Chef Akira Kugue brings the spirit of Kyoto, Japan to his Gion in Parnell. Photo / Dean Purcell
Chef Akira Kugue brings the spirit of Kyoto, Japan to his Gion in Parnell. Photo / Dean Purcell
Herald reporter and foodie Lincoln Tan takes you to some of Auckland's eating places that make you feel like you're in another country.
Everybody knows Tokyo but not many people know about Kyoto even though it was once the capital of Japan, chef Akira Kugue says.
Famous for imperial palaces,Shinto shrines, Buddhist temples and traditional wooden houses, Kyoto's Gion district is also home to formal traditions like kaiseki dining which consist of precise dishes and geishas.
As a young man, Kyoto was where Akira used to work as a sushi chef for four years before an economic crisis struck the country, forcing him to move first to Australia and then to New Zealand when he was 24.
Gion Parnell draws its design inspiration from top restaurants in Kyoto, Japan. Photo / Dean Purcell
Having called New Zealand home since 1996, Akira describes himself as a "Kiwi at heart, but with Japanese blood".
His first job here was running the Seamart sushi bar and Auckland Fish Market in the Viaduct, where he also taught sushi and tempura cooking.
Then in 2006, Akira and his wife Eliza Leung started Gion at 197 Parnell Road, and a few years ago moved across the road to 168 Parnell Road.
Fresh fish and seafood is transformed into a work of art by Gion chef Akira Kugue. Photo / Dean Purcell
Describing his food as "simple, heart-warming and traditional" Akira says it has always been his goal to bring the authentic taste and visual experience of his hometown Kyoto to his customers.
"Many of the Japanese restaurants you find in Auckland model themselves after Tokyo-style, but I want to focus on Gion or Kyoto-style which is more traditional," Akira said.
"Not all Japanese food are the same, but in Kyoto - a city that existed long before Tokyo - a lot of the preparation and cooking style comes from the heart."
Gion owner Akira Kugue wants people to feel like they are in Kyoto when they step into the restaurant. Photo / Dean Purcell
Akira said red, brown, gold and white are common colours used in Kyoto, as opposed to the black and white of Tokyo.
One of the famous restaurants in Kyoto is Sushi Gion Matsudaya (no connection to Gion Parnell), which is the home of edomae sushi and is known to have sushi connoisseurs and regulars who come all the way from Tokyo.
Akira said he drew inspiration for designs from top restaurants in Kyoto for Gion, and says the calm, traditional yet modern interiors are aimed at giving customers that distinctively Kyoto feel.
Chef Akira Kugue says sashimi is the "heart of Japanese food". Photo / Dean Purcell
The Parnell Business Association describes Gion as a special place.
"From the moment you walk in, it's like entering a different world," the association said on a Facebook post.
"Named after an ancient district in Kyoto, Gion Japanese Restaurant makes you feel like you're sitting in a restaurant right out of Japan."
One dish that is definitely an essential part of Japanese cuisine is sashimi, and Akira says nowhere else in the world are consumers so demanding about the quality and freshness of the fish and seafood.
Decorations that adds to a distinctively Japanese feel at Gion. Photo / Dean Purcell
Don't confuse sashimi - raw fish and seafood sliced into bite size - with sushi which uses rice. Sashimi are eaten by dipping the fish in soy sauce mixed with a little wasabi.
Akira says he pays particular attention to the sashimi at Gion, because often people judge how good a Japanese restaurant is by how well they do their sashimi.
With the skills he has mastered over the years, Akira would often personally carve a whole snapper and thinly slice other shellfish and seafood for sashimi platters when orders come in.
"In Japanese dining style, you don't just eat with your tastebuds but also with your eyes and all other senses," Akira said.
As travelling to Japan during the pandemic is proving to be challenging, Akira wants people to come to learn and soak in the Japanese traditions and culture.
"When in Gion, take your time and talk to me and my staff and learn more about Japanese food and culture," he said.
"I think that is a perfect way to have a deep Japanese dining experience."
* Gion Japanese Restaurant is at 1/168 Parnell Road, Parnell, Auckland.
