Munching through Japan

Japan is the best place in the world to eat - bar nowhere. After a few years and far too many extra pounds, here are some memories.

[munchjapan]

Beer at Sapporo Beer Station in Ebisu Garden Place. Nothing special - but eminently refreshing. The black beer is excellent, as is the half-and-half beer.

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Dinner at Sushi Yoshitake cont.

All the sushi was excellent. The best we ordered at the end - grilled otoro sushi. Simply divine.

Overall this is one of the best places in town to eat sushi. Some commenters have some reservations about this place - overall I think that it is quite superb. I will certainly be back here in future.

[munchjapan]

Dinner at Sushi Yoshitake in Ginza. It is best known for its sashimi appetisers - truly outstanding. The sushi itself is excellent. Easily on par with some of the finest places in Tokyo. It just about lives up to its exalted 3 Michelin stars.

More in the next post.

[munchjapan]

Sukiyaki at Ningyocho Imahan in Ginza. It's an outpost of a century-old sukiyaki specialist. No surprises, just all round excellence. Forget the courses and the appetisers and save your cash for more beef.

[munchjapan]

Dinner at Ryugin, granted 3 stars by Michelin. Granted, with the profusion of stars handed out in America and Asia by Michelin, 3 stars doesn't mean what it used to mean 20 years ago. Still, at the very least it demands further investigation.

The restaurant isn't very big. It's in a small nondescript building in the back streets of Roppongi - almost a residential area. There simply isn't any space to wait - come for your reservation at precisely the appointed time or you will be waiting in the cold outside. And yes you will need a reservation.

[munchjapan]

Once again in Yonemura in Ginza. Inventive cuisine with a French base and Japanese inspiration. I never get tired of this place!

[munchjapan]

Dinner at Agaru Sagaru Nishi-iru Higashi-iru in Harajuku. This little underground restaurant serves a kaiseki course at under 4000 yen a head. An absolute steal in Tokyo. There is only one course available, so your only dilemma is what drink to order.

Reservations essential.

[munchjapan]

Lunch at Kondo, one of the best tempura restaurants in Tokyo. He specialises in vegetables - all of which were crisp and tasty. The sweet potato has to be ordered separately before the meal starts as it takes a while to cook - but it is superb. Probably best if you have at least 2 people as it is quite substantial.

[munchjapan]

Dinner at Toki no Ma, an upmarket izakaya in Ebisu. Had their specialty, the basashi - horse sashimi. It was excellent. Uni tempura was sinfully rich, and the sakura ebi was deliciously sweet. The sake selection was pretty good too.

[munchjapan]

First time in Shimanouchi Ichiyo, a high end izakaya in Osaka. The chef is obviously inspired by Kyoto kaiseki and makes some exquisite stuff… At 12 midnight too!

They don’t speak English and the menu is all in Japanese, but the chef is quite happy to fashion a course for your meal. The wine menu is mostly burgundy and is designed to match the cuisine.

[munchjapan]

Some call this little burger joint the best burger in Tokyo. Even more hyperbolically, some say it's the best in the world. Blacows makes its burgers from black wagyu. No surprise that its burgers are excellent... but perhaps not quite the best in the world. A strong claim to be the best burger in town though. Which has to count for a great deal in this city of finicky eaters.

[munchjapan]

Steak lunch set at Ningyocho Imahan in Shinjuku Takashimaya. It was pretty basic, but not bad. Spend most of lunch eavesdropping on the lunching wives around me. They spent half the time discussing Abenomics and the other half debating the merits of English education... Whatever happened to soap operas?

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Dinner at Kanga-an, a small temple in Kyoto that serves its own version of vegetarian cuisine called fucha-ryori. It’s quite exquisite - especially the delicately fried flowers. And the temple itself is gorgeous in the evenings - especially during cherry blossom season.

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The full course at Shorai-an, the beautiful tofu restaurant at Arashiyama in Kyoto. Unlike some of the other more purist tofu restaurants, this place incorporates meat and seafood into its course - although with advance warning, they can easily accommodate any dietary requests. As always, the meal was excellent.

[munchjapan]

Okonomiyaki and some equally tasty/unhealthy street food at Chibo in Dotonbori. It's a chain but they are pretty decent. And they open before lunchtime.

[munchjapan]

Ant ‘n Bee, a small craft beer bar in Roppongi. Friendly place and they can speak English.

[munchjapan]

Lunch at Kyubey cont.

The fish is fresh and the sushi made expertly and efficiently. The piece de resistance arrives at the end: grilled otoro sushi. It’s indescribably good. You absolutely have to order this.