30/08/2026
* English Follows Japanese *
In Niigata, chef Kazuhiro Inoue has created a restaurant where the landscape itself becomes the foundation of the cuisine.
After leaving Tokyo, Inoue and his wife, Mariko, established Uozen on the outskirts of Sanjo, building a menu almost entirely around the bounty of Niigata Prefecture. The cooking is refined and deeply seasonal, with dishes that include black bear shabu-shabu with grated jinenjo, botan-ebi from Sado Island in bouillabaisse gelée, or wood-fired magamo duck with homemade tekkamiso.
More than 9 years after opening, Uozen has earned a reputation well beyond Niigata, attracting diners from across Japan.