To revisit the basics after studying creative Chinese cooking, the chef adds polish to a selection of Chinese regional cuisines. Sichuan items dominate, including steamed chicken with spicy sauce, twice-cooked pork and shrimp in chili sauce. The signature mapo tofu is a true original, made with wagyu beef sinew instead of ground meat. Faithful to his Shizuoka roots, he prepares his XO sauce fried rice with stardust shrimps and dried fish fry to create a mutual understanding between the cuisines of Kyoto and the Suruga region.