I'm a chef at the SUGOLABO, our laboratory in Tokyo

Martina: We are flying out to Ehime Prefecture

M: We're following around Chef Suga and his team of awesome sou chefs

M: to go treasure-hunt for some of the greatest food ever.

M: This is dekopon (デコポン) and oh my god guys, if you could smell this

M: It's like orange essence

M: I can honestly say,

M: This is the best orange I've had in my entire life. I cannot-

Simon: You haven't tried the kiyomi (清見) yet, have you? M: Really?

M: Oh my god, guys

M: *whispers* Dekopon

M: We expected to be only visiting farms and places that basically had produce

M: but we're actually visiting places that do like pottery, that make paper,

M: and there's a lot things that go into running this restaurant.

M: and the chef himself is coming out to look and to be inspired by these places

M:and I think that's really special.

M: This is something I wouldn't expect to find in a soy sauce factory

M: It's basically like a mad scientist's lab but working on blending flavors to actually get it perfect

M: You might think of like one ubiquitous soy sauce that you see on your table when you go for sushi

M: But there are so many different kinds in Japan

M: This is incredible

S: So this is our last day in Ehime, I feel like I've learned so much just from visiting one prefecture

S: and I'm so excited to see what Suga comes up with back in Tokyo

M: So we're beginning our meal with what looks like the most adorable savory macaron on the entire planet

M: Let me see

M: That was like a deviled egg, hidden inside of the outside of the shell of a macaron

M: It doesn't taste like a macaron at all

S: I am super excited about this right here

S: This is prosciutto that is only given to two restaurants in Tokyo

S: It's cured by a man in the mountains in Gifu

S: This is a very rare, very special prosciutto to get and it's served on rice

S: Are you ready?

S: It's so creamy, it almost has like a-

S: almost tastes like a cheddar, in a way, it's got like a cheese to it

S: It's- it's so delightful

S: We haven't even started the entrees yet

S: This is- we're in for a treat

S: This is going to be a good night

M: Beautiful puff pastry, I wish you guys could smell the butter on this

M: Locally grown asparagus and truffles are in season right now

M: This needs to be at least five times bigger?

M: Wow.. great, gotta eat it slowly

S: So we're having Tottori snow crab with Hokkaido sea urchin, with a vinegar jelly and tofu skin underneath

S: with some yuzu on top as well

S: I- I don't even

S: I can't even guess how this is going to taste

S: This- this hits all parts of your mouth in a wonderful happy way

S: You're smelling it as you bring it up to your mouth, the yuzu as well

S: You have the creaminess of the sea urchin at the bottom

S: and the lovely taste and texture of the snow crab in between

S: This is Tottori crab

S: and it's "Tottori" delicious

M: wah wahh..

M: Hokkaido abalone and on top of it, local organic lemon

M: Chef Sugo was saying that it's totally unique because the peel is not bitter like a normal lemon

M: I- I've never heard of that before so let's find out

M: It's just bright, it's citrusy, but it doesn't have that horrible bitter flavor you get

M: at the outside of the lemon when you're all like "ughh"

M: It doesn't have that at all

M: It's like, essence of lemon

M: Beautiful, with the abalone

S: Every component of that dish is mindblowing

S: The tomato is fantastic

S: That was a d*** fine potato as well

S: And the lemon itself

S: Every component in there is a superstar

S: Nothing, it just.. it's so surprising

S: I- I can't express to you how different produce is in Japan

S: If you go to somebody that really cares about how to grow food

S: When you feel that on your plate, it's-

S: It's another experience

S: It's just something totally different

S: Oh my god

S: What's interesting also here is that when it comes to like really high level kitchens,

S: you often see a lot of intensity with the chefs

and like, you could always see with Gordon Ramsay yelling at everyone

S: But here, everyone is so calm, it's- it's very chill here

S: This feels like you're with your friends at a party, there's no stress here

S: He's just making you food casually,

S: Casually but exceptionally well

S: and this is such a comfortable, wonderful environment to be in

S: I am the most excited about this one right here

S: This is Akita beef

S: You saw that we did a video about Akita beef before

S: and this has a special egg from Shikoku

S: Ultra-famous eggs, each egg is two dollars per egg

S: Let's try this out

S: Oh my god

S: I'm a white boy from Canada

S: Do you know how much macaroni I've had?

S: Here we have macaroni with truffle cream

S: There's more truffle here than there is macaroni

S: I'm- *at lost for words*

S: Oh.....

S: I don't know where to look, I don't know what to do

S: This is phenomenal *clears throat* Phenomenal

S: I- I want to eat, I'm-

S: Okay, we have some money in savings. Let's just donate it all here so we could just eat here every day

S: Is there an application form?

S: How do I sign up to work here, what do I do?

S: This.. start to finish-

S: Haven't even gotten to the desserts yet

S: This is- this is unbelievably great

S: Guys, this is unbelievably great

M: I am extremely excited about this dessert

M: I have a very clear memory of it beginning to rain and we were climbing this hill with these oranges everywhere

M: and it was the first time ever that I tried a dekopon and my knees were killing me

M: and I could barely reach the actual orange tree and then one of the chefs handed me an orange

M: and we peeled it right there and the rain starting coming down

M: and I could smell all the leaves and all the citrus and I bit into this orange

M: and it was the most amazing orange I had ever had

M: and I have this memory in my heart and this is the dessert I can actually eat with my memory

M: It's like, my memory of being in Ehime and eating those oranges and now I actually get a chance to try it

M: *gasps in delight*

*noms*

M: *silently wiggling* omg

M: and while I am able to share this with you guys through video,

M: Chef Suga is sharing that with you guys via his plates

S: So if you come to Japan and you just spend all your time in Tokyo, it's-

S: It's great, it's really interesting but I feel like if you step outside of Tokyo, go to the other prefectures,

S: You get so much more of a story of Japan and so much more of an idea of what it has to offer

S: So I hope we've convinced you

S: Number one, that this restaurant is absolutely amazing

S: and number two, that you should try to understand the story behind your food

S: Don't just eat it mindlessly

S: but know where it comes from

S: and you'll have a much richer, much more delicious, and much happier experience