Awa beef steak, plated on a bed of sauteed kale and grilled eggplant purée
restaurant review

TurnTable melds Tokushima ingredients into melting pot of cuisine

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By Jessica Sayuri Boissy

Since opening last February in Shibuya, the Tokushima-themed restaurant TurnTable — which simultaneously operates a swank hostel under the same name— has been turning out seasonal dishes that vary from day to day. The mastermind behind these ever-changing menus is head chef Jordan McLeod, who rises to the task of composing a meal from produce to poultry that is picked, packaged, and delivered daily from Shikoku: the smallest of Japan’s four main islands.

In recent years, while regional “antenna shops” have popped up within Tokyo, TurnTable’s concept of catering to both customers and their clients — be it the craftsmen at Inoue Miso (a 140-year-old miso factory) or Kouichi Mura, a charismatic fisherman from Naruto City — is a win-win approach to promoting Tokushima Prefecture to the masses. Moreover, it’s a noteworthy boost that the restaurant (including the five-story building that houses its signature market and bar) is, in fact, owned by the Tokushima prefectural government.

In line with the “farm-to-table” philosophy, McLeod reveals how partnerships with family-run farms provide the restaurant with “omakase boxes” selected and stuffed with supremely fresh ingredients. The Sydney-born chef, who’s accumulated 15 years of culinary experience across a myriad of cuisines, admits to also welcoming the challenges of an altering menu determined by what is seasonally available from Tokushima suppliers.

“It’s a little bit challenging because I don’t know what ingredients are coming in each day,” McLeod says in preparing impromptu dishes. “But there’s always fish, like suzuki (Japanese sea bass) caught all year round,” as well as Kintoki pork (named after the golden variety of sweet potato they consume) and Awa beef (a Tokushima brand of lean red meat).

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Interestingly, the dining room's rustic interior, aglow with flickering candles atop rough-hewn tables, takes a page from Scandinavian design. For a restaurant specializing in all things Tokushima, a design nod to the animated folk dance of Awa Odori or, say, the Naruto whirlpools wouldn’t be out of place. But, as our knowledgeable waiter Chihiro pointed out, Japanese cedar (sugi) cloaking the rugged woodland of Tokushima’s mountainside were cut and crafted into TurnTable’s custom-made tables and chairs.

This attention to detail extends to the walls, which are painted with an arabesque-like mural composed of lime-green sudachi citrus flowers. Even the orange-hued drinking glasses pay homage to the citrus-growing region while the blue graphite-colored open kitchen—equipped with a firewood grill—hints to the age-old craft of aizome (indigo dyeing). Otherwise known as “Awa-ai” from Tokushima, where, famously, most of Japan’s indigo plants are grown.

Although TurnTable restaurant is only open for dinner, these colors are channeled into the multi-course menu—ranging from four, five, and seven courses (¥5,000 to ¥8,000)—that capture the gastronomy of this bountiful coastal prefecture. Alternating à la carte options are also available (¥1,200 to ¥4,900), including wood-grilled Kamiyama chicken (half-size; ¥4,000) and herb-crusted Kintoki pork cutlet (180g; ¥2,600).

At Chef McLeod’s suggestion, we went with the five-course tasting menu (¥6,500). An optional wine pairing features a variety of genshu (undiluted sake), Kamikatz craft beer, and a global wine selection (¥6,000)—all of which are available by the glass (¥800 to ¥1,300).

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Kingfish carpaccio seasoned in a tangy dressing of sudachi

The first glimmer of fusion cooking was a freshly-baked sourdough bread accompanied by miso butter (a luscious blend of red and white miso). As a playful side note, McLeod and his close-knit kitchen crew named their bubbling yeast, an essential bread-baking ingredient, “Rodrigo.” Then the first course arrived: kingfish carpaccio seasoned in a tangy dressing of sudachi (a lime-like citrus fruit), white soy sauce, and wasanbon (fine-grained cane sugar unique to Tokushima).

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Potato gnocchi in brown butter sauce

The refreshing slices of marinated raw fish drew a ying-yang contrast to the subsequent plump potato gnocchi bathed in a brown butter sauce. Homemade ricotta, roasted eggplant, mushrooms, and rosemary revved up the quintessential Italian dumplings—our favorite entree of the night.

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Shards of papaya intertwining with coriander and crushed peanuts

A turn from Italian to Thai, the third course was a take on green papaya salad, the crunchy shards of papaya intertwining with coriander and crushed peanuts. Braised Kintoki pork shoulder and squid fried in a light tempura batter complemented the zesty marinade of fish sauce and sudachi juice, alongside a glass of Australian rose wine.

Then came the tender Awa beef steak, plated on a bed of sauteed kale and grilled eggplant purée—reminiscent of the signature Middle Eastern dish baba ganoush. A caramelized onion that had been whole roasted on the firewood grill nicely offset the sturdy yet sinuous meat dish paired delightfully with syrah wine.

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Slices of poached Asian pear (nashi) arranged into a decorative rose with a bittersweet mousse

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Spiced pumpkin ice cream, drizzled in wasanbon syrup, complemented by black-rice-chestnut pudding garnished with edible flowers

Rounding off our Tokushima tasting menu was a scoop of sudachi sorbet with fragrant, lemon balm granita. Other dessert options include spiced pumpkin ice cream, drizzled in wasanbon syrup, complemented by black-rice-chestnut pudding garnished with edible flowers (¥900). Slices of poached Asian pear (nashi) arranged into a decorative rose also evoke the classic pairing of wine and chocolate with a bittersweet mousse (¥900).

With a cooking style that blends modern Australian cuisine with Tokushima ingredients, Chef McLeod explains that his melting pot approach is “a balance of flavors” achieved in “dishes inspired from all over the world.” Hands down, a dinner for all palettes, TurnTable will, in turn, pique your interest on this eastern region of Shikoku where seasonality and farm-to-table sensibility is a year-round affair.

Address: 10-3, Shinsen-cho, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo

Tel: 03-3461-7722

Hours: 6 p.m. to 12 p.m. (L.O. 10:30 p.m.)

Closed: Sundays

Access: A 3-minute walk from Shinsen Station on the Keio Inokashira Line

Featured Menu: 5-Course Dinner ¥6,500; Optional Wine Pairing ¥6,000

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