Interview with Tagosaku’s head chef, Akira Chijiwa
Akira Chijiwa, the head chef, makes a striking impression as he deftly prepares dishes at Taishu Kappo Tagosaku.
We spoke with Chijiwa about what led him to open Tagosaku, as well as the restaurant’s features and what it takes pride in.
This interview was conducted during our initial visit in October 2019.
After working at Japanese restaurants in Shimonoseki and elsewhere, he opened his own restaurant in his hometown of Kurashiki at age 30
When did you first become interested in the culinary world?
Chijiwa
I couldn’t say exactly when (laughs).
My father worked as a chef, so I naturally became interested in cooking before I knew it.
So when I entered the workforce, I naturally went into the culinary world.
What led you to open Tagosaku?
Chijiwa
I had worked for many years at a Japanese restaurant in Shimonoseki.
After that, I worked as a Japanese chef at a restaurant in my hometown of Kurashiki, but that restaurant was going to close.
It had locations all over Japan, and after it closed, I was told I would be transferred to Tokyo.
But my father’s poor health and various other personal matters came up...
That was just when I turned 30.
I had always wanted to own my own restaurant someday, and with 30 being a milestone age, I decided to take the plunge and open one.
So I opened Tagosaku in 2005.
My father works here with me now, by the way.
Their specialty is fresh seafood from the Seto Inland Sea. They also serve monkfish hot pot and wild boar hot pot!
What do you recommend at Tagosaku?
Chijiwa
Above all, I recommend dishes made with fresh seafood from the Seto Inland Sea, especially from the local area.
You really should try them.
The sashimi platter is especially popular.
The types of fish on the platter vary depending on what comes in each day.
We also have a daily menu, with fresh seafood dishes based on that day’s catch.
Our recommendations include familiar classics like nimono and grilled fish.
We also serve lunch, including a daily fish lunch special.
That’s popular, too.
Also, available only in winter, there are two dishes I really hope you’ll try: monkfish hot pot and wild boar hot pot!
When I worked at a Japanese restaurant in Shimonoseki, I also made monkfish dishes.
Shimonoseki is the home of monkfish cuisine.
There aren’t many places in Kurashiki where you can eat monkfish hot pot from its home in Shimonoseki, so it’s one of Tagosaku’s specialties!
By the way, our monkfish is landed in Sakaiminato, Tottori Prefecture.
We use wild boar caught in Bizen City for our wild boar hot pot.
We buy it directly from a farmer we know well.
Both the monkfish hot pot and wild boar hot pot are available as individual servings!
I hope you’ll give them a try.
The menu grew because they valued their customers’ feedback
What else makes Tagosaku special?
Chijiwa
I enjoy talking with our customers, so I’d say the close relationship between them and the restaurant is one of Tagosaku’s features.
Some customers have made unusual requests, like, “Cook the fish I caught myself” (laughs).
Maybe that’s proof that our customers love us.
People also order dishes that aren’t on the menu...
But I want to accommodate their requests as much as I can.
That’s why the menu has gradually grown (laughs).
I think food tastes best when you eat what you want.
Now, even though we’re a kappo restaurant, we serve everything from gyoza and fried rice to steak.
What’s more, our most popular dish is gyoza, and the second most popular is simmered beef tendon.
We also get tourists and business travelers.
They like restaurants rooted in the local community like ours, and seek us out specifically.
Nearby hotels sometimes recommend us to their guests, too.
What age groups are your customers?
Chijiwa
We welcome customers of all ages.
We get a lot of older customers, especially at lunchtime.
There aren’t many places nearby where you can get affordable Japanese food, so older customers come here regularly.
Some come every day.
There are also many companies and other businesses around here, so office workers often come for lunch.
Committed to homemade dishes
What does Tagosaku take pride in, and what would you like to do in the future?
Chijiwa
What we’re committed to is serving homemade dishes.
As much as possible, we make everything ourselves, from the main dishes to the small side dishes.
We even pickle our own vegetables here at the restaurant.
As I mentioned earlier, ours is a restaurant loved by the local community.
Older customers and office workers come back again and again for lunch.
So we focus on making homemade, wholesome dishes that customers will enjoy even if they come every day.
We intend to stay committed to making our food from scratch.
From the Writer
Taishu Kappo Tagosaku is the kind of restaurant you’d want to have near your workplace.
If you eat out for lunch every day, you can get tired of having fancy food all the time.
Tagosaku’s lunch menu changes daily, offering the kind of dishes you’d usually have at home.
And because they’re made by a skilled chef, they’re delicious and nutritionally balanced.
It’s also nice that the ingredients include fresh seafood from the local Seto Inland Sea.
This is a place you’d want to visit for lunch every day.
The dinner menu also features plenty of seafood from the Seto Inland Sea.
And despite being a kappo restaurant, it serves everything from Western dishes to Chinese food.
And, of course, there are the winter-only monkfish and wild boar hot pots.
The monkfish hot pot in particular is a specialty of the head chef, who trained in Shimonoseki, the home of monkfish cuisine.
There aren’t many places around Kurashiki where you can eat monkfish or wild boar hot pot, which makes them especially appealing.
Every dish at Tagosaku has a gentle, nostalgic flavor.
It was as if the friendly head chef’s personality came through in the food.
Taishu Kappo Tagosaku details
| Name | Taishu Kappo Tagosaku |
|---|---|
| Address | 1-2-5 Tsurugata, Kurashiki City, Okayama Prefecture, Sakamoto Building, 1st floor |
| Contact | 086-425-0182 |
| Parking | None |
| Hours | 11:30 a.m.–2:00 p.m. (last order at 1:30 p.m.) 5:00 p.m.–11:00 p.m. (last order at 10:30 p.m.) ※ Lunch service is available Monday–Friday only (excluding public holidays) |
| Closed | Sunday |
| Payment methods |
|
| Reservations | Accepted By phone |
| Seating | 25 seats in total ・Counter: 7 seats ・Japanese-style seating for 2: 3 tables ・Japanese-style seating for 4: 3 tables |
| Smoking | Smoking permitted |
| Restroom | Japanese-style toilet |
| Families with children | ・Strollers allowed inside ・Children’s tableware available |
| Accessibility | Wheelchair access is possible, but there is a step at the entrance. The restroom is not wheelchair accessible. |
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