• L’Embellir

    Whether you are looking to impress your partner or entertain a business associate, L’Embellir in the heart of Aoyama would be a good choice for several reasons. To begin with, it is conveniently located just a few blocks from the Omotesando crossing on the narrow boutique-lined lane that leads to the Nezu Museum – a walk that never fails to provide a glimpse of some of the most creatively decked up Tokyoites around. Even if you don’t wear Prada (and… Read more »

  • Ichirin

    The minute you step into Ichirin (一凛), it feels like a different world. The space is serene yet unstuffy, with a light wood counter dominating one side of the room and two tables generously positioned apart from each other and away from the counter, offering a bit of privacy. A young lady, clad in a white outfit that is often seen on Japanese chefs, quietly escorts you to your table and takes drinks orders, as if performing a time-honoured ritual…. Read more »

  • Kitera

    There are a number of theories about the invention of soy sauce but at least one legend has it that tamari soy sauce was invented in Wakayama, the prefecture at the tip of the Kii peninsula, south of Kyoto. Tamari, which is a specifically Japanese soy sauce, is made almost entirely from soy bean. The story goes that Kakushin, a Zen Buddhist priest who had traveled to the Kinzanji, or the Temple of the Golden Mountain, in China, returned not… Read more »

  • Crab

    There are certain things any self-respecting foodie in Japan needs to eat when in season – bamboo shoot in the spring, hamo (daggertooth pike conger) in the summer, matsutake (pine mushroom) in the autumn, and in the winter it would have to be crab. Although I do not consider myself a fanatical foodie, I had the good fortune this winter to be served specimens of some of the highest-grade crab in Japan, not once, but twice. The first crab came… Read more »

  • Sukiyabashi Jiro

    Jiro Ono rolled the rice in the palm of his hand and slipped a slice of fish on to the vinegared mounds, wordlessly working his trade behind the counter. His eyes darted quickly from one customer to another, keeping tabs on how they were progressing with their meal. As soon as he saw an empty plate, the grand sushi master would promptly place the next course of sushi on it, quietly urging diners to eat up, leaving hardly a moment… Read more »

  • Les Creations de Narisawa

    Hidden from street view behind an imposing silvery office building, Narisawa, which has three stars from Michelin, is unassuming. Featuring very little other than walls in plain white and dark wood, the décor is not merely minimalist, it is stark. But what is lacking in atmospheric embellishment is more than made up for by the beauty of the food served. It is not for nothing that chef, Yoshihiro Narisawa, once called his restaurant “Les Creations de Narisawa.” Upon being seated,… Read more »