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Shunsai Hayato
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Summary
Restaurant Details
Dining Courses
Location
Location
Cuisine
Traditional Japanese / Kaiseki / Kappo
Average cost
Lunch: ¥5,000 - ¥15,000
Dinner: ¥5,000 - ¥15,000
This Okayama restaurant features top-quality Chiya “phantom wagyu” steak and has fresh fish delivered four times a day.
Restaurant Details
Unexpectedly, Chef Henmi Akihiro’s culinary journey started with his dog.
When he was just four or five, he would cut slivers of meat from his dinner and feed them to the pup, pretending he was a master chef. Seeing his dog happily wolfing down the scraps sparked something in him: a desire to make people happy through cooking.
The journey may have started as make-believe, but Chef Henmi’s road to culinary success is very much real. After graduating high school, he moved from his native Okayama to Kyoto’s Gion district to learn the ins and outs of Japanese cuisine for seven years. He then returned to Okayama to train at a ryotei (traditional Japanese restaurant) for another decade, before fulfilling his childhood dream of starting his own restaurant: Shunsai Hayato.
Located near Korakuen, one of the Three Great Gardens of Japan, Shunsai Hayato continues the local culinary tradition of what is known as “otonosama-ryori”: the traditional fine cuisine of the feudal lords. But though Chef Henmi may preserve the trademark fine quality and impeccable skill of otonosama-ryori, he does away with one thing in particular: its exclusivity. Chef Henmi welcomes all to his restaurant, from infants to the elderly. “Everyone deserves to enjoy their time with food,” he says.
And enjoy it they certainly will. Chef Henmi’s take on otonosama-ryori is certainly fit for a lord: he puts even the most dedicated sushi chefs to shame by having fresh fish delivered four times a day to his restaurant, choosing only the freshest from two separate fish suppliers. It makes for fantastic sashimi, but can also be put atop the finest Hinohikari rice — continuously supplied by his middle school classmate for the past 16 years — to be enjoyed as nigiri sushi.
And when it comes to beef, only Chiya wagyu is fit for a lord. Just like Chef Henmi, Chiya cattle are native to Okayama, and are directly descended from the tsuru-ushi: the ancient predecessor to the modern Japanese black kuroge wagyu cattle. Virtually impossible to find outside of Okayama Prefecture, the highly marbled Chiya beef is so rare it has been bestowed the title of “phantom wagyu”.
Dining Courses
Seto Course
Morning, Afternoon, Evening
¥6,400
(Tax Incl.)
Select
The standard course at Shunsai Hayato, featuring unagi (freshwater eel) grilled in traditional kabayaki-style and a spread of small plates that make use of an abundance of seasonal ingredients.
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The standard course at Shunsai Hayato, featuring unagi (freshwater eel) grilled in traditional kabayaki-style and a spread of small plates that make use of an abundance of seasonal ingredients.
Show more
¥6,400
(Tax Incl.)
Select
Ohimesama Course
Morning, Afternoon, Evening
¥8,500
(Tax Incl.)
Select
A level up from the Seto Course, the Ohimesama Course — meaning "princess" — features the twin delicacies of unagi kabayaki-style (grilled with sweet sauce) and assorted tempura, alongside a smattering of other seasonal dishes.
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A level up from the Seto Course, the Ohimesama Course — meaning "princess" — features the twin delicacies of unagi kabayaki-style (grilled with sweet sauce) and assorted tempura, alongside a smattering of other seasonal dishes.
Show more
¥8,500
(Tax Incl.)
Select
Otonosama Course
Morning, Afternoon, Evening
¥10,600
(Tax Incl.)
Select
Appropriately named, the Otonosama Course — meaning "lord" — is the highest-level course at Shunsai Hayato, featuring not just a selection of seasonal tempura, but also the signature Chiya beef that is the pride of Okayama Prefecture. A course that’s guaranteed to satisfy.
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Appropriately named, the Otonosama Course — meaning "lord" — is the highest-level course at Shunsai Hayato, featuring not just a selection of seasonal tempura, but also the signature Chiya beef that is the pride of Okayama Prefecture. A course that’s guaranteed to satisfy.
Show more
¥10,600
(Tax Incl.)
Select
Shunsai Hayato Phone Number
086-230-1154
Shunsai Hayato Business Days
Sunday
11:00 AM
02:00 PM
-
05:30 PM
10:00 PM
Monday
Closed
Tuesday
11:00 AM
02:00 PM
-
05:30 PM
10:00 PM
Wednesday
11:00 AM
02:00 PM
-
05:30 PM
10:00 PM
Thursday
11:00 AM
02:00 PM
-
05:30 PM
10:00 PM
Friday
11:00 AM
02:00 PM
-
05:30 PM
10:00 PM
Saturday
11:00 AM
02:00 PM
-
05:30 PM
10:00 PM
Shunsai Hayato Address
3-chome-8-60 Hama, Naka Ward, Okayama, 703-8256, Japan
Shunsai Hayato Cancellation Policy
Cancel your reservation at least 2 days before the dining start time to receive a full refund minus a 3.2% transaction fee.
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Shunsai Hayato Remarks
Guests with dietary restrictions and/or food allergies are requested to inform the restaurant beforehand. The restaurant is unable to make accommodations for guests who only inform the restaurant on the day itself.
The restaurant reserves the right to refuse reservations to guests who have excessive dietary restrictions, particularly those of fish or vegetables.
Restaurant location
The home of Japan’s favorite folkloric character, some of its best-preserved historical sites, and amazing seafood from the Seto Inland Sea.
Get Directions
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