At Japanese Restaurant AN, it feels like you're dining in someone's home. Up the stairs, second floor, and you're not in a slick auditorium but in an intimate dining room. The space resembles a home: compact, quiet, and along the walls Japanese bowls, plates and platters. No loud music, no bar with fixtures, just a calm sit-down restaurant where it's all about the food.
Since 1989, one man has taken center stage here: owner-chef Mr. Fujita. He runs the kitchen himself and cooks like what is eaten in Japan during the week. The concept is Japanese house food, not a show. So no complicated fusion dishes, but recipes you'd find at a kitchen table in Japan rather than in a hotel restaurant.
Much of the menu revolves around teishoku, complete set menus. You then get a main course with standard rice, miso soup and a few small side dishes. All handmade, to the rhythm of one chef who knows his own cuisine well. There are also classics like sushi and sashimi, so you can also grab raw fish, and gyoza for those in the mood for something heartier from the pan.
Much of the menu revolves around teishoku, complete set menus.
You can tell that AN has been around since the late 1980s by its down-to-earth approach. No trend menus that change every month, no fuss with theme nights or live music. Just a regular evening service, with an updated menu that still revolves around those Japanese home dishes. In a city where many Japanese businesses focus mainly on sushi or trendy combinations, AN stays right close to the everyday cuisine from Japan, with Fujita unflappable behind the stove.