A chef’s work, says Hidetsugu Okamoto, is a process of tinkering to create something more elaborate, which is why he does not serve decoratively arranged sashimi. Soba with salted and dried grey mullet roe is paired with roasted buckwheat seeds. Pepper-flower hotpot offers a taste comparison between pork and beef, an improvement on a dish learned in his apprenticeship. He likes to serve Okayama flavours such as sardinella, eel and Spanish mackerel on Bizen-ware dishes.