Thirty-seven floors above Osaka’s bustling streets, French chef Yannick Alleno is orchestrating a conversation across oceans.
At Sushi L’Abysse Osaka Yannick Alleno, his newest restaurant that opened in late October in Kita Ward’s Four Seasons Hotel Osaka, the dialogue takes many forms. Sometimes it centers on serious exploration of tradition and technique — as in silken tofu made with artichoke and sprinkled with smoked fish roe. Other times, whimsy prevails: The first bite of what appears to be a classic slice of fatty tuna nigiri sushi reveals a hidden crackle of crispy shallots atop the morsel of rice.
The meal unfolds in three thoughtful stages. The first courses showcase dishes like layered endive and marinated radicchio brightened with parsley oil; a caviar-crowned soft-boiled egg nestled amid a whip of tuna blended with a tuna-fat “mayonnaise” mixture; and lightly poached oysters enveloped in a creamy rice emulsion with aonori seaweed gelee.