Though he apprenticed in kaiseki, the chef became captivated by the freedom à la carte dishes gave him. To create a restaurant where the customer comes first, he crafted a menu with a full range of options. Potato salad combines beef with pickled turnip, the better to serve as a drinking snack. Sweetfish sushi uses roasted sweetfish paired with vinegared rice seasoned with Japanese pepper. The rice ball with eel tempura filling is an idiosyncratic touch. As the conversation flows with the amiable owner-chef, time flows by in a comfortable mood.