On the face of it, Fukushima is a fairly typical (and bland) ward of Osaka, the kind that you find replicated across the country. Highways, intersections and train lines run every which way in between residential housing and businesses. But, spend just a few minutes traipsing the neighborhood and you'll quickly realize that it's an eater's paradise. There are (orderly) lines at all hours of the day for the myriad restaurants and cafes spread across the ward, and there's everything from Michelin-starred restaurants to outstanding soba, ramen and udon noodle shops.
On paper, the setting for Liaison, a French-inspired restaurant that's on the upmarket end of eateries of the ward, is ordinary. It occupies the ground floor of an apartment block on a side street lined with offices and homes. But it rises above its quotidian setting. A whitewashed brick wall covered with greenery camouflages the exterior of the apartment building, and creates a small courtyard. Inside, you must walk past the open kitchen at the front of the restaurant to get to the half-dozen tables at the back, bathed in natural light.
Liaison opened in November 2017 with chef Hideyo Dezaki leading up a young and ambitious team, helped by his English and Japanese-speaking sommelier. From kitchen to table there is a focus on presentation, and chef Dezaki likes to get a little molecular with his creations.