Next was the Otsukuri, where we saw the deft knifework of the chef and were greeted by the seasonal line-up that was the sea bream, amberjack, and chutoro. Served with powdered sea salt flakes, the sea bream was real fresh, thinly sliced, and subtle in flavour. Though intimating, the heap of salt was not as salty as I thought. The amberjack, on the other hand, was paired with yuzu daikon oroshi and yuzu kosho on the side. Lightly seared with binchotan charcoal, the fish had a delicate smoky kiss and went well with the citrusy-sweet flavour of yuzu. The chutoro was kept simple and would be my pick if I were to choose between the three, as I love a fattier almost melty texture for my sashimi. The thicken homemade soy sauce plated together was really pleasant too.

Part of Takayama’s Spring Omakase Lunch Menu ($150).