Chef Takahashi's family restaurant, Hyotei, is renowned throughout Japan for its impressive architecture and stunning yet simple cuisine.
Chef Takahashi, the young master, works with his father to maintain the legacy of this gastronomic sanctuary. Here, he talks about what he has learnt about the role of umami in his family's cuisine.

"There is an expression-"bring the ingredients to life"-but the stronger the flavour of the ingredients, the more important it is that the dashi (stock) we use has a sufficient umami level to address this without upsetting the balance. If the balance is good, the flavour will come out fully, and there is less need for condiments-the ingredients come to life.

lt goes without saying that dashi is crucial to the Hyotei menu, but l have been looking at other ways of incorporating umami into dishes, using less traditional ingredients and methods. This recipe is inspired by kobu- jime, a traditional method where fresh fish is 'marinated' between sheet of kombu (kelp) to enhance its umami taste, but l wanted to use meat instead. Whenever l go abroad, l come across meat that is soft, succulent, and more delicious with every bite, and l think this has as much to do with the way in which it is prepared as with its underlying quality. Japanese people still have much to learn about cooking with meat, and l wanted to combine new ingredients with traditional knowledge.

Sun-dried tomatoes, like kombu, contain high levels of glutamate. This glutamate combines with the inosinate present in meat, to produce umami's signature synergistic effect. Dishes that are rich with umami leave a satisfying aftertaste in the mouth, and a lasting impression on the soul. They are best expressed, l think, as 'warming', or 'calming' ;l hope that the umami in this dish, too, will soothe and satisfy."