After the excess of the holidays, the exactitude and temperance of lunch at Jiki Miyazawa was a welcome treat.

It is only a few days into the new year when I dine at this single-counter restaurant, and the holiday still appears to be guiding the fare: The colors are stark, but resonate warmth and comfort.

I don't know the precise origins of kappō-dining: A row of diners seated before a chef (or chefs) facing off like a pair of chess pros, often in a narrow space — but it gives you an immediacy bordering on stalking. As we proceed through this eight-course lunch, chef Takamoto Izumi remains one move ahead preparing the next plates, explaining dishes and quietly, but sternly, dispatching his workers to their chores and stations. More often than not, and in that classic Japanese manner, this is achieved more so by inferences and actions, such as the slightest scowl.