Continuous search for perfection is strongly embedded in the Japanese culture and the mentality. Japanese don’t compromise when quality is concerned, whether it’s service at your hotel, cleanliness of Tokyo streets or quality of the Japanese products. Nowhere in the world you will find such amazing products as in Japan, but that of course comes at a price. At the luxurious fruit store Senbikiya in Tokyo (which was founded by a samurai in the 19^th century), 21 000 ¥ ( around 160 €) will buy you 40 cherries, 4 small watermelons or one muskmelon of the highest quality. These flawless fruits are not destined for your daily breakfast though- they are usually offered as gifts for business partners, family members or friends.

Despite of  it’s popularity and fame ( 3 Michelin stars and  number one on the Japanese language restaurants rating site tabelog.com), Sushi Saito is still one of the most exclusive sushi shops in Tokyo. How could it be otherwise? There are only six places at the counter and even when you finally manage to get a booking, you won’t find the restaurant so easily as it’s literally hidden in a parking garage. This was my second time at Sushi Saito and the nigiris were as perfect as the first time.

This time I’ve also revisited Miyako sushi (or Miyakozushi , 4^th  best sushi restaurant on the tabelog.com site) which for me is probably the favorite from all the high end sushi-yas in Tokyo at the moment. Sugita san has this rare ability, even among the best sushi chefs, to bring out the most exquisite flavors of the fish and the seafood he is using. His, favorite, kohada (gizzard shad), for example is pickled in vinegar for 4 days before serving. Kinmedai ( golden eye snapper) is slightly grilled and  smoked  so the nigiri tastes like butter.  And the ika (squid) was so tender and not chewy at all that I couldn’t believe I was eating squid. Surprisingly, Miyakozushi still doesn’t have any Michelin stars, but the quality of the sushi and the fact that you need to book the restaurant weeks in advance shows that real masters don’t need any medals.

You don’t need to feel as if you are dining at a temple is the motto of Zaiyu Hasegawa, the chef of a modern kaiseki restaurant called Den (2-2-32 Kandajinbocho, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo; tel.03-3222-3978 ). His “counter” restaurant has  2 Michelin stars and ranks very high on the Japanese language site tabelog.com. Nothing surprising about that – apart of the really delicious food , you will also have a really good time at Den. Zaiyu’s san cooking  is inventive and playful, yet it’s not just a game. No compromises are made when the quality of the ingredients is concerned and the cooking techniques (Japanese and French) are mastered to perfection.

The images below are from my two recent dinners, so some dishes might look similar…

One the biggest pleasures of traveling is the wonderful people you might come across. American-Japanese  Yukari Sakamoto is a sommelier, a chef and an author of a book called Food Sake Tokyo. We did the Tsukiji tour together – Yukari’s knowledge of Japanese products and cuisine is just incredible. After the tour we went to have a lunch at Sushi Dai ( Chuo-ku, Tsukiji 6-13-3). Not the one very close the outer market, but it’s sister restaurant 5 min walk from Tsukiji. This place is much more local and not touristy at all and the nigiris as well as some hot dishes we ordered were just fantastic. One of the dishes we had was Saikyo miso marinated gindara , which is basically “black cod” , mainly known outside of Japan thanks to Nobu Matsuhisa.

So this is how the precious musk melon from Senbikiya Tokyo store looked when sliced. This one cost me around 80 € , while the most expensive musk melon at the shop that day was over 160 € !  As exciting as opening a Christian Dior shoe box

This little “guide” is based on my dining experiences at some of the best sushi restaurants in Tokyo over the last 5 years. It might sound simplistic to Tokyoites,but hopefully useful for those who have never been to this fantastic city!

• One thing you should know before going to Tokyo is that the quality of sushi there (especially at the high end sushi shops) will spoil you forever. Sushi as we know it was created in the beginning of the 19th century as an early form of fast food. It is called Edomae nigirizushi because the fish used for making nigiris would be caught in the Edo bay (“Edo”is what Tokyo used to be called; “mae” means “in front”) and then sold nearby by the street vendors. Nowadays sushi making is a sophisticated craft that requires years of training and an extraordinary knowledge of fish. A young sushi chef apprentice will only be allowed to touch fish after a few years of learning how to make rice.Rice is as significant as fish in the art of sushi making. Once you visit some of the best sushi places in Tokyo, you will notice that rice will differ from one place to another as each sushi master has his own distinctive style of vinegared rice preparation.

• Needless to say, the choice of fish at Tokyo sushi shops is much wider than in Europe or the US . There are hundreds and hundreds of different kinds of fish, clams and crustaceans sold at Tsukiji (the biggest fish market in the world) where Tokyo sushi chefs go to do their shopping almost every morning. Fish used for sushi making will depend on the season and will not necessarily be served completely raw. For example gizzard shad will be pickled for a few days, eel will be grilled, tiger prawn will be boiled moments before serving; I’ve seen some chefs marinating tuna for a few minutes…

• They say that there are over 160 000 restaurants and eateries in Tokyo and it’s the city that has most Michelin starred restaurants in the world. Even if some won’t agree with me, Michelin is a good guide for those who are not local, don’t speak Japanese or don’t travel to Tokyo that often. Finally it’s thanks to Michelin  worldwide publicity that Tokyo has gained a reputation of a gastronomic paradise. You can see Michelin 2013 here.  A guide that is considered “more authentic” by  globe trotting foodies though is a Japanese language website called Tabelog.com. I have recently compiled a list of the best Tokyo sushi restaurants according to Tabelog.com users which you can find here. Finally there are some great blogs whose authors  travel to Japan frequently  like Andy Hayler ,Streelife ,or are based there  Food Sake Tokyo , Tokyo Food File.

• My favorites are Miyako Sushi, Sushi Saito, Sushi Yoshitake, Sushi Dai, Sushi Kanesaka but there are so many good ones that finally it’s a question of personal choice or  budget.

• Most of the chefs and hosts of the high end sushi shops I’ve been didn’t speak any or spoke very little English. So unless you speak Japanese or have local acquaintances, you will need to ask your hotel concierge to reserve the restaurants for you. I’ve never had any particular problems getting into most of the high end sushi shops in Tokyo, but some places are much harder to book than others. To name two – Sushi Saito ,which needs to be booked months in advance and Sukiyabashi Jiro where a “non concierge” Japanese speaker needs to call for you.

• Don’t be surprised if you will be asked to give your credit card number in order to secure your reservation. I think it’s because there are too many foreigners who reserve and don’t show up, something that a Japanese would never do…

• Once you have your reservation, you should get a printed map of the area where the restaurant is located . Even if the concierge will note on your map the most recognizable shops, metro stations or  buildings, thanks to which you should find your restaurant, you still might need some help from your taxi driver or passers-by. Japanese addressing system is very different from the one used in the West, while high end restaurants exteriors in Japan are completely unassuming and often are located at ordinary office buildings or… at a parking garage like the case of Sushi Saito. It has happened to me many times that I would wonder around for half an hour before finding the restaurant I was going to. So just go in advance.

• There are three ways of ordering  sushi in Japan – omakase (chef”s choice),okonomi (your choice) or okimari (set menu). From my personal experience, I’ve been always expected to order omakase at all the high end sushi-yas I’ve been. But I’ve also noticed that most of the Japanese diners that I happened to share sushi counters with went for omakase. When you think about it, it’s the best way to enjoy the best fish of the season. Usually sushi omakase starts with white and non fatty fish and ends with fatty fish,clams,maki (rolls) and tamagoyaki (Japanese style omelette). Most of the sushi restaurants (except for Sukiyabashi Jiro) also serve otsumami, various cold or warm snacks, before serving nigiris. So omakase might end up with 15 to over 20 various different morsels and nigiris. (Lunch omakases are usually smaller.) Each nigiri will have different  fish topping and what surprised me most in the beginning that so little high end sushi shops serve salmon, which is very popular outside of Japan…

• You can eat nigiris with chopsticks or with your fingers. A small wet towel is provided for that purpose.

• As for drinks, wine is rarely served at traditional Edo-mae sushi restaurants (Sushi Saito and Sushi Yoshitake are the rare exceptions). Beer, sake,shōchū, tea or water are the drinks of choice.

• Price for a  lunch omakase can start from around ¥ 5000 (~40 € ), while dinner -  from  ¥ 10 000 (~80 € ) and can go up to  ¥ 30 000 (~250 €) or over . Sushi omakase at high end sushi restaurants rarely costs less than ¥ 15 000  or ¥ 20 000. For example ,my dinner  at Miyako sushi cost me something around ¥ 15 000; at Sushi Yoshitake - around ¥ 25 000; my 25 minutes lunch at Sukiyabashi Jiro was ¥ 31 500.

• Most of the restaurants in Tokyo accept international credit cards, but there are quite a few which don’t, so it’s always good to find out in advance and to have some cash. Keep in mind that not all the ATM machines in Japan will distribute cash if you are using an international credit card. The only places I’ve ever been able to withdraw money were Citibank , 7-Eleven convenience stores and at the Narita airport.

• Service charge is included in the final bill – you don’t need to tip in Japan. If you tip, you might be misunderstood.

Some images from the tea ceremony at Happo- en gardens in Tokyo,a complex and sophisticated centuries old ritual where each gesture has a meaning…

Nowhere in the world you can have such excellent beef as in Japan. Wagyu (which literally means “Japanese beef” ) can be so marbled and fatty that if you go for the highest grade beef you might feel as if you are eating foie gras or pure fat.(So my tip is to choose one grade under the most marbled..) There are many ways of preparing beef in Japan and some of my favorites are Japanese style hot pot sukiyaki and teppanyaki, where iron griddle is used to grill the meat. Ukai-tei is a high end restaurant chain in Tokyo and some other locations in Japan specializing in teppanyaki. Ukai-tei Ginza (Jiji-Tsushin Building, 5-15-8 Ginza, Chuo-ku;tel. 03-3544-5252) and Ukai-tei Omotesando (Omotesando Gyre 5F, 5-10-1 Jingumae, Shibuya-ku;tel. 03-5467-5252) are the only teppanyaki restaurants in Tokyo which each have a Michelin star, but there are many other excellent teppanyaki restaurants around Tokyo where you can have an excellent wagyu steak without paying Michelin stars premium.

My lunch at Ukai-tei Omotesando.

Almost 40 years old Kurumazushi ( 7 E 47th St  New York, NY 10017; tel.+1 212-317-2802) is without doubt one of the finest traditional sushi-yas in New York. The owner and master chef, Uezu san pays particular attention to the quality of the fish , part of which is brought from Japan by air. The nigiris are small, jewel like and the fish is so perfect that it’s almost melting in your mouth…

The list of the best sushi restaurants in Tokyo on the Japanese language  Tabelog.com website is more volatile than I thought.  There have been  quite a few movements since I compiled it two and a half months ago. Miyakozushi and Sawada  have climbed to  number 2 and number 3 respectively, while Sushi Ichikawa has plunged from number 3 to number 10 and Sushi Garyuu from number 7 to number 12. Sushi Saito is still holding the number 1 position.You can see the rest of the changes below.

1. Sushi Saito (Sushi Saitou) (3*) http://tabelog.com/tokyo/A1308/A130802/13015251/

2. Miyako sushi (Miyakozushi ) http://tabelog.com/tokyo/A1302/A130204/13018162/

3. Sawada (2*) http://tabelog.com/tokyo/A1301/A130101/13001043/

4. Hashiguchi  http://tabelog.com/tokyo/A1308/A130801/13134517/

5. Sushi Oono http://tabelog.com/tokyo/A1301/A130101/13024790/

6. Harutaka (1*) http://tabelog.com/tokyo/A1301/A130103/13032283/

7. Sakae sushi http://tabelog.com/tokyo/A1311/A131102/13008701/

8. Sushi Mizutani (3*) http://tabelog.com/tokyo/A1301/A130103/13016524/

9.  Mitani http://tabelog.com/tokyo/A1309/A130902/13042204/

10. Sushi Ichikawa (1*) http://tabelog.com/tokyo/A1317/A131715/13140619/

11. Sushi Garyuu http://tabelog.com/tokyo/A1309/A130903/13127957/

12. Kozasa sushi http://tabelog.com/tokyo/A1303/A130301/13004630/

13. Sushi Nanba http://tabelog.com/tokyo/A1319/A131905/13127515/

14. Sushi Hashiguchi 鮨 橋口  http://tabelog.com/tokyo/A1311/A131102/13050788/

15. Nishi Azabu Kamikura http://tabelog.com/tokyo/A1307/A130703/13128828/ (New entry)

16. Sushi Masa  http://tabelog.com/tokyo/A1311/A131103/13041420/dtlmap/

      Mao http://tabelog.com/tokyo/A1301/A130101/13093660/

17. Hayashi http://tabelog.com/tokyo/A1319/A131904/13070215/

18. Sushi-sho http://tabelog.com/tokyo/A1309/A130902/13000852/

19. Daisan Harumi http://tabelog.com/tokyo/A1301/A130103/13002140/

20. Sushi Nakamura (1*) http://tabelog.com/tokyo/A1307/A130701/13003314/

21. Sushi Yoshitake (3*) http://tabelog.com/tokyo/A1301/A130103/13024076/

22. Koyama sushi http://tabelog.com/tokyo/A1329/A132904/13091479/

23. Kiyota sushi http://tabelog.com/tokyo/A1301/A130101/13070238/ (New entry)

24. Shinbashi Shimizu http://tabelog.com/tokyo/A1301/A130103/13002892/

25. Sushi Teru  http://tabelog.com/tokyo/A1309/A130903/13096927/

26. Sushi Kanesaka (1*) http://tabelog.com/tokyo/A1301/A130103/13005003/

27. Suzu sushi http://tabelog.com/tokyo/A1308/A130802/13024464/ (New entry)

28. Stand Sushi Bar  http://tabelog.com/tokyo/A1302/A130203/13007674/ (New entry)

29. Masa http://tabelog.com/tokyo/A1307/A130703/13016512/

30. Sushi Imamura (1*) http://tabelog.com/tokyo/A1316/A131602/13096905/

Out from the top 30 list since last March

Hatsune sushi (1*) http://tabelog.com/tokyo/A1315/A131503/13017742/

Sushi Tsu http://tabelog.com/tokyo/A1307/A130701/13061640/

Sushi Matsunami http://tabelog.com/tokyo/A1311/A131102/13003660/  (number 31)

U o toku http://tabelog.com/tokyo/A1312/A131203/1301794

P.S. Will revise the overall best Tokyo restaurants list soon.

The updated list of  50 best restaurants in Tokyo according to Tabelog users. Like in the case of the best sushi restaurants in Tokyo, many changes have occurred since I first compiled the list.

1. Kyo Aji (kaiseki) http://tabelog.com/tokyo/A1301/A130103/13002887/

2. Den (modern kaiseki,2*) http://tabelog.com/tokyo/A1310/A131003/13046855/
http://gm.gnavi.co.jp/shop/0120130141/

3. L’Equateur (French) http://tabelog.com/tokyo/A1307/A130702/13121866/

http://equa-teur.com/up/?page_id=489

4. Quintessence (modern French/kaiseki,3*) http://tabelog.com/tokyo/A1316/A131602/13022541/

5. Takajo Kotobuki (game) http://tabelog.com/tokyo/A1311/A131102/13003661/

6. Kawamura (steakhouse) http://tabelog.com/tokyo/A1301/A130101/13016506/

http://gm.gnavi.co.jp/shop/0120130063/

7. Joel Robuchon (French) http://tabelog.com/tokyo/A1303/A130302/13009310/
http://gm.gnavi.co.jp/shop/0120130099/

8. Restaurant Bacar (French) http://tabelog.com/tokyo/A1303/A130301/13059355/
http://www.restaurant-bacar.com/

9. Les Saisons (French,1*) http://tabelog.com/tokyo/A1301/A130102/13002294/

http://www.imperialhotel.co.jp/e/tokyo/restaurant/38

http://gm.gnavi.co.jp/shop/0120130236/

10. Chez Inno (French)  http://tabelog.com/tokyo/A1302/A130202/13000510/

http://www.chezinno.jp/restaurant/inno_index.html

11. Matsukawa (kaiseki)  http://tabelog.com/tokyo/A1307/A130701/13124391/

12. Ishikawa (creative kaiseki,3*) http://tabelog.com/tokyo/A1309/A130905/13004079/

http://www.kagurazaka-ishikawa.co.jp/

http://gm.gnavi.co.jp/shop/0120130016/

13. Apicius (French)  http://tabelog.com/tokyo/A1301/A130102/13000145/

http://www.apicius.co.jp/

14.Aimee Vibert (French,1*) http://tabelog.com/tokyo/A1308/A130803/13017129/

http://www.aimeevibert.com/aimee/english/index.html

http://gm.gnavi.co.jp/shop/0120130044/

15.Florilege (French)  http://tabelog.com/tokyo/A1306/A130603/13093814/

http://www.aoyama-florilege.jp/en/chef.html

16.Saito (sushi,3*) http://tabelog.com/tokyo/A1308/A130802/13015251/

http://gm.gnavi.co.jp/shop/0120130109/

17. L’Effervesence (French,1*)  http://tabelog.com/tokyo/A1306/A130602/13116356/

http://www.leffervescence.jp/

http://gm.gnavi.co.jp/shop/0120130237/

18.Fukuji (fugu) http://tabelog.com/tokyo/A1301/A130101/13004009/

http://www.fukuji.jp/

19. La Tour D’Argent (French)  http://tabelog.com/tokyo/A1308/A130803/13000288/

http://www.newotani.co.jp/en/tokyo/restaurant/tour/

20. Miyakozushi ( sushi) http://tabelog.com/tokyo/A1302/A130204/13018162/

21. Sancular Bar http://tabelog.com/tokyo/A1309/A130905/13112228/

22. Kurogi (Japanese) http://tabelog.com/tokyo/A1311/A131101/13094789/

23. Maison Aimee Vibert( French) http://tabelog.com/tokyo/A1303/A130302/13144931/

24. Teika Daipaiton (Chinese) http://tabelog.com/tokyo/A1311/A131105/13095915/
http://www.teika-daipaiton.com/

25. Sawaichi (kaiseki)  http://tabelog.com/tokyo/A1307/A130701/13124236/ (New entry)

http://sawaichi.jp/

26. Azumaya http://tabelog.com/tokyo/A1301/A130101/13126819/ (New entry)

27.Shinbashi Hoshino (kaiseki,1*) http://tabelog.com/tokyo/A1301/A130103/13136847/

28.Torishiki (yakitori,1*) http://tabelog.com/tokyo/A1316/A131601/13041029/
http://gm.gnavi.co.jp/shop/0120130145/

29. Côte d’Or (French,1*) http://tabelog.com/tokyo/A1316/A131602/13001681/
http://gm.gnavi.co.jp/shop/0120130080/

30. Il Teatrino da Salone (Italian) http://tabelog.com/tokyo/A1307/A130703/13110652/
http://www.ilteatrino.jp/

31. Sawada (sushi,2*) (http://tabelog.com/tokyo/A1301/A130101/13001043/
http://gm.gnavi.co.jp/shop/0120130087/

32. Morikawa (kaiseki) http://tabelog.com/tokyo/A1310/A131004/13110601/

33. Chawanbu (kaiseki) http://tabelog.com/tokyo/A1309/A130903/13122364/

34.  Hashiguchi (sushi) http://tabelog.com/tokyo/A1308/A130801/13134517/

35. Sushi Ono (sushi) http://tabelog.com/tokyo/A1301/A130101/13024790/

36. Yotsuha (kaiseki) http://tabelog.com/tokyo/A1319/A131906/13001131/

37. Crescent (French,2*) http://tabelog.com/tokyo/A1314/A131401/13001521/

38. Utakata http://tabelog.com/tokyo/A1307/A130701/13096709/ (New entry)

39. Kirakutei http://tabelog.com/tokyo/A1318/A131806/13050819/ (New entry)

40. Kinryuzan (yakiniku)  http://tabelog.com/tokyo/A1316/A131602/13001625/ (New entry)

41. Harutaka (sushi)  http://tabelog.com/tokyo/A1301/A130103/13032283/

42. Mikawa Zezankyo (tempura)  http://tabelog.com/tokyo/A1313/A131303/13090866/
(New entry)

43. Sanchakuya Taka  http://tabelog.com/tokyo/A1303/A130301/13008327/

44. Habsburg ( Austrian) http://tabelog.com/tokyo/A1301/A130101/13139747/ (New entry)

http://ginza-habsburg.com/

45. Le Pergolese (French ) http://tabelog.com/tokyo/A1304/A130401/13058218/(New entry)

http://www.lepergolese.jp/

46. Ginza Okamoto (kaiseki,2*) http://tabelog.com/tokyo/A1301/A130103/13144115/
http://gm.gnavi.co.jp/shop/0120130071/

47. Aronia de Takazawa (creative Japanese-French) http://tabelog.com/tokyo/A1308/A130801/13019663/ (New entry)

http://www.aroniadetakazawa.com/

48. 7-rin (yakiniku) http://tabelog.com/tokyo/A1324/A132401/13021180/

http://www.7-rin.com/

49.Kadowaki (kaiseki,2*) http://tabelog.com/tokyo/A1307/A130702/13001664/

http://gm.gnavi.co.jp/shop/0120130060

50. Bingo  http://tabelog.com/tokyo/A1307/A130703/13016523/

The restaurants which where in “top 50″ 2 months ago, but didn’t make it this time.

Ichikawa (sushi,1*)  http://tabelog.com/tokyo/A1317/A131715/13140619/

http://gm.gnavi.co.jp/shop/0120130021/

Yakiniku Jambo (yakiniku) http://tabelog.com/tokyo/A1310/A131004/13110601/

http://yakiniku-jambo.com/
Sakura Nabe (horsemeat) http://tabelog.com/tokyo/A1324/A132401/13107961/
http://sakuranabe.com/kanemura/

Kohaku (modern Japanese,2*)  http://tabelog.com/tokyo/A1309/A130905/13049130/

http://gm.gnavi.co.jp/shop/0120130082/

Shichirin ( yakiniku) http://tabelog.com/tokyo/A1324/A132401/13021180/

81  http://tabelog.com/tokyo/A1322/A132202/13153383/

Ristorante Aso (Italian) http://tabelog.com/tokyo/A1303/A130303/13003356/
http://www.hiramatsu.co.jp/eng/restaurants/aso/
Gorio (steakhouse,1*) http://tabelog.com/tokyo/A1301/A130103/13002356/

http://www.gorio.jp/

http://gm.gnavi.co.jp/shop/0120130084/

Virbius (French) http://tabelog.com/tokyo/A1320/A132002/13142890/

Garyuu (sushi) http://tabelog.com/tokyo/A1309/A130903/13127957/
Hommage ( French,1*) http://tabelog.com/tokyo/A1311/A131102/13008700/

http://gm.gnavi.co.jp/shop/0120130053/

Kabuto (unagi) http://tabelog.com/tokyo/A1305/A130501/13016660

The very best sushi experiences in Tokyo are rarely less than ¥ 15 000 – ¥ 20 000 per person, so I was very curious to visit 2 Michelin starred  Kimura sushi (3-21-8 Tamagawa, Setagaya-ku, Tokyo; tel.03-3707-6355) where dinner costs from  ¥8,400 to ¥ 12,600, while lunch “only” ¥5,250 for an omakase.

When my hotel concierge called to Kimura sushi, he was told that they didn’t require my credit card to hold the reservation, instead, they would keep the place at the sushi counter for only 15 minutes after the reservation time. The tiny sushiya is not exactly in the central Tokyo. I took the subway to Tamagawa station and then wondered the dim lit residential streets for at least 20 minutes before I got stressed (not to loose the reservation), called the restaurant and explained  in my broken Japanese that I was standing in front of the local convenient store and needed some help to find them. Soon, a nice lady,the restaurant’s hostess and  probably  a relative of the sushi master (his mother,maybe?), came to pick me up.

Like very often when dining in Tokyo, I was the only gaijin in the sushi shop. Dining alone and being a foreigner in Japan is not that awkward as one might presume.When you find yourself in such an intimate environment as a small sushi counter restaurant, sometimes just observing the art of sushi making is entertaining enough…

The sushi master, Kimura san, was preparing rice and arranging exquisitely sliced fish filets,while at the same time serving the otsumami (“snacks” in Japanese) to other guests who were already there. Although the ingredients used for pre-sushi snacks,such as squid innards, were not as fancy as at other Michelin starred sushi shops in Tokyo, they were prepared with huge attention to detail and tasted very well. Kimura sushi is also the first high end sushiya in Tokyo where I had a chance to try salmon sushi (never seen at Sushi Saito, Sukiyabashi Jiro, neither at other Tokyo’s top sushi shops). The salmon seemed to be slightly aged and differed from the salmon used in Europe or the US.  The omakase  I had didn’t include the highly priced otoro and uni, but the  produce used, the extraordinary techniques and the overall meal was as exceptional as at other high end sushiyas. I’ve spoked to some sushi chefs in Tokyo and it seems to me that many of them could easily live without using toro in their omakases as the choice of fish available in Japan is so enormous and it’s quality is so wonderful. I think Kimura san is one of those chefs and among the best in Tokyo for sure…

Next morning , while visiting Tsukiji market I heard somebody calling my name. It was Kimura san on his motorbike heading home after his shopping. All the roads lead in Tuskiji indeed!

Chef Seiji Yamamoto is fond of dragons. The walls of his restaurant and the 400-year old presentation plates are all adorned with these mythical creatures. Even the restaurant’s name, ryugin, means “singing dragon”, while Nihonryori translates as “Japanese cuisine”.

Three Michelin star Nihonryori RyuGin (7-17-24 Roppongi, Minato-ku, Tokyo; tel.03-3423-8006) specializes in kaiseki, a cooking art which originated in Kyoto centuries ago and which is now widely practiced not only in Japan but also by contemporary chefs all around the world.

If top European and American restaurants look more and more to the East to draw some of their inspiration (nowadays so popular tasting menus or omakases could be just one example),the opposite is also true: cooking styles in the East tend to get closer to the West.

Seiji Yamamoto takes some innovative liberties with the ancient – and quite strict – kaseiki codes creating unique dining experience where the taste of the dishes is put on the same level as the beauty…

In the normal world of fine dining  38 000 Yen  or  290 Euros will buy you a tasting menu containing at least a bit of truffles,caviar or other expensive ingredients. Not in Tokyo’s 3 Michelin starred 10 seat tempura restaurant  7 Chome Kyoboshi (Ozio Ginza Building 6F, 5-5-9 Ginza, Chuo-ku,Tokyo; tel.03-3572-3568) which serves the best and definitely the most expensive deep fried vegetables, shrimps and fish in the world.

At 7 Chome Kyoboshi you will realize that a chunk of simple lotus root or a sweet shrimp covered in a fine layer of batter and briefly fried in oil can be as luxurious in it’s flavors as A5 grade Japanese beef or o-toro sashimi. The experience itself is as special as the tiny, bite-sized morsels of tempura served. When I was at 7 Chome Kyoboshi 4 years ago, my friend and I were the only guests at this small counter restaurant. This time, apart of me alone, there was also a Japanese couple dining.

When I came to the restaurant at 7.30 pm  sensei Shigeya Sakakibara, who is originally from Kyoto, was mixing the batter and doing last minute dinner preparations.  Soon the magic started when Sakakibara san deep fried a tiny “croque-monsieur” with shrimps and placed it on a white absorbing paper in front of us. The sandwich was  so good I could have eaten ten of them. Then other bites followed… Splendid kisu (Japanese whiting fish), hamo (pike eel),numerous sweet shrimps, skilfully prepared squid which tasted more like a piece of high quality white fish than squid,abalone (probably the most pricey ingredient of the dinner), runny quail egg and various vegetables and mushrooms.Each product had different frying time and didn’t contain any extra oil whatsoever… When the savory part was over, the sensei went to the back kitchen and soon returned with a dessert, half of momo (white peach) for each of us. I don’t think I’ve ever eaten anything like this. The fruit was extremely fragrant, juicy and tasted more like a melon than a peach… A perfection has a price of course and in my dinner at 7 chome Kyoboshi case it was 42 000 Yen with just one glass of white wine…  Definitely not cheap, yet changing my perception of how tempura should taste, forever..

If young and aspiring chefs in the West might believe that being creative and innovative is the key to one’s first Michelin star, in Japan you can get a Michelin star for being really good in what you are doing,even if what you are doing is deep frying pork cutlets. It’s the case of  tonkatsu chef Etsuo Nagai who has been perfectioning his craft for 50 years and together with his wife and children runs a small tonkatsu counter restaurant Katsuzen at Barneys New York department store in Ginza.(Kojun Building 4F, 6-8-7 Ginza, Chuo-ku,Tokyo;tel. 03-3289-8988).

Nagai san uses Kurobuta pork from Kyūshū and everything is cooked upon the order. Waiting is definitely worth it though as there is nothing more comforting than breaded deep fried pork cutlet served with finely shredded cabbage and Worcestershire sauce, especially when all is prepared with such a level of sophistication as at Katsuzen…

Before you ask me how I managed to get a reservation at Kawamura steakhouse in Tokyo – I didn’t . There are two Kawamuras which both happen to be in Ginza. The famous one where it’s almost impossible to get into as the chef gives priority to his regular customers (I heard that as for today, it’s fully booked until next February) name is written in hiragana (かわむら), while the one I’ve been -  in katakana (ビフテキのカワムラ).

Bifteck Kawamura (Ginza 6-5-1 Ginza Mst Building 8F Chuo-ku, Tokyo 104-0061; tel.03-6252-5011) is a traditional teppanyaki restaurant priding itself on using the highest award winning Kobe beef. Only a certain group of cattle which passed strict conditions from among Tajima Beef Cattle can be called Kobe beef and according to the website, Bifteck Kawamura only purchases “champion” Kobe beef at the auctions.

For me teppanyaki ( iron griddle) cooking is all about excellent products and at Bifteck Kawamura even vegetables served with the steak were superb. I was told by the chef who cooked my lunch that sometimes they are even doing onion and other vegetables tastings so only the best of the best is offered to their customers.

If Kobe beef has reached a mythical status in the rest of the world, in Japan is just one among others. (Mishima, Sanda, Matsusaka are to name a few…) What I liked about the grade A5 Kobe beef I had at Bifteck Kawamura that it was not too fatty and you could still enjoy the texture of the steak. My English speaking chef told me that Joel Robuchon himself had a meal there few weeks before my visit. If it’s good enough for the grand maître , it’s definitely good enough for me !

Despite of August being my least favorite time of eating raw fish in Japan,Harutaka (Ginza Kawabata Building 3F, 8-5-8 Ginza, Chuo-k,Tokyo;tel. 03-3573-1144) sushi-ya was as outstanding as always. Harutaka Takahashi, who started his sushi chef career at the famous (or…infamous) Sukiyabashi Jiro, was especially generous this time. The snacks prior to sushi (otsumame) included abalone and three types of sea urchins from Hokkaido, Aomori and Nagasaki…

The hardest to reserve restaurant in the world is not in Brooklyn, Barcelona and not even in Copenhagen. It’s in Tokyo and you’ve probably never heard of it before. I’ve been trying to get into Kawamura steakhouse without any success each time I went to Tokyo. And I am not talking about conventional ways of booking a restaurant in a foreign city, as when asked, Tokyo hotels concierges would usually not even bother to call Kawamura.

The  pocket sized, 7 places counter restaurant in Ginza can only be booked by newcomers on the first day of every month,  but as it’s regulars reserve their next meal every time they finish eating, it is nearly impossible to get into Kawamura for the outsiders. According to 1 Michelin starred Hedone’s chef Michael Jonsson, the only person I know who has managed to eat at Kawamura steakhouse, the simply grilled steaks are “so good that superlatives like ”exceptional”, “extraordinary” or “as good as it will ever get” all seem insufficient”.  Kawamura’s chef  “simply closes the restaurant if he is unable to source top drawer beef and he will advise clients to come and eat another time.”

As Michael said last time I had a dinner at his restaurant in London, “you have more chances to book El Bulli  for next week, than to get into Kawamura.”  Doesn’t sound very promising, but I still haven’t lost my hope…

I’ve never been to Okuda’s san flagship restaurants Koju (3*) and Okuda (2*) in Tokyo,so I can’t compare, but the quality of the products at his newly opened restaurant in Paris couldn’t get any better, while his skills and cooking techniques are simply mind blowing.

Pictures and review coming soon!