Tsukuri no Wasabi

It’s a safe bet to say that most people have never tried real wasabi, or “hon wasabi”. Compared to the ubiquitous horseradish, hon wasabi has a softer, stickier texture, and has a smoother, more herbal taste and aroma. Nonetheless, the difficulty in cultivation and the ephemeral nature of its flavor—fading in just 15 minutes after grating—means that green-dyed horseradish is the condiment of choice in Japanese restaurants the world over, even within Japan. But wasabi purists know to head to Tsukuri no Wasabi to get their fix. An establishment dedicated to hon wasabi, the restaurant sources the plant from a dedicated wasabi farm in Shizuoka Prefecture, where the highest-quality wasabi is traditionally grown using fresh spring water. Diners are then invited to grate the wasabi themselves to pair with seasonal Shizuoka fish, both working in tandem to reveal layers of flavor and aroma about each other. The restaurant’s most popular dish is the traditional wasabi-zuke, which sees assorted fish marinated in wasabi, sake lees and other seasonings for up to 4 days to bring out the fish’s natural sweetness.