A glistening piece of fatty tuna sizzles as Tomohito Mizuno, chef Takatoshi Kadowaki's right-hand man, sears it with a hot charcoal. Kadowaki presents the finished morsel of nigiri sushi alongside a glass of Xander Soren Ludeon Pinot Noir from California. As I take a bite followed by a sip, a harmony unfolds — the wine's bright fruitiness and nuanced, earthy notes complementing the buttery, umami-laden fish.
In Tokyo, upscale sushi restaurants serving vintage French wines are a dime a dozen, but Sushi Kadowaki, in the capital’s Ginza district, breaks the mold with a wine list focused mainly on New World offerings.
"I want guests to discover something new," says Kadowaki, 46. "New World wines can bring out different characteristics of the sushi."