in Edomae sushi today, compared to two decades ago. It is about the farmers who grow the different grains that he uses to craft his sushi rice, so that it attains a unique texture. It is even about the craftsmen who shaped the specially commissioned flatware used at his restaurants.
His cuisine might be a showcase of masterful techniques, perfected over time, but he executes every step with reverence to the many others who have laboured over every element he uses and prepares.
Here’s a closer look at his cuisine – one seasoned by time, respect and a zen state of mind.
01 TASTE OF TIME
Miyakawa might specialise in Edomae sushi today, but the Hokkaido native had his first taste of it only when he went to Tokyo as an 18-year-old. While the vinegar-cured sushi shocked him initially with its salty and sour flavours, he soon came to the appreciate the style as he felt that the marinated seafood blended more harmoniously with the sushi rice. Incidentally, one of the most time-consuming elements to prepare on his menu is an aged Spanish mackerel used for his Edomae-style sushi pieces. The fish is first marinated in vinegar and salt for two hours, then smoked over straw. It is then wrapped in kelp and kept sealed in a cool place for about five days. In this process, known as kobujime, the seaweed draws the moisture out from the fish with its salt, and infuses it with its distinctive umami flavours.
02 FINE-TUNED ADJUSTMENTS
For optimal texture, Miyakawa makes his shari, or sushi rice, with about 80 per cent Koshihikari, which has firmer grains, and 20 per cent Hokkaido Yumepirika, which is softer and mochi-like. The proportions are also adjusted according to the quality of each harvest. To him, there is no golden toppingto-rice ratio, or strict rules on the serving temperature of each element in nigiri sushi. The only rule is harmony. He might shape a piece of shari more quickly to retain the heat of the rice, in order to match that
of the tuna slices laid out at the counter. He might also use a little less rice to go with a meaty tail of prawn, and more for a delicately thin slice of kohada (gizzard shad) – so that there is harmony in the consistency of how each piece of nigiri fills the mouth.
03 THE 30-SECOND RULE, EXPLAINED
The website of Sushi Shin recommends that a piece of sushi be consumed within 30 seconds of being served. Here’s the truth: While the sushi might collapse a little and there might be some chemical reaction among the wasabi, vinegar, soya, fish and rice, the taste doesn’t really change that much. However, every piece of sushi is crafted with myriad minute adjustments made according to how the chef feels is optimal at that exact moment, depending on a confluence of factors ranging from the fat content and texture of the fish, to how full the diner is. And the sushi he places before the diner is at its peak that very moment. So be in the moment, and eat it.
04 PRECISION COOKING, BY FEEL
For Miyakawa, the technique that is the hardest to master is smoking. To slow smoke a marinated bonito over straw burning atop charcoal fire, he has to ascertain the optimal distance from which to smoke the flesh side of the fillet so that it is close enough to absorb the smokey flavours, yet not be dried out. The straw is then removed and the fillet turned skin-side down to cook over the charcoal, allowing the oil of the fish to be rendered and released through needlepoint pricks on the skin. This in turn cooks the skin into a crisp. His challenge is to cook the fish long enough for the fat to render, yet quick enough so that the flesh doesn’t char or dry out. “Techniques like slicing I practise every day, and are easy to me,” he says. “Smoking is, however, something I had to learn through experimentation – and, even then, every piece of fish has different degrees of fattiness and thickness, and has to be cooked differently. It is something that has to be mastered by feel.”
05 NOT BLANK SLATES
He started looking for tableware the moment he decided to open a restaurant of his own. These personally sourced pieces range from old pieces found at vintage shops to specially commissioned plates, such as the Karatsu-yaki style flatware by Nakazato Taki, Miyakawa’s favourite potter from Kyushu. “I like vintage and handcrafted pieces because each has a story behind it, be it the history of its past owners or the thoughts of the creator, and I hope to share these with my diners through using these pieces.”