Satō Haruki

Chef Satō Haruki's culinary philosophy is deeply rooted in the sacred landscape and rich heritage of Yamagata Prefecture's Dewa Sanzan district, particularly Mount Gassan. His core ethos centers on "sansai cuisine" – a reverence for wild vegetables and other natural bounty harvested from the mountains, which he regards as "the blessings from the mountains." This tradition, established by his ancestors to nourish pilgrims journeying to the sacred peaks, forms the bedrock of his vision. He views the mountain not merely as a source of ingredients, but as a living entity that dictates his livelihood, stating, "The mountain decides when we get our ingredients. Our livelihood and our very lives are directly linked to Mount Gassan." A central tenet of his philosophy is the preservation of local culture and tradition, balanced with a keen eye for adapting to new trends and tastes. He champions "the pure flavors of local northern cooking," distinguishing it from Kyoto-style cuisine by highlighting the ingenuity of his ancestors who, facing scarcity, developed resourceful techniques like drying and salting wild plants, and extracting umami from mushrooms and vegetables rather than expensive dashi ingredients like kombu or katsuobushi. He firmly believes that "the local food cooked by local people is the most delicious." Furthermore, Chef Satō advocates for sansai cuisine as a "refreshing and healthful alternative in this age of dietary superabundance," seeing its fresh taste and firm texture as cleansing and rejuvenating. He is dedicated to sharing this "flavor of the mountains" with the wider world, infusing his dishes with the history and passion of generations. Chef Satō Haruki's technical style is a sophisticated evolution of ancestral wisdom, meticulously applying painstaking preparation techniques to transform wild edibles into refined dishes. His approach to flavor and plating emphasizes the natural essence of ingredients, aiming for "the look and feel of all-out rural hospitality" while adding "glamor to our humble vegetables." He relies on trusted master foragers, whom he often accompanies, to ensure a 100% safe and optimally flavored supply of seasonal sansai, utilizing Mount Gassan's soft spring water for cooking to enhance their natural colors and tastes. The menu is a vibrant tapestry of seasonal mountain bounty. Spring offers an astonishing variety of 20-30 wild edibles, including fuki-no-tō (butterbur bud clusters), yama udo (mountain asparagus), kogomi (ostrich fern), and gyōja ninniku (victory onion), often presented as dainty cold dishes like o-hitashi, followed by substantial warm preparations such as nabe (hot pot) and tempura. Summer brings iwabuki, aomizu (clearweed), junsai (water shield), complemented by fresh river fish like sweetfish and Japanese fluvial sculpin. Autumn introduces a cornucopia of mushrooms (matsutake, maitake, tobidake) and wild nuts and fruits, while winter features robust wild game such as wild duck, bear, and pheasant. Chef Satō also demonstrates innovation by integrating sansai into modern desserts, such as chocolate with udo and cheesecake with udo and sake lees, successfully harmonizing the pleasant bitterness of wild vegetables with intense Western flavors. For gala occasions, his "furumai cuisine" is served on brightly colored Imari-style ceramics, honoring local traditions. His exclusive Chef's Table, renovated in 2023, offers a special course focused on mountain ingredients, accommodating one group per day.