Yamagata Prefecture produces some of the finest fruit in all Japan: Sato Nishiki cherries, La France pears, Mutai Fuji apples and Obanazawa watermelons are just a few of the premium varieties from this rural prefecture some 300 kilometers north of Tokyo.
Despite the deep snow that blankets the land throughout the winter months, the farmers here manage to grow excellent vegetables and rice, too — not to mention the local sake. There’s even surprisingly good wine. And the same goes for the prefecture’s livestock: Yonezawa beef, Sangenton pork and Shonai duck have become names renowned across the country.
These are flagship products commanding premium prices at high-end Tokyo department stores — and, increasingly, in much of Asia. In recent years, they have helped put Yamagata’s name firmly on the map as an apparent gourmet cornucopia.
The reality, however, is a lot more nuanced, says chef Yusuke Murayama.
Born and raised in the prefecture, Murayama is the chef-patron of Pas Mal, widely considered to be the most creative, progressive French restaurant in Yamagata City. Over the past three decades, he has observed firsthand as his home prefecture has developed from snow-country backwater to agricultural powerhouse.
That growth is mirrored by Murayama’s own evolution as a chef. Now in his 40s, he has been active in the restaurant industry since his teens, at first taking part-time jobs in his time off from school, then training at French restaurants in Tokyo and Yamagata. By 2003, at the age of 25, he was ready to launch his first venture under the name Bistro Pas Mal.
Rather than basing himself in the prefectural capital, Murayama instead chose Tendo, a smaller, quieter city best known for Yamadera, its much-visited Buddhist temple perched on a stone outcropping accessible only by a flight of over a thousand stone steps. The town is also a hub for local agriculture and home to a number of major manufacturers. Best of all, it had a clientele receptive to the enthusiastic bistro cuisine he was serving.
This was where Murayama established his credentials. Over the next decade, he honed his craft and developed his technical skills, focusing especially on the all-important sauces that underpin classical French cuisine and which have become such an important part of his repertoire.
He also forged strong links with local farmers and producers, another facet that has become the hallmark of his cooking. At the same time, Murayama was joined by his younger brother, Tatsuaki — a wine enthusiast who had worked at wineries in Yamagata and overseas in Europe, California and Australia — to take care of sommelier and front-of-house duties.
Creating a ‘local’ French gastronomy
By 2017, everything was in place for the brothers to take Pas Mal to the next level. Leaving the bistro behind, they moved into Yamagata City, taking over a compact but atmospheric two-story site that has proved ideal for showcasing their full-course gastronomic cuisine.
Restaurant Pas Mal’s premises are a study in contrasts. The ground floor is decorated in chic shades of charcoal, gray and black with striking pop art on the walls and a sleek seven-seat counter where you can interact directly with chef Murayama as he works in his open kitchen.
By contrast, the upstairs dining room is done out in simple, classic monochrome, with white paintwork and white table cloths. Seating is limited to just three tables and a maximum of 10 guests served at any one time. With the younger Murayama overseeing service, it feels quiet, refined, exclusive and — as downstairs — would not look out of place in central Tokyo.
It didn’t take long for word to spread about chef Murayama’s cuisine. These days, at least half of the clientele hail from outside the prefecture. Many make special trips from Tokyo — a ride of 2½ hours from Tokyo by shinkansen — to enjoy his creative, leisurely meals.
One of his most beautiful dishes features amadai (tilefish) from the Sea of Japan coast. He prepares it in the traditional Japanese style known as “matsukasa,” crisping up the scales in his frying pan but using ample amounts of butter rather than oil. He then adds plump red ikura (salmon roe) and chives to a beurre blanc sauce, which he accents with sudachi citrus.
Murayama also makes a lovely mille-feuille of local potatoes — they are actually grown for him by his mother — which he cooks in the dauphinoise style with Roquefort cheese and basil. Topped with French caviar, it gleams on the plate, as handsome as it is satisfying.
At the same time, he has also developed his own take on regional Yamagata specialties, such as imoni. Traditionally, this is made by simmering sato imo (small taro) in a savory broth with pork meat. For the Pas Mal version, Murayama omits the soy sauce, instead cooking the corms low and slow for three days, then serving them with burdock root and wild boar meat in a rich consomme prepared from the same animal.
From the opening finger foods — such as savory madeleines made with a Yamagata variant of green edamame, or rillettes of flavorful Sangenton pork blended with Shonai duck meat served in delicate cheese tuiles — Murayama gives his guests a gourmet tour of the best his prefecture has to offer.
That includes his signature dessert. Simply called "Kiss," this is a framboise mousse the color of glossy lipstick rouge and the shape of a woman’s mouth in pop art style. The two red lines that seem to drip from those sensuous lips are no mistake: Murayama says his creation depicts "a passion so deep that the act of kissing may even draw blood." There could be no better advertisement for the intense flavor of Yamagata’s raspberries.
Looking to the future
There’s a reason why Pas Mal is one of the few places in the city to offer such sophisticated and inventive cuisine. Murayama says most people prefer to dine more simply and cheaply at traditional izakaya taverns where prices are kept as low as possible. The drawback is that it has become impossible for those eateries to serve the best local products.
"They have to use ingredients that are affordable — even the vegetables they serve are often imported," Murayama explains. "People in Yamagata have very little opportunity to taste all the wonderful produce grown in the prefecture. That is something I want to change."
At Pas Mal, he is demonstrating there can be plenty of demand for high-end gastronomy on this level in Yamagata — and not just among visiting foodies.
"I speak with young chefs who trained in Tokyo and have then returned to the city," Murayama says. "I tell them I’m increasing my prices, and they should do the same. I want to raise the average dining costs here. I want to show the younger generation they can make a living here in Yamagata Prefecture — and they don’t have to leave here and go to Tokyo."
But Murayama has his sights set even higher. His ultimate vision is for the city to become a vibrant gourmet destination — and, by doing so, to give young people greater pride in their region and the motivation to stay there.
Translated from the French, "Pas Mal" means "not bad" or even "pretty good."
It may be meant tongue-in-cheek but, even so, the name comes across as way too modest for the finest gastronomic restaurant in Yamagata. If Murayama succeeds, his impact on his hometown will prove to be a lot more positive than that.
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