PONTE VECCHIO

When I first embarked upon my journey as a cook, I was filled with impulsive dreams and ideals.
Those aspirations soon led me to Italy, and upon returning to Japan I opened my own small restaurant.
That first effort was a tiny place in the Hommachibashi district of Osaka. It had no fancy appliances to cook on, and I resorted to the use of cheap pans and tableware. The kitchen was cramped and hot, and after nine months I had to remodel the place.
During the first few years, almost everything broke down. One day the door fell off the refrigerator. On a separate occasion the bottom of the sink fell right through. It was downright depressing!
Still, I continued to dream about running a restaurant closer to what I had always dreamed of.
I suppose you could call me a “remodeling maniac,” or a perhaps “relocation fanatic” in those days. I was prone to replace my cooking utensils on a massive scale, with all those moves and renovations leaving me with barely any money to spare.

In 1996, I moved to a spot at the foot of the Temmabashi Bridge, only to carry on in that same mode.
I staked everything I had to each new venture, but always seemed to grow tired and unfulfilled before long.

That pattern dragged on for around 18 years, until I opened my current restaurant at the KITAHAMA flagship location in 2004.
That time, as always, I channeled all my energy and resources into the new place.
I went with my own ideas and designs for the lighting, chairs, tableware and most everything else, refusing to compromise on any front.
I told myself that the new kitchen was great – truly approaching my ideal. I was taking my revenge for all the sadness and dissatisfaction of the past.
Thankfully, I continue to be quite happy with that restaurant today, and have no plans for any major remodeling. Finally!

At the KITAHAMA flagship, I’m determined to serve the dishes that we envision, and do everything possible with the very minimum amount of compromise. At the same time, I also want to respond to the desires of our customers to the greatest possible degree.
In that sense, I also view this as a site for developing new dishes, and carrying out experiments, trial creations and other innovations.
The goal, simply stated, is to provide an ideal dining experience for people who want to enjoy food, wine and other dining pleasures, with a minimum of compromise.

The keynote concept is to empower Chef Daisuke Yamane to take his culinary dreams to the limit. In that mission, the spirit of the flagship restaurant in the PONTE VECCHIO Group is to go all out in the selection of ingredients, service and on all other fronts. The true meaning, and the essential elements of “PONTE VECCHIO,” can be found right here.