HEALTHY, SIMPLE DAILY FOOD
THAT NURTURES THE MIND AND BODY

Cooking in pursuit of delicious food

Koto Koto, found within a two minute walk from Nakameguro Station on the Tokyu Toyoko Line, offers a relaxed atmosphere without the hustle and bustle of the busy city. The owner, Hiromi Sato, has been serving simple, everyday meals to guests for many years. Many of her frequent guest praise her food saying that “whatever you eat, tastes great.” The name of the restaurant is an onomatopoeia that is commonly used in Japan to represent the sound of a stewing pot, which is a sound that can be heard everyday at Koto Koto.

When Sato was in elementary school, she baked her first Madeleine and since then dreamt of becoming a pastry chef. After graduating high school, Sato went to a confectionary school and started working at a cake shop. At one point she was running her own cafe in Daikanyama where she often cooked stewed dishes for the staff. These stewed dishes became surprisingly popular even among regular customers and got her thinking, “I would rather make simple dishes that we eat everyday rather than a trendy cafe menu.” This led to her open Koto Koto in 2003, and in 2009 she published a recipe book called, “Koto Koto Meals ~ Dishes and Side Dishes that you want to eat everyday”.

Well seasoned burdock Tempura

Croquette filled with pumpkin

Sato tries to make things that she is interested in from scratch at least once in order to make additive-free and safe products. She has been impressed with the quality of many of the handmade ingredients she has made saying it often exceeds her expectation. She makes a large amount of homemade miso yearly and even processed meats such as ham and bacon are made in the smoker at her house. The Konjac is also homemade, made from konjac roots that are sent from Kumamoto in the Autumn. She even made tofu by hand at one point. Rather than creating an elaborate dish using these ingredients, she usually prepares them simply. For example, miso for miso soup, simply grilling homemade bacon, konjac as sashimi and tofu sprinkled with salt or with soy sauce. She says the outcome of the simplicity of the dishes proves that food prepared properly can taste well even on its own.

Onigiri rice ball, something many like to eat at the end of a meal

Onigiri goes well with Japanese pickles

The people who gather at Koto Koto are adults who love good food and love to chat, which explains why they are always eating and constantly smiling. Perhaps it comes from the joy and security of nourishing your body with healthy and natural food.