One of the greatest pleasures about exhibiting at the Gallery Shozando in Fukuoka recently was the chance to eat at the wonderful ‘Zero’ restaurant next door. Zero is run by an exciting young chef, Ryota Takenouchi and his wife, Rie. They serve Japanese food, based around seasonal ingredients. He grows some of the vegetables himself and has been busy planting for the coming season.
At lunchtime they serve a ‘Zero Platter’ which changes monthly, according to what is in season. The food is served on a hand-made slab-dish made by a potter in Shigaraki. The dish, although it was not specially commissioned for the ‘Zero Platter’ is the ideal backdrop for this combination of food. Mr. Takenouchi told me that when he is putting together a plate of food like this, he approaches it rather like a painter trying to work out a satisfying combination of shapes and colours on the background he has chosen.
The platter is served with a bowl of clear soup and a bowl of salad on the side. Japanese tea is served before and during the meal, and a cup of coffee afterwards.
The combination of pots and food worked perfectly and, of course, it was delicious. The slightly rough texture and earthy tones of the pots contrasted with the vibrant colours and soft textures of the food. The bamboo chopsticks invited you to select dainty morsels of the food and try combinations of the delicate flavours. It is the kind of food which leaves you feeling completely satisfied without feeling that you have over-indulged.
Talking with chef, Takenouchi, about how he selects the pots for his restaurant was fascinating. He says that the food comes first, but without an appropriate pot for a certain dish, he will not serve it. He sometimes gets inspiration from pots to prepare certain foods in a particular way. He believes that presentation of the food contributes about 30 per cent of the overall enjoyment of a dish.
He has a very good relationship with the gallery, Shozando, next door. They share many of their customers and he sources many of his pots through them as well. Ideally, he would like to make the pots as well, in the tradition of Kitaoji Rosanjin, but with a restaurant to run and vegetables to grow, he seems to have plenty to do at the moment. The day I interviewed him, he had just finished making 50 lunch boxes for people who were cherry blossom viewing.
These are my pots on show at Shozando gallery, with pots by Ruthanne Tudball on the shelves behind.
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