Is it Italy? Southern France?
This is Wakayama “Villa Aida”
"Villa Aida" has received overwhelming support from culinary professionals and chefs. Once you visit, you'll quickly understand why. Osaka is a 30-40 minute taxi ride from Kansai Airport. The restaurant is located on a flat piece of land surrounded by rice fields in mountainous Wakayama Prefecture.
That area seems to be mistaken for Tuscany or southern France. I like the auberge style building. Next to it is a vast field. Chef Hiroshi Kobayashi and his wife grow vegetables in this field and greenhouse, and the vegetables and herbs that are freshly harvested in the morning are served at lunchtime. When I read the materials from a while ago, it said that they grew 100 types of vegetables and herbs, but I was surprised to find that they currently grow 300 types throughout the year. After all, it's "picked", so it can be said to be the ultimate farm-to-table (from the producer to the table). This word has become popular recently, but Kobayashi is a pioneer who started using it more than ten years ago.
In fact, if you go to regions of Italy, southern France, or Spain that are rich in nature and people can live comfortably, there are quite a few restaurants like this. In particular, the author has met many fathers who worked hard at growing vegetables, olives, fruit trees, and mushrooms, saying, ``I am a farmer,'' because the first generation owner of the restaurant had left the cooking entirely to his sons. I've been there before.
Chef Kobayashi has also been influenced by this. This is certainly the case with Don Alfonso 1890, a star-rated restaurant in Sorrento, Campania, where the chef trained. The old man was busy working in the fields, and his sons and their overly energetic mother were running the store. Mr. Kobayashi is a ``part-time chef,'' so it's even more difficult. Come to think of it, when I came to Villa Aida, I vaguely remembered the relaxing atmosphere of Don Alfonso, which is also an auberge where you can stay overnight and blend in with the countryside.
This is the ultimate farm to table
Enjoy the space and atmosphere
In Japan, many famous restaurants are located in the city center. For these chefs, they are probably just envious of the possibility of creating a paradise like the one Mr. Kobayashi has created. It's understandable why many people in the food industry call this a destination restaurant. There is meaning in coming to this place, and there is meaning in eating at this restaurant surrounded by real trees and plants. The scenery and the entire atmosphere surrounding the restaurant is already a superb feast.


Upon entering the building, both the aperitif room and dining room are spacious and truly comfortable. Lunch started at 11:30. One large wooden table. Up to eight people can sit there, and the sunlight streams in brilliantly through the windows.
It's like I'm being purified...
Many vegetable dishes
First, the ``perilla juice'' that came out soaked into the cells of the body. Apparently, it is made by squeezing a large amount of perilla grown in the field. Delicious! Next was three types of amuse de gourd (finger food). Molokheiya with sesame seeds, blueberries with espuma, and pickled brooms. All of them have a gentle and delicate taste, but the light sourness of the blueberries and brooms stimulates your appetite.
Followed by several appetizers. They are ``green plums and ginger pickled in syrup,'' ``bitter melon and turban shell espuma,'' and ``tomato and basil with whey.'' It's the kind of vegetable dish that cleanses the toxins that have accumulated in the body.
Chefs don't do that much with the ingredients. For example, in the ``Bitter Melon and Turban Espuma,'' finely chopped bitter melon and turban shell are combined with the minimal elements of potato, perilla seeds, and espuma, creating an exquisite balance. In ``Tomato and Basil with Whey,'' the delicate touch of basil and whey brings the sourness and sweetness of the tomatoes to just the right level.


Three types of amuse de gourd (finger food).


Bitter melon and turban shell espuma


Tomato and basil with whey
Mr. Kobayashi's cooking is not typical at all. With his quiet personality, he gently assists the material. Every dish is decorated with tiny edible flowers, herbs, and pickles to look like miniature paintings. I cannot analyze what each individual item is, but all I can say is that the flavor as a whole is really deep and extremely delicious. Are you saying that all the five tastes on your tongue are awakened all at once?
``Roasted tuna and okra'' and ``garden vegetables'' are the peaks in the first half. The former consists of grilled yellowfin tuna that is just half-cooked, and is sprinkled with three types of vegetables in addition to okra. The marinade of finely chopped red onions on top of the yellowfin tuna really helps. It's ridiculously delicious. The latter was a wonderful combination of various tomatoes, cucumbers, squid, and edible flowers. There are very few times when I eat a meal and think, ``Oh, I might have gotten healthier today.''
Two types of pasta were served with great service. ``Mackerel Paccheri'' with chunky mackerel fillets is oil-based, and ``Tomato and Basil Penne'' is really simple. As expected, his skill is such that he was in charge of making pasta at Don Alfonso in Sorrento. When you eat Kobayashi's pasta, you realize that the pasta sauce must not overpower the wheat flavor of the pasta. Both the paccheri and penne have a chewy texture and a wheat flavor that makes you want to dance. The overall balance between the sauce, ingredients, and pasta is wonderful. What makes it incredibly delicious is probably the perfect amount of salt, which is rich in minerals. Ah, just remembering it makes me want to eat it again.
The main dish, ``Guinea Fowl and Pumpkin,'' was also wonderful. The pasteurization is perfect. I heard that there is someone who raises guinea fowl in Wakayama, and I was surprised by their softness and depth of flavor. The garnished pumpkin is probably butternut pumpkin. There were also two types of desserts, and the ``peach and sake koji compote'' was particularly delicious. By the way, the homemade bread was also delicious and I had to refill it many times.


mackerel paccheri


Guinea fowl and pumpkin
Chef Kobayashi is a "genius for using vegetables"
To put it bluntly, Chef Kobayashi is a ``genius when it comes to using vegetables,'' as he cooks dishes full of vegetables from beginning to end. However, he doesn't think it's that easy to say that he uses vegetables in every bite. He has a blueprint for flavor in his head, with each part made up of different vegetables. It takes full advantage of the original flavor of each ingredient, and it's also a terrifying process of calculating the flavor when combined. In other words, he is able to accomplish extremely difficult tasks with a calm demeanor that doesn't even kill insects.
Mr. Kobayashi is familiar with the world's top chefs who are excellent at using vegetables, and I thought that he was on par with the world's top chefs. Examples include ``Mirazur'' in Menton, France (three Michelin stars and number one on the World's Best 3) and Hong Kong's ``Amber'' (two Michelin stars and a regular on Asia's 50 Best Restaurants). The judges who awarded Mr. Kobayashi two Michelin stars and elevated him to 50th place on Asia's 50 Best Restaurants did a great job.


Surrounding the restaurant is a field tended by Chef and his wife Kobayashi. Wakayama is a production area of figs, and they are abundantly ripe.


Kiwi fruit is also grown. Is it paradise?


Chef Kobayashi saw me off at the entrance.
Until now, there has never been a Western chef in Japan who uses as many vegetables as Kobayashi does. There may be reasons why you can't do it even if you want to. French chef Pierre Gagnaire tried to create such a dish at a hotel in Akasaka, but I wasn't as impressed as I was with Mr. Kobayashi. That's why he is called unique. And the reason he is being approached by people all over Japan for collaborations is because he shows us that the countryside has the secret and potential to evolve cuisine.
Throughout the course, his wife, sommelier Arimi, was attentive, starting with champagne and pairing her with natural white and red wines. All of them were light and matched well with vegetable dishes, so I really enjoyed them. The gas-filled water called ``LURISIA'' is soft and very delicious, so I highly recommend you try it.
On the way home, I deeply reflected on the fact that the old man (the author) was always talking nonsense, even though time passed so clearly during the luncheon. But I want to visit it again (bitter smile).
Villa AiDA Villa AiDA
71-5 Kawajiri, Iwade City, Wakayama Prefecture
Only one group of guests per day. For more information, please visit the official website.
What does "If you don't eat this, your life is ruined" mean?
When he hears something delicious, he rushes east and west to eat it all. Rumor has it that he might be the Brillat-Savarin of Reiwa, or even the return of Furukawa Roppa. Bassey is an editor with over 40 years of food-loving experience. A heart-wrenching gourmet essay.
*Please be sure to check each store's business days/hours and prices as they may change.
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Bassey is a foodie who has been eating around for over 40 years. In addition to Japan, he regularly goes to Hong Kong to eat Chinese food at his own expense, and also travels to Taiwan, Singapore, Bangkok, and Seoul for delicious food. During his time as the editor-in-chief of a travel magazine, he visited many Michelin-rated restaurants around the world, especially in Europe, and later on in the World's Best 50 restaurants. We want everyone who loves food to try ``Crab Miso Bean Paste Noodles'' from ``Tenkorou'' (Hong Kong). Actually, I like the Chinese food at this restaurant the best in the world. Another example of the best Western food is "El Seger de Can Roca" from Girona, Spain, which was ranked number one on the World's Best 50 list. Ah, I want to go there again.
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If you don't eat this, your life will be ruined.
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