A hidden restaurant where you can experience the local flavor - A story of pairings woven together by trust and bonds -

The shop is located in a quiet residential area of ​​Nagaizumicho, about a 5-minute drive from the north exit of JR Mishima Station.

Restaurant Miyabi opened in 2023 after renovating the owner's home. Since its opening, it has focused on local gastronomy, offering creative French cuisine using abundant local ingredients, and offering tea pairings in addition to wine. The regularly held collaborative dinners with producers attract many repeat customers, who say, "You can experience not only the joy of eating, but also the joy of learning."

It was a story of a pairing woven together with trust and bonds.

"Science and design": What vegetables and cooking have in common

"The vegetables here generally have very little bitterness. They are delicious even with just salt and olive oil."

Chef Nishiyama Kento of Restaurant Miyabi explained this to us, and the first place we visited was a field on a hill overlooking Suruga Bay and the Izu Peninsula. We were greeted by Sugimoto Masahiro of Sugimasa Farm.

Sugimasa Farm grows 150 types of vegetables throughout the year on approximately 15,000 square meters of farmland. The vegetables that Sugimoto grows are highly sought after by chefs, including Chef Nishiyama. Orders are constantly coming in from top restaurants not only in Shizuoka Prefecture but also in Tokyo.

"The color of the soil is different from that west of Shizuoka City, isn't it? The volcanic ash soil around here is well-drained and well-suited for growing vegetables. The water we use is from the Hakone Water System, stored in a jointly managed tank, so the quality of the water is also good."

When I touched it, I could tell that the soil was smooth and seemed to drain well. At the same time, it felt moist and had good water retention. The land is on a moderate slope, so it gets plenty of sunlight and good ventilation, making it a good environment for growing vegetables. However, it is Sugimoto's soil-making know-how that further draws out the power of this land with great potential.

"The most important thing is fertilizer design. I calculate and use the right fertilizer mixture for the land and each vegetable. I'm not good at keeping secrets. It would be great if we could all share good things and improve each other. But it's not a one-way street; I also learn a lot from everyone. That's why I openly share my fertilizer mixtures and other techniques, but most people don't do it."

"When I talk to other farmers I work with, they say it's not easy to do what Sugimoto does. It takes a lot of effort to grow so many different varieties and change the design for each one."

"No, no, all the vegetables are pretty much the same. It's not that hard."

Although he has a gentle smile on his face, Sugimoto's decisive manner of speaking seems to be filled with sincerity and a desire to spare no effort, as well as pride in the skills and wisdom he has cultivated.

"Mr. Sugimoto says it as if it's a given, but the amount of effort and love that goes into it is different," says Chef Nishiyama.

The first field we were shown that day was where we harvested a variety of radishes, which are about to enter their season. At Sugimasa Farm, they don't grow a large amount of one type of radish, but rather start with about one acre of one variety of radish. The seeds in the acre that was harvested this time were sown in September. In the adjacent corner, there is another acre of the same variety. By sowing the seeds at different times, the harvest continues until early spring.

To avoid continuous cropping, they sometimes plant different vegetables the following season, and since the soil also needs a rest, they sometimes let the land rest in turns. I've heard that many farmers struggle every year with managing the land and crops like a puzzle. But Sugimoto says he has it all neatly organized in his head, so this may be something that other farmers find difficult to imitate.

And there's one more thing. There's a little extra effort that only Sugimoto could put into it.

"Our method is to cover all of our fields with plastic. This helps retain moisture when it's dry, and the plastic helps keep out water when it rains a lot. This takes time and effort, but if you put in the effort, you can grow incredibly delicious vegetables. However, there are very few farmers who cover their radish fields with plastic. Even when we teach them how to do it, no one does it."

He says this as if it's obvious, but there's no doubt that the key to producing delicious vegetables is the amount of effort and love he puts into them. What's more, he uses white plastic in the hot season and black plastic in the cold season. If he uses black plastic in the summer, the soil gets too hot, but in the winter it actually has a better insulating effect. When he says it, it makes sense, and I can really see Sugimoto's love for his vegetables in that too.

In another field, staff were busy spreading a large amount of some kind of whitish powder over the fields.

"That's rice bran being spread on the field where we'll soon plant onions. I think we're probably the only ones that use that much rice bran. Using rice bran gives the onions a sweeter, richer flavor. Rice bran is very nutritious."

I was reminded that the unique deliciousness of vegetables is the result of a variety of wisdom and hard work.

"It's fresh and sweet! But the spiciness at the end is also nice."

Chef Nishiyama ate the red kururi radish that was cut for him on the spot.

"Without that, it would just be sweet."

said Sugimoto.

"The season when radishes become more and more delicious is just around the corner. I'm looking forward to winter coming."

Chef Nishiyama said this with a happy look on his face as he gazed upon the lush green leaves of the radish.

The best way to eat vegetables like Benikururi, which has a bright red skin and cut surface, or Benikesyo Daikon, which has pure white flesh but a gorgeous toki-colored skin, is to use the skin as it is and eat them raw. However, if you do that, it might take away from the chef's skill... I have a nosy worry in my mind.

"White neck radishes can also be boiled in bouillon or used to make soup. With Sugimoto's radishes, just water, salt, and a little cream gives them a flavor similar to that of stock.

　It may seem extreme, but I personally believe that ingredients taste best when eaten raw or grilled and sprinkled with salt. That's why I try not to stray too far from that. Like Japanese cuisine, I like to put together dishes by subtracting. I think there are countless chefs in the world who are better skilled than me, so the quality of the ingredients is very important in order to set myself apart."

When Chef Nishiyama said this, Sugimoto immediately

"But it's only Nishiyama who can arrange it all so beautifully on a plate. Nishiyama's cooking is like a work of art on the plate."

"Also, Nishiyama and his mother treat our vegetables with great care, and they put our vegetables on a high stage, which makes me very happy."

Sugimoto-san has hosted collaborative dinners at restaurants all over Tokyo and elsewhere, but he has a special trust in Restaurant Miyabi. He has known the restaurant for over 10 years, dating back to when it was still in operation in Mishima. He has also been watching over Chef Nishiyama's growth and success since he was in his early twenties.

"Vegetable growing is both science and design."

Sugimoto says.

The importance of precise calculation and sensitivity is something that is also applicable to chefs.

The process of combining ingredients, seasonings, and sauces like multiplication, removing unnecessary elements like subtraction, and arranging them on a plate like painting a picture on a canvas to create the perfect dish is truly a science and design.

"There is pressure when the ingredients are good, but the fun outweighs it."

It was striking to see Sugimoto gazing at Chef Nishiyama with a kind and reliable look as he smiled.

Komatsuna cultivation was a turning point

The Sugimoto family is an old family that has been in this area for 800 years. It is said that they are descended from Wada Yoshimori, a leading figure in the Kamakura Shogunate who also appeared in the historical drama "The 13 Lords of the Kamakura Shogunate." Initially, they inherited the business from their predecessor as a pig breeder and farmer, breeding and raising pedigreed pigs.

At the time, Sugimoto's dream was to win the Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Award with his pigs. At the time, Shizuoka was one of the leading pig-raising prefectures, along with Ibaraki, Saitama and Shizuoka. While many producers were dedicated to pig farming, Sugimoto, who ran a diversified business, found it difficult to get the chance, but in 1989 he finally won the award. With his dream coming true and livestock pollution, such as odors, coming to the fore around that time, he decided it was time to move on and focus on vegetables.

"At that time, we were growing around 10 types of vegetables. My predecessor had been growing spinach, and when I took over we had a contract with a supermarket. We don't make a huge profit, but the price doesn't drop drastically either, and we have an average income. I thought this was great. But spinach can only be grown in this area during the cold season. I wondered if there were any vegetables that would be sold in the summer, so I looked around the local supermarkets and found some listless komatsuna. I said to the buyer, 'This might work,' but he simply said, 'No.'"

Nowadays, komatsuna is a common sight in supermarkets, but in 5 it was still relatively unknown in Shizuoka Prefecture and had not yet gained widespread acceptance.

"Komatsuna is a food grown on the east side of Mount Hakone, so there's no way it will sell," says Sugimoto.

(By the way, the name komatsuna is said to have originated from Komatsugawa Village, which is now Edogawa Ward, during the Edo period.)

"It's true that there were no farmers nearby who were growing komatsuna at the time. But I kept on pressuring them, and they said, 'Well, why don't you bring in some little by little?' So I took the grown komatsuna to the distribution center early in the morning, and by 10am I had it lined up in all the supermarket stores. There were no mobile phones in those days, but I was sure I would get a call, so I waited at home. Sure enough, I got a call at lunchtime saying, 'It's sold out in all the stores in about 20 minutes. Can you increase production?'

It was summer, so I said I would do it because the seeds would grow in 22 to 23 days if I planted them."

　

I can imagine that even if they had never seen it before, if they saw lush, delicious-looking vegetables lined up in the summer, they would jump at the chance to try it. Now, komatsuna is grown in greenhouses and can be shipped all year round, and has been certified as a Fujinokuni Food Selection by Shizuoka Prefecture.

"The crispness of the leaves is completely different."

Chef Nishiyama said while tasting the food.

I tried it on the spot, and the crispness and sweetness of the stems, as well as the leaves, were completely different. Even when eaten raw, there was no bitterness at all, and it had a concentrated umami flavor.

In fact, the day before the interview, I bought two bunches of komatsuna from Sugimasa Farm at the supermarket and made ohitashi and nibi-tashi. It was noticeably softer and fresher than the ones I usually buy, so I shortened the cooking time considerably, which was the right decision! I enjoyed the crunchiness and sweetness. I was planning to stir fry the other bunch with pork and wood ear mushrooms, but when I mentioned that I might try stir frying it simply with just the komatsuna, like water spinach,

"I think it would be good to use it like water spinach. I also recommend making it into shabu-shabu."

Chef Nishiyama gave me this advice.　

"When children come to visit, we let them try the komatsuna raw. The mothers are amazed when they see this. They say, 'My child hates vegetables and cabbage, but he eats it!'"

　"It's the same in our restaurant. Even this kid who hates vegetables tried it! Even kids with sensitive tongues will gobble up Sugimoto's vegetables raw. That may be the big difference," the two say in unison. But the secret to their deliciousness isn't just the cultivation method.

During our tour, the staff had just started harvesting, but what a surprise! They were removing the soil and roots inside the greenhouse, weighing the produce, and even bagging it!

To maintain freshness at Sugimasa Farm, the komatsuna is transported in bags to the main house, where it is then soaked in a tank filled with clean water from a nearby spring. After that, the stems are carefully aligned, and once the water has drained, the komatsuna is packed into cardboard boxes for shipping, which are then loaded onto refrigerated trucks for shipment. It is probably rare for a private farm to own a refrigerated truck.

"We want to deliver the flowers to our customers in the best possible condition, so we're constantly told to make sure even one stem isn't crooked and to make sure we're neatly aligned."

The lady working there spoke to me with a smile.

"I want to do business with people I can see face to face, so when someone approaches me and says they want to do business with me, I tell them to come and see the farm first. I spend about an hour and a half to two hours showing them around the farm and having a thorough conversation. I feel bad for shops and businesses that I can't do this with, but I have to decline to do business with them."

　On this day, we drove around the scattered fields, touring for about two hours, sampling the vibrant velvet-colored wine dress lettuce, ruffle lettuce, iris snow kabu, and the rapeseed relative Autumn Poem. We were constantly amazed by the rich flavor and aroma of the vegetables we bit into, their freshness, and their firm texture. We had so much to talk about that time in the fields flew by.

　Every year in May or June, the farm holds an open day. Chefs, related companies, and government officials gather to harvest potatoes and enjoy a buffet-style meal of farm vegetables. The chefs also make onion gratin soup and fry French fries on the spot, making for a truly luxurious experience. This experience has led to the creation of delicious dishes by the chefs, who are able to impress many customers in various locations.

　At Restaurant Miyabi, we also host a collaborative dinner called Shunsai Miyabi Kai several times a year, where we invite Sugimoto to talk about vegetables and enjoy a course meal of a variety of dishes using those vegetables.

In the future, Chef Nishiyama hopes to develop the event further, so that customers can visit the fields together and cook dishes using the vegetables they harvest. He is looking forward to the day when this becomes a reality!

On the way back, Chef Nishiyama showed us around Takigawa Shrine, which is located very close to Sugimasa Farm.

As the name suggests, there is a waterfall that splits into several streams right next to the worship hall, and the sound of the water and the pure air are invigorating.

It was a place where I could sense that the fresh water and air nourish the region and are the source of Sugimoto's vegetable cultivation.

***********************************************************************************************

Sugimasa Farm

411-0022 

727 Kawaragatani Yamada, Mishima City, Shizuoka Prefecture
TEL：055-973-2732

***********************************************************************************************

A dish that showcases the bounty of the land

After arriving at Restaurant Miyabi, Chef Nishiyama immediately got to work cooking.

　On this day, we requested a dish that made generous use of vegetables from Sugimasa Farm.

The salad they prepared for us included frill lettuce, wine dress lettuce, sunny lettuce, wasabi greens, Senorita (a rounded pepper), Pitaro (a small, long, thin pepper), taro, potato, red kururi radish, and even the sudachi citrus used in the dressing, all harvested at Sugimasa Farm.

We will then use colorful tomatoes from SATO FARM in Mishima City, with whom we also have a relationship, glutinous barley from Nagaizumi Town, and olive oil from Bring-UP, both of which are produced in Nagaizumi Town, to create a dish that brings together the bounty of this region.

It's a dish that you can easily imagine exclaiming "It's delicious!" when it's brought to your table.

The dressing is made with ecume (meaning bubbles in French), so you can't see the vegetables inside, which is a nice touch. It's an exciting salad that builds excitement and anticipation as you eat it.

Son x Mother, Food x Drink: Pairings Create Delicious Moments

"A variety of ingredients are also gathered in Tokyo, but the difference in freshness is overwhelming."

When asked about the biggest advantage of running a restaurant in the countryside, Chef Nishiyama replied, "When he was about 10 years old, he was impressed by the deliciousness of French cuisine and its beauty, which was different from Japanese cuisine, and ever since then he has been determined to become a chef."

He began his training at the long-established Western restaurant "Nihonbashi Taimeken" while attending culinary school in his teens, and after helping out at the Western restaurant run by his mother, Masako, in Mishima City in his early twenties, he returned to Tokyo. After further training at restaurants such as those of Ken Yoshino, one of the world's top chefs, he opened Restaurant Miyabi in Nagaizumicho in 2023.

"The COVID-19 pandemic had a big impact on my decision to open in my hometown of Nagaizumi. The style of dining and drinking has changed considerably. I thought there might be a demand for restaurants that cater to small groups, with a more private feel.

Even if the prices are a little higher, as long as they are more reasonable than in Tokyo, I thought there would be more benefits to opening a restaurant locally. From my experience running a restaurant in Mishima, I had connections with local farmers, including Sugimasa Farm, and I also dealt in Mount Fuji salmon and Ashitaka beef, so I knew that this area had wonderful ingredients, and I felt that the local food culture could be the key to tourism.

"Also, the main restaurants in the surrounding area are Mishima and Numazu. Despite being in the middle of these two areas, Nagaizumi-cho has few restaurants. However, there are large companies nearby, and the area is within walking distance of Mishima Station and has good access from Tokyo, so we have many people who have moved here from the Tokyo metropolitan area and those who commute to Tokyo. We are happy to see that we have more local customers than we initially expected, who use our restaurant for business entertainment, family celebrations and anniversaries."

Chef Nishiyama's mother, Masako, who is a certified sommelier and Japanese tea instructor and manages the restaurant from the service side, continues to carry on the words of Chef Nishiyama. The two work in perfect harmony, just like the pairing of food and drink.

Restaurant Miyabi is a reservation-only restaurant that only caters to two groups of two. Its popularity has spread through word of mouth, thanks to its private atmosphere and relaxed dining atmosphere. Masako smiled as she shared that she often witnesses happy family moments, from the dinner party where the two families meet after an engagement, to wedding anniversaries and celebrations for the birth of a child.

On the other hand, it seems that the number of customers from the Tokyo metropolitan area and overseas is also increasing.

"We're also seeing an increase in reservations made after seeing us on Google or Instagram. We even had a customer from the United States who reserved a bouquet online and proposed to her here."

Masako says that it's okay for everyday conversation, and there are translation apps available now, so it's easy to manage. She also says that they actively welcome customers from overseas.

While the attentive hospitality that can only be achieved in a small space is one thing, the greatest attraction is Chef Nishiyama's cuisine, which brings out the flavor of the ingredients, and Masako's pairings for the dishes. In addition to wine, the tea pairings are also popular.

Experience the joy of pairing

　"Today's salad would go well with a citrus-scented Grüner Vetliner from Austria, or an orange wine. If you're going for tea pairings, I'll serve a Japanese black tea base with citrus fruits, steeped for about eight hours."

Orange wine is an orange-colored wine made using white wine grapes and red wine-making techniques. It is said to be a wine that is rapidly gaining popularity around the world.

　"Georgia is famous for producing orange wine. This wine with the black label is one of the Georgian wines that former sumo wrestler Tochinoshin imported and produced after his retirement."

Masako not only has extensive knowledge of wine, but also has a wide network of contacts, many of whom are importers. Although the restaurant only serves two groups per day, it has an extensive wine selection that attracts wine-loving customers.

For the tea pairing, Masako chose pesticide-free tea leaves from Saito Tea Garden in Shizuoka. In particular, the Japanese black tea has a honey-like aroma and a soft, fruity scent, giving it a gentle elegance.

Since I was there, I had both Japanese black tea and wine.

First, I took a sip of the Japanese black tea poured into a wine glass. The sweetness of the black tea was combined with the acidity of the citrus fruits, making it almost like a cocktail. The refreshing scent of sudachi wafting from the foamy dressing added to the refreshing feeling.

"The light astringency of Japanese black tea brings together the acidity and oiliness without overpowering the delicate flavor of the salad. The freshness and citrus aroma also match the greenery and aroma of the raw salad. Black teas with a strong astringency, such as Assam and Uva, can take away the delicate flavor of raw vegetables, but Japanese black tea has a gentle astringency that brings out the sweetness and greenness of the vegetables. It also blends naturally with anchovy mayonnaise."

said Masako.

Following Chef Nishiyama's advice to "mix everything well before eating," I mixed the whole plate together and took a bite, thinking it would be a waste to break it all up. The salad was a feast for the senses, with crispy, moist, sticky, crunchy vegetables and a variety of aromas, textures and colors pleasing to the eye and tongue.

The saltiness of the anchovy mayonnaise mixed with the taro and potatoes was exquisite, and I couldn't resist reaching for the wine. The rich flavor of the anchovies spread throughout my mouth, bringing out the sweetness of the vegetables even more.

I see, this is mariage. It's the true joy of pairing.

Just as you would choose wine to go with your meal, the tea pairing course also offers several different types of tea with different bases. In order to recreate the three aromas of wine (grape-derived, brewed, and aged aroma) in tea, the base tea is delicately blended with fruits, flowers, spices, herbs, etc. Over 20 types are extracted overnight at low temperature to create a pure, deep flavor.

What surprised me the most was the way that when you cover the glass with a container filled with lit oak chips, smoke starts to bubble up, which also has the effect of trapping the smoky aroma inside the glass.

"The chef came up with the 'taruko' (barrel aroma). By adding oak chips to the aroma, it expresses a depth reminiscent of barrel-aged wine. This tea pairs well with rich meat dishes. The pairings are constantly evolving."

Instead of champagne, the aperitif served is a glass of red shiso sorbet filled with carbonated roasted green tea. The gorgeousness of this arrangement is apparently very popular with guests. This kind of presentation will become a memorable experience along with the deliciousness of the meal. It is easy to see why there has been an increase in customers who request tea pairings even though they can drink alcohol.

You've been offering tea pairing since you first opened, but what was the trigger for that?

"It all started with our customers moving away from alcohol. I wanted to propose pairings with food that even non-alcohol drinkers could enjoy. Shizuoka Prefecture is known for its tea. So I decided to base my ideas on tea, and began studying it in 2022 before opening this restaurant. What's more, Nagaizumi Town has good water. Neighboring Mishima is also known as the "City of Water," and the water here is also natural mineral water. Of the three water purification plants in the town, I researched and found that this area has the softest water. We have a water purifier installed, but tap water is delicious enough. This is an important element for both tea pairings and food."

It's truly a blessing of the land.

He started local gastronomy and tea pairing before they were widely known, which gives the impression of being forward-thinking.

"I've been in business for a long time, so when I decide to do something, I think I've developed the habit of always trying to do something a little different from other people. As a chef, I'm also the type who doesn't shy away from challenges and learning about things I like."

The two of them are currently taking on the challenge of making prosciutto.

"It's less than a 10-minute drive from here, but I've been trying my hand at prosciutto for the past two years, using pork thighs raised by Ishizuka of Mugiton Kobo in Numazu. I learned the techniques for making prosciutto from a master in the Yatsugatake Mountains. I needed to be qualified as a food hygiene manager, so I gained practical experience under Ishizuka, and this winter I enrolled in a meat school, where I studied intensively for a month and obtained the qualification.

Loin and shoulder loin are popular, but thigh meat tends to be left over. It sometimes ends up being sold at bargain prices. Wanting to do something about this situation, Ishizuka processes it into ham and sausage and sells it, but I think if I can succeed in making prosciutto, I might be able to help solve this problem.

If we can make prosciutto from Numazu pork with salt from Suruga Bay, we can create a prosciutto that is completely Shizuoka Prefecture-born. It can only be prepared during the winter, and even my master (from Yatsugatake) who is currently making amazing prosciutto said it took him five years, so we still need to take a long-term view."

Masako will continue to follow Chef Nishiyama's words.

"Currently, foreign-made prosciutto is hard to come by and is in short supply. If we can perfect a Nagaizumi-made prosciutto, I hope it will help spread to the world."

I'm amazed at the size of this dream, but one day I'd love to try the local treasure that is the prosciutto produced by Chef Nishiyama, made with pork raised in Numazu, salt from Suruga Bay, and the climate of Nagaizumi Town. When that happens, I'll ask Masako to recommend a wine to pair it with.

　

Chef Nishiyama has built trust by incorporating the passion of producers, including Sugimoto, into each and every dish. Sommelier Masako resonates with the dishes through pairings of wine and tea, elevating them to even greater heights. We look forward to seeing the strong bonds between everyone involved and the evolution of this hidden restaurant, where you can savor the local flavor.

***********************************************************************************************

Restaurant Miyabi

411-0943 

756-14 Shimodokari, Nagaizumi-cho, Sunto-gun, Shizuoka Prefecture
TEL：055-950-8830

Business hours: 17:30-21:30 (reservations required)　

*Tea pairing requires a reservation by 8:00 PM the day before due to the extraction time.

Closed: Tuesdays and Wednesdays

TOP

***********************************************************************************************

To conclude your trip, I would like to introduce two of my top recommendations for places to visit if you come to Nagaizumi Town.

The first place is a tiny, really tiny park less than a minute's walk from Restaurant Miyabi.

This park will be recognized as the "world's smallest park" by the Guinness Book of World Records in 2024.

The park is not the surrounding asphalt area, but the area surrounded by bricks! Its area is only 0.24 square meters. One page of a newspaper is 0.22 square meters, so can you imagine how small it is?

This park was recognized by the Guinness Book of World Records in 2024. The details of how it was recognized are explained on the Nagaizumi Town website.

https://www.town.nagaizumi.lg.jp/soshiki/infostrategy/jyouhou/6/11358.html

　

The other place, in contrast, is Ayutsubo Falls, where you can feel the scale of the Earth.

This place is also just a 5-minute drive from Restaurant Miyabi, and less than a 20-minute walk, so it's definitely worth a visit.

Ayutsubo Falls, located in the middle reaches of the Kise River, which originates in Gotemba City and flows through Nagaizumi Town to Numazu, is a waterfall created by lava flows from the eruption of Mount Fuji. As you walk through the well-maintained park, the waterfall suddenly appears, and is an impressive sight, measuring approximately 10 meters high and 90 meters wide.

It was designated a prefectural natural monument in 1996, and is also one of the geosites in the Izu Peninsula Geopark.

On clear days, you can see the majestic Mount Fuji from the Ayutsubo-no-Kakehashi suspension bridge downstream, and the magnificent scenery that makes you feel the breath of the earth is definitely worth seeing.

The world's smallest park, a spot where you can get a sense of the vastness of the earth, and a hidden restaurant that captivates customers with its rich food pairings with wine and tea.

Nagaizumi Town is a deep place.

Date of coverage: July 2025, 11
Writer: Aoki Rika
Photo: Yoshihiko Konan