“Food is the universal language of love”, many people said – and in Tokyo, I've been loved more than ever. I have never been a big eater, I’ve always treated eating as something out of necessity and less like a luxury. But as soon as I dined at my first restaurant in Tokyo, my senses were rebirthed, sort of like a spiritual awakening. Yet It was not solely because of the delicious meal nor the rewarding feeling after waiting in the queue for nearly an hour, it was more than a flavour on the taste buds. From the tiny motifs on the serving plate, the exquisite selection of soundtrack, to the sequence of chefs waltzing around the open kitchen tossing ingredients from one pan to the other  – every little detail elevated the dining experience, it felt like I was immersed in a multisensory culinary wonderland. But what makes it so unique, really?

In the heart of Nihonbashi district, sits a two story restaurant tucked humbly between the skyscrapers of Tokyo. Outside, people are lined up against the cement-plastered wall of the eatery, taking turns peeking inside their singular window to get a glimpse of the restaurant interior, sort of like a teaser to a movie. Curious, my friends and I decided to join in on the queue not knowing what to expect, one of the determining factors of a good restaurant in Japan is that it must have a queue, plus point if its made up of locals – then yes, this restaurant called ‘Hajime Hanare’ ticks all the boxes. After more than half an hour of waiting, we were finally in. We sat down on cushioned stools directly facing the kitchen, where we can see the chefs working their magic on their infamous tonkatsu (breaded, deep fried pork cutlet).

Mia proceeded to explain that tableware produced in the northern and southern sides of Japan are also different, northern crafts are more traditional and simplistic whereas southern ones are infused with different cultures. When I asked about the motifs on Japanese tableware, Mia had the perfect analogy to it, “They’re like the kimono for the food, you can style it however you want and have fun with it”. Japanese flat plates in particular, tend to have very minimal patterns to avoid clashing with the vibrant colours of the food, the motifs will usually be ‘framing’ the centre, and the colour would mostly be blue to appear minimal. My supervisor at work, Zoe, who is of Japanese descent, told me an interesting fact about Japanese people’s attitude towards tableware, “Let’s just say, we don’t just buy a set of 4 sake cups or a set of plates that look the same. Japanese people love mismatching tableware to show that they took time to carefully choose and collect them over time. It's a sign that we show respect to craftsmanship and appreciation to beauty as well” Zoe said. 

One might expect to sit back, have their meal served, and enjoy it mindlessly in a restaurant. But in Japan, if culinary was a movie, you’ll find yourself being an actor. When you visit Tokyo, or Japan in general, expect to be actively involved in the dining experience. At Yakiniku places, customers pick their meat of choice from the menu beforehand, and they will be served to your table fresh: all you have to do is to grill it on a hibachi grill that is usually built in on the table, it really takes barbeque night to a whole new level. At Teppanyaki restaurants, customers would sit around a table and the chef will take centre stage to cook your meal on a flat iron griddle. Often the chefs would do fascinating tricks as well, from tossing a meat to the air to setting the whole grill on fire. In a more elevated setting, Omakase offers a Chef-curated dining experience where chefs carefully tailor the menu for the day with the freshest ingredients. Usually, customers would sit at a sushi counter facing the chef, who would be putting together multi-tasting dishes in a very choreographed fashion.

I was lucky enough to experience a really good Omakase while I was in Tokyo, which was at the Toyosu fish market. I interacted a lot with the chef during the dining experience, and honestly it made it 10 times more enjoyable and interesting because I got to see the whole process that goes into making the sashimi and nigiri and having the chef explain what goes into each bite-sized food was really educational. At Izakaya spots, expect to strike a conversation with a random customer sitting near your table. Izakaya is a pub-style eatery, which usually serves small bites and focuses more on alcoholic beverages. Izakayas would be the hot spot for people to hangout after work to enjoy a laid back evening in a casual manner, which makes it a good place to socialise as well. Therefore, Japanese cuisine is all about interactions: between a customer and the food, the customer and the chef, and even a customer with another customer they’ve never met before. These interactions make the dining experience more meaningful, something you might not experience in a lot of other places in the world. 

In Japan, there is a phrase called “Itadakimasu!” that people say before they enjoy their meal. Although it might serve as an expression like “Bon Appetit”, Itadakimasu itself technically means “to receive” or “I humbly receive this meal”. It is an expression of gratitude and appreciation for the food and for everyone that is involved in the making of it. After observing the multisensory culinary world of Tokyo, I saw the appreciative manner of the phrase in a new light: beyond a prelude to a meal, it now signifies gratitude for every artist that contributed to the exquisite dining experience. From the chefs to the potters, the interior designers to the local jazz musicians, each of them contribute to giving a ‘life’ to each culinary affair. So the next time you go to Japan, don’t forget to say “Itadakimasu!”, not just for the delicious meal, but for the unsung heroes that crafted the feast for our senses.