Tokyo Archives - Page 6 of 6

Kafuka – Innovative Japanese Cuisine

Posted 12/28/2015 by Michiyo Nakamoto

Tokyo has no shortage of high quality Japanese restaurants but rather inconveniently, most of them only offer full-course menus, complete with dessert. The problem with set courses, though, is not just that some of us, myself included, end up eating much more than we would like to. Because portions tend to be of identical size in any professional restaurant, regardless of whether the guest is a big or small eater, this practically guarantees that some food will be wasted…. Read more »

Kyoaji – a Taste of Kyoto Kaiseki in Central Tokyo

Posted 12/21/2015 by Michiyo Nakamoto

It is regularly voted the best Japanese restaurant in Tokyo. The proprietor is a legendary chef, who inspires adulation among his loyal fans. As one of an exclusive community of “ichigen-san okotowari” (or “introduction required”) restaurants, foodies, both foreign and Japanese, agonize over how to secure a seat there. But there is nothing grand about Kyoaji, even though it is arguably one of Tokyo’s most highly regarded kaiseki restaurants and, undeniably, one of the most difficult to get into. In… Read more »

Restaurant Feu

Posted 09/15/2015 by Michiyo Nakamoto

Once past the bustling commercial complex that is Tokyo Midtown and the imposing National Art Center on a side street to the left, there is little to entice pedestrian traffic down Gaien Higashi-dori, the street that connects Roppongi to Aoyama. Gallery Ma in the Toto building, which holds interesting exhibits strictly for the initiated – such as a show that was on this summer of architect Kenzo Tange’s photographs of his work in progress – and the bookstore just below… Read more »

Akomeya

Posted 06/26/2015 by Michiyo Nakamoto

If you like Japanese food, enjoy seeing nicely designed packaging or just have time to kill in Ginza, visit Akomeya, a food and household goods store that is chock full of unusual Japanese goodies. The name, which is a rather peculiar combination of the Japanese word for rice store – komeya – and the English pronoun “a,” points to its distinctive eclecticism. Akomeya stocks a mesmerising variety of Japanese foodstuffs from all over the country as well as tableware, socks,… Read more »

L’Embellir

Posted 05/07/2015 by Michiyo Nakamoto

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

Posted 04/18/2015 by Michiyo Nakamoto

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 »

Cooking with Kikuo Muramatsu at Totoya Uoshin

Posted 04/04/2015 by Michiyo Nakamoto

At first glance, cooking traditional Japanese food may not strike the uninitiated as particularly complicated or even very time-consuming. After all, how difficult can it be to slice raw fish or cook vegetables in broth? Difficult indeed, I discovered one afternoon as I stood in the kitchen of Totoya Usohin (ととや魚新), a comfortable and welcoming Japanese restaurant conveniently located 3 minutes from Akasaka subway station in central Tokyo. We had come to Totoya – nine women of various ages eager… Read more »

Kitera

Posted 03/25/2015 by Michiyo Nakamoto

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 »

Sukiyabashi Jiro

Posted 11/07/2014 by Michiyo Nakamoto

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

Posted 09/06/2014 by Michiyo Nakamoto

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 »

Posts Tagged: Tokyo