My name is Yosuke Suga
I'm a chef at the SUGOLABO, our laboratory in Tokyo
Martina: We are flying out to Ehime Prefecture
M: We're following around Chef Suga and his team of awesome sou chefs
M: to go treasure-hunt for some of the greatest food ever.
M: This is dekopon (デコポン) and oh my god guys, if you could smell this
M: It's like orange essence
M: I can honestly say,
M: This is the best orange I've had in my entire life. I cannot-
Simon: You haven't tried the kiyomi (清見) yet, have you? M: Really?
M: Oh my god, guys
M: *whispers* Dekopon
M: We expected to be only visiting farms and places that basically had produce
M: but we're actually visiting places that do like pottery, that make paper,
M: and there's a lot things that go into running this restaurant.
M: and the chef himself is coming out to look and to be inspired by these places
M:and I think that's really special.
M: This is something I wouldn't expect to find in a soy sauce factory
M: It's basically like a mad scientist's lab but working on blending flavors to actually get it perfect
M: You might think of like one ubiquitous soy sauce that you see on your table when you go for sushi
M: But there are so many different kinds in Japan
M: This is incredible
S: So this is our last day in Ehime, I feel like I've learned so much just from visiting one prefecture
S: and I'm so excited to see what Suga comes up with back in Tokyo
M: So we're beginning our meal with what looks like the most adorable savory macaron on the entire planet
M: Let me see
M: That was like a deviled egg, hidden inside of the outside of the shell of a macaron
M: It doesn't taste like a macaron at all
S: I am super excited about this right here
S: This is prosciutto that is only given to two restaurants in Tokyo
S: It's cured by a man in the mountains in Gifu
S: This is a very rare, very special prosciutto to get and it's served on rice
S: Are you ready?
S: It's so creamy, it almost has like a-
S: almost tastes like a cheddar, in a way, it's got like a cheese to it
S: It's- it's so delightful
S: We haven't even started the entrees yet
S: This is- we're in for a treat
S: This is going to be a good night
M: Beautiful puff pastry, I wish you guys could smell the butter on this
M: Locally grown asparagus and truffles are in season right now
M: This needs to be at least five times bigger?
M: Wow.. great, gotta eat it slowly
S: So we're having Tottori snow crab with Hokkaido sea urchin, with a vinegar jelly and tofu skin underneath
S: with some yuzu on top as well
S: I- I don't even
S: I can't even guess how this is going to taste
S: This- this hits all parts of your mouth in a wonderful happy way
S: You're smelling it as you bring it up to your mouth, the yuzu as well
S: You have the creaminess of the sea urchin at the bottom
S: and the lovely taste and texture of the snow crab in between
S: This is Tottori crab
S: and it's "Tottori" delicious
M: wah wahh..
M: Hokkaido abalone and on top of it, local organic lemon
M: Chef Sugo was saying that it's totally unique because the peel is not bitter like a normal lemon
M: I- I've never heard of that before so let's find out
M: It's just bright, it's citrusy, but it doesn't have that horrible bitter flavor you get
M: at the outside of the lemon when you're all like "ughh"
M: It doesn't have that at all
M: It's like, essence of lemon
M: Beautiful, with the abalone
S: Every component of that dish is mindblowing
S: The tomato is fantastic
S: That was a d*** fine potato as well
S: And the lemon itself
S: Every component in there is a superstar
S: Nothing, it just.. it's so surprising
S: I- I can't express to you how different produce is in Japan
S: If you go to somebody that really cares about how to grow food
S: When you feel that on your plate, it's-
S: It's another experience
S: It's just something totally different
S: Oh my god
S: What's interesting also here is that when it comes to like really high level kitchens,
S: you often see a lot of intensity with the chefs
and like, you could always see with Gordon Ramsay yelling at everyone
S: But here, everyone is so calm, it's- it's very chill here
S: This feels like you're with your friends at a party, there's no stress here
S: He's just making you food casually,
S: Casually but exceptionally well
S: and this is such a comfortable, wonderful environment to be in
S: I am the most excited about this one right here
S: This is Akita beef
S: You saw that we did a video about Akita beef before
S: and this has a special egg from Shikoku
S: Ultra-famous eggs, each egg is two dollars per egg
S: Let's try this out
S: Oh my god
S: I'm a white boy from Canada
S: Do you know how much macaroni I've had?
S: Here we have macaroni with truffle cream
S: There's more truffle here than there is macaroni
S: I'm- *at lost for words*
S: Oh.....
S: I don't know where to look, I don't know what to do
S: This is phenomenal *clears throat* Phenomenal
S: I- I want to eat, I'm-
S: Okay, we have some money in savings. Let's just donate it all here so we could just eat here every day
S: Is there an application form?
S: How do I sign up to work here, what do I do?
S: This.. start to finish-
S: Haven't even gotten to the desserts yet
S: This is- this is unbelievably great
S: Guys, this is unbelievably great
M: I am extremely excited about this dessert
M: I have a very clear memory of it beginning to rain and we were climbing this hill with these oranges everywhere
M: and it was the first time ever that I tried a dekopon and my knees were killing me
M: and I could barely reach the actual orange tree and then one of the chefs handed me an orange
M: and we peeled it right there and the rain starting coming down
M: and I could smell all the leaves and all the citrus and I bit into this orange
M: and it was the most amazing orange I had ever had
M: and I have this memory in my heart and this is the dessert I can actually eat with my memory
M: It's like, my memory of being in Ehime and eating those oranges and now I actually get a chance to try it
M: *gasps in delight*
*noms*
M: *silently wiggling* omg
M: and while I am able to share this with you guys through video,
M: Chef Suga is sharing that with you guys via his plates
S: So if you come to Japan and you just spend all your time in Tokyo, it's-
S: It's great, it's really interesting but I feel like if you step outside of Tokyo, go to the other prefectures,
S: You get so much more of a story of Japan and so much more of an idea of what it has to offer
S: So I hope we've convinced you
S: Number one, that this restaurant is absolutely amazing
S: and number two, that you should try to understand the story behind your food
S: Don't just eat it mindlessly
S: but know where it comes from
S: and you'll have a much richer, much more delicious, and much happier experience