Dressed in white and sporting a bow tie, Yujiro Watanabe greets his guests with a smile. His spirit of graceful service is ‘delicious, fun and welcoming’. Sesame ground in a large bowl, karasumi (salted and dried grey mullet roe) shaved before customers’ eyes and the staging of the kitchen are three shared moments. Rice from Niigata, produced by his sister and her husband, is used. Sea bream chazuke (green tea poured over rice) is a legacy from his mentor. The gratitude is palpable, the conversation lively.