Naruki’s work
To welcome our customers, we do our best, by carefully selecting ingredients, to bring you the excitement that seasonal foodstuffs can bring.
Here are some of Naruki's specialties.
Introduction of the owner
TAKIMOTO Naruki
At the age of 25, he moved to the U.K. to train at a local Japanese restaurant, and at the age of 31, he returned to Japan and trained for 7 years at a long-established and famous sushi restaurant in Ginza. He then worked as the head chef for two years at a popular sushi restaurant in Hibiya where reservations were difficult to come by. In July 2022, he returned to his hometown, Himi, and opened Naruki.
Water
Thanks to its ideal topography, we can enjoy the best water in Toyama.
Toyama Prefecture boasts the nation's top-level water environment in terms of both quality and quantity.
The snow that accumulates in the Northern Alps turns into perpetual snow that does not disappear even in summer, and eventually turns into clear melted snow water that slowly flows beneath the alluvial fan, absorbing the elements in the ground and becoming mellow and delicious water.
Water is not only an indispensable part of cooking, but it can also affect the taste of food depending on the water used. Toyama water is an essential part of Naruki's commitment to delivering great food experience at all times.
Rice
Naturally cultivated rice in the local area
Naruki uses a blend of "naturally grown rice from Nagasaka in Himi and the one from Shitsuhara in Noto". Both types of rice are fresh, grown in a rich natural environment with temperature differences between day and night, and in clean water, but each has different characteristics. The naturally grown rice, which is produced with great care and without the use of any pesticides or chemical fertilizers, enhances the flavor of nigirizushi.
Fish
Seasonal delicacies of Toyama Bay
Toyama is famous for yellowtail, firefly squid, and white shrimp, but Toyama Bay is also home to about 500 other species of fish. This is due to the perfect geographical conditions where snowmelt from the rugged 3,000-meter-high Tateyama mountain range, flows through forests, storing a lot of organic matter, and flows into Toyama Bay. Among such leading fishing grounds in Japan, we carefully select only fish from reliable local fishermen. Please enjoy the seasonal rich delicacies of Toyama Bay.
Horse mackerel
(Aji)
In Toyama Bay, horse mackerels are landed by fixed shore nets all year round. Because the fixed shore net fishing in Himi takes place close to the coast, fresh horse mackerels are available only in Himi. Naruki sources not migratory horse mackerels, but only "golden horse mackerels," which are rooted in Toyama Bay and have excellent fat content. Please enjoy the fresh local Himi horse mackerel in nigiri.
Yellowtail
(Buri)
We carefully select and purchase “yellowtail” (or Japanese amberjack) that is fresh and tightly filled. We serve not only "Nigiri" but also "Buri Shabu" and "Buri Nihitoe", a "Nigiri" consisting of a mille-feuille of belly fatty meat, back fatty meat, and hatsu(heart). We hope you will enjoy the delicious taste of the fat that fills your mouth and feel the strength of the robust yellowtail blood that has come from the distant seas to Himi. Served during the winter season.
Sake
Local sake of Hokuriku region
Naruki always keeps about 60 varieties of Hokuriku sake to meet the various tastes of our customers. Among them, Toyama's sake is a light and dry sake with a refreshing taste, but the excellent selection of rice gives it a unique mellow flavor that never gets old and goes well with all kinds of food. Please enjoy the combination of local sake and local ingredients.
