Miavato

In spite of its vaguely Italian resemblance, a search in the dictionary for the word “Miavato” will turn up nothing. This is because the word is actually a portmanteau of three separate cities: Maesawa in Iwate Prefecture, the hometown of owner and head chef Toru Onodera; Vancouver, where his wife grew up; and lastly Tokyo, where the two of them run their cafe-turned-bistro, Miavato. (The initial “mia” part was chosen for its phonetic resemblance to a cat’s meow, and has nothing to do with cities, but both Onoderas very much love cats.) In spite of being a small town of just 15,000, Maesawa is renowned all over Japan for its beef, which has a reputation for delicate marbling and rich flavor. Sourced directly from Ogata Farm, it is this beef that Chef Onodera features in his restaurant, either as a gloriously seared steak or in tender slices of roast beef. Owing to the international background of its husband-wife owner duo, Miavato’s menu is also an eclectic mix of several different cultures, with offerings like zucchini bread — a Canadian favorite — and Tokyo’s own charcoal-roasted coffee alongside Iwate specialties. Oddly enough, it is the egg over rice, or tamago kake gohan, that is particularly popular, using pesticide-free, naturally-fertilized rice from Chef Onodera’s hometown. And the drinks at Miavato are not to be overlooked either. While many come for the charcoal-roasted coffee, just as many come seeking Chef Onodera’s expertise in wines. In fact, he gave up his first love — teaching mathematics — to be involved in the wine industry, starting out at Hibiya grand maison Apicius and the Four Seasons Marunouchi before moving to Australia to study wine at the Anderson Winery for a year. His return to Japan saw him ascend to manager at the Conrad Tokyo and Michelin-starred restaurant Crony in Nishi-azabu, before he founded Miavato. So needless to say, if you’re looking for a pairing for your meal — Chef Onodera most definitely has you covered.