The dining room overlooks the torii gate of Heian Shrine. Dono means ‘sharing with others what is given’, encapsulating gratitude for the bounty of nature and the seasons. In Italy, the chef learned the importance of taking pride in the fruits of the good earth, and he delights in tilling his own fields, raising vegetables and gathering edible wild plants in hill and dale. The chef, second son of the owner of Sojiki Nakahigashi, joins his father in protecting the food culture of the Kyoto region and carrying on the spirit of Italy.