Near 'Jindai Botanical Garden,' about 15 minutes by car from Mitaka Station, is "Maruta," a restaurant that serves wood-fired cuisine. Firewood is piled next to the entrance of the wood house-like structure. Inside is a spacious open kitchen, one corner of which is commanded by the wood-fired grill.
Under the concept of Local First, "Maruta" takes in food ingredients primarily from the neighboring Tama district, and fresh seafood from Izu, flown into nearby Chofu Airport. A key feature of "Maruta" is its unique serving style. Large dishes are placed on a 5.5-meter-long table and shared among diners. An example is a fire-grilled duck, heaped on a platter for an impressive entrance on the table as a main dish. It is simple fare that directly delivers the flavor and savoriness of the grilled meat, enhanced only by salt, homemade pickles, or black pepper ground on the spot by guests. Guests serve themselves from the platter; everyone becomes entranced by the meal.
The chef is Ikki Ishimatsu. Traveling to Australia after working in restaurants including "KM" in Ginza, he trained at Brae, one of the world's up-and-coming restaurants. Built next to its own expansive, 120,000-square-meter organic vegetable and free-range chicken farm, Brae is a restaurant that makes use of fresh ingredients in its dishes. Following his training, Ishimatsu took on the role of the chef with the opening of "Maruta" in 2017. Hiroyuki Toyama, originally of "Gris" (now "sio") in Yoyogi-Uehara, is the sommelier and in charge of service. He skillfully pairs food with the nuances of drink, including naturally crafted champagne and wine, domestic craft gin, and homemade non-alcoholic beverages fermented with ingredients from neighboring farms and gardens. A master at proposing bottled wines matched to guests' preferences, he recommends ordering magnum bottles of wines that change within the glass.
Inside the restaurant are 2 tables that seat ten. Reservations for small groups are possible, but filling a table with 6 to 10 people is recommended. There is a wide field in the courtyard, where rosemary and other herbs are harvested on the spot for use in dishes. Maruta is a place where you can enjoy a real food experience in a live atmosphere.
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* The availability of an English version of this page does not guarantee that the restaurant can provide services in English unless otherwise stated. Please be aware that, even if stated, there may still be days when English speaking staff are unavailable.
【Access】
■A 1-minute walk from Jindai-Ji Kita-machi Bus Station.
