Hamamatsu in Shizuoka Prefecture is a blessing to the vegan tourist with many places and foods to satisfy a vegan's choicest culinary needs. This write-up is about an upmarket Italian cafe called Brilliante IL Suzuki Salone. With its pricing, it's by no means fit for everyone, but if the budget is out of reach, at least Hamamatsu has many more vegan opportunities.

This small cafe and restaurant, located in Sakana-machi, is run by a Japanese chef, Tomonori Suzuki. The cafe is 11 years old with a Royal design and aesthetic. With its counter of 6 seats, reservations are mandatory and include both a reservation fee as well as a cancellation fee. Suzuki Salone is open from 6 pm to 12 am. From 6 to 9 pm is the chef’s choice (omakase course), determined by the ingredients available. After 9 pm, it is time for the a la carte menu which varies daily. A cooking school also features where the chef prepares food as he teaches. There are afternoon and night classes, with the night classes welcoming those who want to learn while enjoying their drink!

The speciality of the restaurant is that all the foods here are gluten-free, meaning that no wheat flour is used at all. A tick for health-conscious eating! A caution though. While gluten-free, the deli here does contain a few home-made meat products, so please ask before you order.

Ethiopia Coffee, the wild variety of coffee harvested in Ethiopia, is available here while the beans are available as easy to use drip coffee packs. The bread and confectionery at Suzuki Salone are home-made and are 100 percent gluten-free though the bread dough does have some cheese. The saving grace for vegans is that if you can call them about your specific preferences, then they can provide gluten-free vegan bread. You also get gluten-free soy sauce and pasta. Frozen packs can also be shipped if ordered.

Food apart, the interior decors feature the ceramic pottery of renowned craftsman, Atsushi Ogata, from Okinawa which is sold in the online store.
 

Getting there

The restaurant is about a 6-minute walk from Hamamatsu Station on the JR Tokaido Main Line.
 

By Helen Xavier