Category: Region: Japan

A seafood kaiseki in Ginza: Uchiyama

Uchiyama Ginza is a kaiseki restaurant specializing in creative multi-course Japanese cuisine that opened in 2002 in Ginza. It was my first kaiseki experience in Tokyo. I booked a lunch on Christmas Day 2019.

The visit

The restaurant is in the basement of an office building in Ginza. I arrived early and unfortunately they did not have a waiting area, so I went to a cafe nearby waiting for the start of the second lunch turn at 12.30 (they have a first turn at 11.30am for a taicha-zuke set; on the second turn you can choose among different options. Mine was the second most expensive menu out of four ranging from 5,000 to 15,000 yen).

I was the first customer in the room so I could take a picture of the counter. On that day it was fully booked. There were 11 seats at the table. I think they seated us from left to right in increasing order according to the price of our menu.

1. The service started with sesame tofu with freshly grated wasabi. We were advised to add soy sauce. The tofu was hot, it had been heated on the charcoal grill. Externally it looked like bread, but it was soft inside. The sesame flavor was very light.

2. Fried shirako: the pulp was still fresh inside. The waiter translated in English as “fish stomach”, but of course was the cod sperm sac. Perhaps they did not want to alarm the foreigners at the table.

3. Ikura on rice. This dish was a softball, but still good.

4. Hirame (olive flounder) sashimi with fish jelly. The sashimi had a muscular tone and it was cut in front of us.

5. Kobako-kani (a female crab) with its roe and Japanese vinegar. It is a crab variety popular in winter (most of the fish used was seasonal). This was a delicious dish, especially the roe. It was neatly presented with the meat from the claws stacked over the roe using the crab shell as a container.

6. Ika (squid) with squid bottarga. A simple, yet clever and delicious combination.

7. Kue fish (a type of large grouper in season during the winter, called ara in Kyushu) and seri (Japanese Parsley) soup. This was a perfect example of seasonal dish, suitable for the winter climate.

8. Suzuki fish (Japanese seabass) with shiitake mushroom, and Japanese orange. The meat of the fish was firm and flawless.

9. Fried taro potatoes (shrimp shaped). Another strong dish suitable for the season.

10. Then it is pretty common for kaiseki to end with a rice dish, bit this restaurant went above and beyond and they had a special taicha-zuke dish at the end. The dish included assorted vegetables, dried small fish, tai (seabream) sashimi in a sesame sauce.

The rice was “finalized” in front of us with traditional utensils.

We were advised to transfer the sashimi in the rice bowl.

And finally we added hot tea from a iron-cast teapot. The result was satisfying and filling comfort food. The dried whitebait and the vegetables added additional flavor to the mix.

11. The dessert was starch noodles in sweet sauce. What was remarkable was that they pulled the noodles in front of us.

Finally we got a bowl with matcha.

At the end of the meal they told us that we could keep the branded cloth napkin and we were given a pair of disposable chopsticks with the restaurant’s paper seal. I thought it was a nice gesture.

I got the check at around 2.30pm.

The check

The check was 11,000 yen (10,000 yen plus tax, or 102.5 USD). Of course it is a hefty price, but that’s expected for a kaiseki, in Ginza, and I thought I got what I paid for.

The restaurant used to be awarded one Michelin star. Then in the most recent iterations of the guide it was lost. Who cares. I think this was a very good example of kaiseki based on seasonal seafood and I would have no issues recommending it.

Where in Tokyo:
2-chome-12-3 Ginza Chuo City.
In Japanese:  東京都 中央区 銀座 2-12-3 ライトビル B1F.
Website: http://www.ginza-uchiyama.co.jp/ (I used their website to make the booking leaving my credit card number as a deposit, but there was no advance charge).

Lunch at Uoshin izakaya in Nogizaka

Uoshin is a chain of izakayas in Tokyo owned by a seafood distributor. When in Tokyo, I usually patronize their branch in Ginza. These izakayas are open only for dinner, however one makes an exception: their branch in Nogizaka, in the fancy Roppongi district, is open also for lunch catering to the office crowd. I tried their lunch offer back in October 2019.

The visit

The izakaya occupies a peculiar narrow house, in sharp contrast with the modern multi-story buildings all around.

I was hoping to sample their full menu, but actually for lunch they only serve donburi, a rice bowl with seafood. They had two options: one bowl with mixed seafood and one with chopped tuna and grated yam. I chose the former.

The lunch set included a miso soup. It was self-service: I poured the hot soup from the boiler into a bowl with its condiments.

Then I found a spot. This is a very Spartan venue. You seat on beer crates turned into stools and the tables are made out of wooden boxes.

The set looked good.

The bowl sported tuna, salmon eggs, and some white fish. Overall it was a very satisfying dish.

After finishing, I placed my used dishware and food left-overs in the proper containers.

By the time I left it was past noon and a queue had formed.

The check

For the large bowl, I spent 980 yen (around 9 USD), a bargain price for a lunch in Rappongi. It was simple, but the food was enjoyable and good value for money.

Where in Tokyo:
9-chome-6-32 Akasaka Minato City.
In Japanese: 東京都 港区 赤坂 9-6-32.
Website: http://www.uoshins.com/ (with list of other branches in Tokyo).

An izakaya in Kanda serving smoked foods: Kemuri

Just across Takemura (one of my favorite sweet cafes in Tokyo) I noticed an izakaya. Looking at the menu affixed outside I noticed that they specialized in smoked foods. Very interesting concept! I had to try it.

The visit

It was early on a Saturday evening and I was the first customer. I sat on a bar chair in the ground floor room (a bit uncomfortable). They also have tables upstairs.

I ordered their mixed platter with five items. It has BBQ pork, duck, bacon, rice cake, and olives (two). It was ok, but that one of the five promised items was a pair of olives seemed cheating.

They had smoked mentaiko that was good as usual.

Finally I had their smoked salmon salad that was quite good.

The check

The check for these three snack-size dishes was 4,080 yen (38 USD). For what it was, it was too much.

The concept of a smoked food izakaya was great, but it was poorly implemented. The food was clearly an afterthought, just a side for drinks. It is not an izakaya where you can have a serious meal. What a shame.

Where in Tokyo:
1 Chome-11-5 Kanda Sudacho, Chiyoda City.
In Japanese: 〒101-0041 東京都千代田区神田須田町１丁目１１−5.

Dinner (a la carte and course menu) at Uoshin in Ginza

Uoshin is a chain of izakayas owned by a seafood distributor and their seafood is what keeps me going back, especially to the branch in Ginza.

The Ginza branch is located in a basement (classic!) and the small entrance may easily pass unnoticed.

Visit 1: Quick dinner

The first time I got lucky and I was given a table without reservation (but just for one hour). That was enough to try a couple of dishes.

I had their large sashimi selection that was very good.

Then I had one of their signature dishes: some rolls snowed under premium seafood: minced tuna, tuna eggs, sea urchin and crab meat. It was a delicious avalanche of delicacies from the sea.

The check for these two big dishes was 4,333 yen (40.5 USD). Not so bad.

The visit 2: Course menu

During my first visit I noticed that they also served course menus so I decided to come back, with a reservation, to try their premium (“extra fine”) menu.

The service started with three appetizers: two fried shrimps, a piece of ankimo (the delicious monk liver sashimi), and marinated kohada fish “nanban style“.

The sashimi platter featured 9 bites (one more than announced by the menu!). I identified kue (longtooth grouper), hiramasa (yellowtail amberjack), tako (octopus), hirame (Japanese halibut or olive flounder), hamachi (yellowtail), sawara (Spanish mackerel), shime saba (cured mackerel), tai (seabream), shima ebi (grey prown). I am sure I might have gotten some wrong… all were fresh and apart from the mundane octopus they were all select pieces (only drawback: they were tiny).

The salad was cabbage with bonito flakes..

The crab dish was just that: crab meat. Well done. I hate cleaning crabs.

The grilled fish was a small kinki, a very prized fish with firm white meat.

Then there was a marinated fish.

Then I was surprised to get mullet roe, whom I do not dislike, just not expecting it in this izakaya.

Then there was some fried food. This dish was forgettable. I would have expected something more interesting.

Then there was a substantial sushi platter with quality fish such as tuna and scallops. Many izakayas do not serve sushi as they do not want to bother preparing the rice, so they settle for sashimi that is easier to serve (and less filling for their customers…). But not in this izakaya, luckily.

Last dish was a classic miso soup.

At the end I had a look at their specials (they were great!) and I ordered an extra dish.

It was a faboulus combo with shirako and ankimo sashimi. Great way to end. Shirako is the male cod sperm sac…

Final check was 7,980 yen (75 USD); the course menu was 7,000 yen. Considering the quality of the seafood, the price was not unreasable. I did not make full use of the drink menu. During the course meal you can order as many drinks as you wish from a list that includes draft beer and other alcoholics. If you are just interested in the food, probably the course meal is not worth it. What I would do if I am to go back (and I hope one day to go back) would be to ask for the list of the daily specials and deep dive into them; there were some amazing seafood dishes in that list on the night when I had my course meal. I guess that the owner – a seafood distributor – has no problem procuring the best seasonal fish for their izakayas and this is a massive advantage.

Where in Tokyo:
4-chome-8-12 Ginza Chuo City.
In Japanese: 東京都 中央区 銀座 4-8-12 コチワビル B1F.
Website: http://www.uoshins.com/index.html (in Japanese, with list of other locations).

Dining at Yabu Soba, one of Tokyo’s soba temples

Kanda is home of two of the oldest and most respected traditional soba restaurants in Tokyo: Matsuya and Yabu Soba. In December 2019 I was able to get in at Yabu Soba (my attempts at Matsuya sadly failed because every time I was in the area the queue was just too long).

The visit

I guess the trick was arriving quite late (past 2pm) on a weekday, but there was no queue.

The restaurant is located in traditional building. The shop dates back to the XIX century and the name literally means “shop in the bush”, a reference to the bamboo plants that used to be found in the area. The original building was destroyed during the Kanto Earthquake of 1923, but the current building was rebuilt just a few years later and it serves as a reminder of the old Tokyo.

I ordered their standard soba noodles and a tempura mix as a side. The noodles in the hot tsuyu sauce (made out of soya sauce, konbu, and fish flakes) were exquisite. They also have udon and cold soba and dishes combining noodles with other ingredients (the soba with duck slices was quite attractive).

Their noodles are of course handmade using a ration between soba flour and normal flour of ten to one and they claim to source the highest quality soba from around Japan.

One of the feature of this restaurant is that you get a pot of soba-yu, which is the water used to cook the noodles. You are recommended to add it to the broth when it runs low. I tried it and I what I got was a tasty soup.

The tempura was probably not the most exciting side dishes (oysters and anago were available!), but it is such a traditional pair for the soba noodles that I obliged. The mix carried broccoli, shunjiku, smelt fish, lotus root (stuffed with minced chicken), sweet potato, and an oyster. Simple, but every piece was carefully fried and made out of quality ingredients. Definetely I like the side dishes in these restaurants.

The check

The check was 2,470 yen (23 USD). The soba was just 825 yen. Traditional, touristy, but still a must-go for soba.

Where in Tokyo:
2-10 Kanda-awaji-cho, Chiyoda-ku.
In Japanese: 〒101-0063 東京都千代田区神田淡路町2-10.

The massive tuna sushi platter at Tsunao

Tsunao is a popular sushi joint in Tsukiji outer market (that survives and thrives despite the move of the main market). It was my first stop during a trip in late December 2019.

The visit

It is a relatively small eatery in one of the busy alleys constituting the outer market. It only has a Japanese sign, but the tuna imagery makes it easy to spot.

It can get cramped inside. They have also some tables upstairs.

It took some time for them to bring my order. It was a busy Saturday morning. But I was there for a reason and when my main dish arrived I was not disappointed. Tsunao is famous for their massive tuna sushi platter sporting 20 pieces of nigiri with six different varieties of tuna.

On the one side, there were 2 pieces of fatty tuna (o-toro), 2 pieces of seared fatty tuna with blowtorch, 4 pieces of medium fatty tuna (chu-toro). I now notice, by comparing what I got with their poster outside advertising the dish, that they shortchanged me by 2 pieces of fatty tuna (replaced by two more pieces of lean tuna). What a shame.

Then there were two pieces with negitoro (minced tuna) and 10 pieces of “normal” lean tuna, five of these soaked in sauce. I had no problem finishing the dish.

I also ordered their seared tuna takaki with miso. It was only lightly seared and that was good.

At the end I was offered a complementary miso soup.

Another signature dish of the restaurant was a bowl containing tuna collagen and covered with a meringue. I do appreciate their creativity.

The check

6,570 yen (61.5 USD) was the final check. The sushi platter was a whopping 5,500 yen. I am sure that you can find cheaper tuna sushi around. Still was a good start of the trip.

Where in Tokyo:
4-14-7 Tsukiji, Chuo-ku.
In Japanese: 東京都 中央区 築地 4-14-17.
Tip: it opens at 6.30am (and closes at 3pm), it is a good place for a sushi breakfast!

Serving tonkatsu for 80 years and counting: Tonki in Meguro

Tonki, in Meguro, has been running for over 80 years: it was founded in 1939. They specialize in one dish: tonkatsu (the Japanese pork cutlet). Both locals and tourists queue for their cutlet.

The visit

I went on a Saturday evening in late December. It was early, but there was a massive backlog of customers. Luckily I could seat inside.

They have seats for waiting customers behind the guests at the counter. As soon as I stepped inside, still standing, I was shown the menu, basically two options, hire-katsu (fillet, lean meat, 130 grams) and rohsu-katsu (loin, some fatty on meat, 160 grams). It was a flash. I chose the classic loin. The the waiting began. It took almost one hour before I was seated.

Meantime, observing the staff impeccably dressed in white frying and preparing side dishes in a fast and steady manner in the open kitchen helped to kill some time.

Finally I was seated and I got a tea and a wet towel.

The set included pickles, rice, miso soup, finely shredded cabbage, a slice of tomato, and mustard. Of course they also had their own tonkatsu sauce (the recipe is secret). It took another 15 minutes to get the set.

And now let’s get to the cutlet. Apparently they soak the pork meat in three layers of batter before adding the bread crumbs, then they fry for 20 minutes. The result was a thin but firm batter enclosing the meat perfectly cooked. The breaded casing did not adhere to the meat, so it was a bit annoying trying to combine the two elements while eating. I also found the cutlet a bit oily.

The check

The set cost 2,100 yen (around 19.5 USD). This was an old school tonkatsu. It was good but not great. For what it was, 2,100 yen was pricey, but you pay for the history surrounding the place. Honestly, I preferred the tonkatsu from Maisen and Butagumi: they have better meat (even aged) and the batter is crispier (and in the end their entry level set are only marginally more expensive than this). I did not regret going, but I would not particularly recommend it.

Where in Tokyo:
1-1-2 Shimo-Meguro, Meguro-ku.
In Japanese: 東京都目黒区下目黒1-1-2.

Adventurous yakitori at Takesan in Ningyocho

Takesan is a small one-chef yakitori in Ningyocho. It is a very interesting yakitori where to find many unusual parts cooked to perfection. Reservation is a must.

The visit

It attracted my attention as a nice mid-range yakitori and I made a booking through a concierge service. The 12 seats around the counter were all taken by the end of the evening. The chef does not speak English, but it was mostly fine since there was a course meal. He worked alone with a young assistant, taking care of all the customers. I read some reviews online saying that he is rude. That was not my impression. Certainly he did not make any conspicuous effort to communicate, but I found him perfectly professional. After all, he is under no obligation to speak in English!

The meal started with an appetizer, a sort of congee with a row egg yolk.

I was also provided with miso and some raw vegetables as side dishes.

I ordered the 10-skewer course meal and at the end I added a couple of skewers. Actually, on the menu there is much more. I saw other customers enjoy chicken sashimi, intestine, and oyakodon. I tried to order the chicken sashimi but I was told that it was finished!

The service was posed… nothing like the pace at Takechan, but it was ok. Each skewer was perfectly grilled and offered several delicious bites. Because of the lack of English, I am not sure about some of the skewers. The first one should have been neck.

The second skewer was harami, outside skirt.

Then it was a skewer of gizzard, very tender.

The next was small intestines. It was again very tender and flavorful. One of my favorites.

I am not sure about this one (kidney?).

Some bell peppers.

Not entirely sure!

A type of skin.

This was a type of skin (from around gizzard liver).

This looked like breast (sasami).

I decided to order an additional small intestine and a tsakune skewer (chicken meatloaf).

The check

Including the additional skewers, I ended up spending 5,280 yen (49 USD). Given the quality of the skewers, it was a very reasonable price. As a matter of fact, I would have ordered more if I had an English menu.

Where in Tokyo:
2-chome-25-11 Nihonbashiningyocho Chuo City.
〒103-0013 東京都中央区日本橋人形町2-25-11 三幸ビル1F.

Traditional yakitori in Ginza: Takechan

Takechan is a small yakitori joint in Ginza (not far from Mitsukoshi department store) that has been running for over 50 years. Thanks to the internet, the cat is out of the bag and nowadays locals and tourists fight for a spot at its counter.

The visit

I decided to try my luck at Takechan after being turned back from a steakhouse nearby that was full. The store can be easily missed, but it was past 8pm and there was still a queue outside that unmistakably marked my destination. Eventually, we all made it in after 10-15 minutes wait. Not so bad. I was the last person to be seated, just 5 minutes before the last order time (8.30pm). The place does not take reservations as it is normal for traditional yakitori joints.

I sat at the counter next to a Japanese salaryman and two young Chinese-speaking customers. I was handed an English menu. They were perfectly organized to handle foreign customers. I chose the set menu with 8 skewers and I ordered a drink.

A course menu with only 5 skewers was also available.

The service was very fast. I was handed two condiments, grated radish and cabbage. They even gave me the customary wet towel.

The traditional five-spices condiment was also available (I never use it with yakitori).

The skewers arrived pretty quickly, not in the order of the menu, but the staff would tell me what it was in English. The first was the tsukune (chicken meatloaf).

The second skewer was sasame, a classic chicken breast with salt and wasabi.

There was also a cup of chicken soup.

Next was a skewer with duck meat flavored with miso (miso dengaku).

The fourth skewer was chicken liver barbecued with a sesame sauce.

Then there was kawa, a skewer with bits of chicken neck with soy sauce.

Next was butsu, chicken thigh simply barbecued with salt.

Then thee was a tebasaki skewer, chicken wings barbecued just with salt.

The last dish was a skewer with ginkgo seeds.

The action was fast and all the skewers were flavorful and perfectly cooked. I have read that the chef uses a chicken breed called Nagoya Cochin and roasts it over binchōtan charcoal that’s thinner than what’s regularly used at other yakitori places. The guy knows what he is doing.

At the end there was the option to have an ochazuke (additional charge), but I was happy with what I had.

The check

I spent 4,000 yen (37 USD) for the course menu and a drink. The soft drinks were priced at 800 yen, that is over the top, but the overall check was still honest. I found takechan on par with more sophisticated (and expensive) yakitori I have tried, just missing some of the more adventurous parts.

Where in Tokyo:
B1F, 4-8-13 Ginza, Chūō-ku.
東京都 中央区 銀座 4-8-13 銀座蟹睦会館ビル1Ｆ.

Traditional Japanese desserts at Takemura in Tokyo

Takemura is a traditional dessert cafe in Tokyo, in Kanda-Sudacho, an area full of interesting eateries (two of the best soba restaurants in Tokyo are located nearby). It was founded in 1930. This kind of stores are called kanmi-dokoro (甘味処, “sweets place”) and are rarer and rarer in Tokyo.

The visit

The venue occupies a traditional house and has both normal table seats and a few tatami seats. They do not like pictures inside, so I do not have an image of the interior.

Attention, the place is closed on Sundays and Mondays.

They offer you a bowl of hot water with cherry flowers when you seat down for an order.

They have a menu translated in English. The translation is impeccable, but there are no pictures. They have a lot of traditional desserts. In my first visit I tried their mistumame with boiled apricots (anzu). The main feature of mitsumame is small cubes of agar jelly called kanten, a white translucent jelly made from seaweeds. It came with a green tea and a syrup to pour over. It was an unexpectedly tasty dessert.

On my second visit, I tried their Age–manju that is a deep-fried version of the classic manju, a Japanese pancake filled with red bean paste. This is one of their signature dishes and they sell them also for “take-out”. I found them a bit heavy.

Since it was the end of the year, I also tried their ozoni (or zoni) a Japanese New Year mochi soup. It was a savory soup (probably with dashi stock) with rice cakes (mochi), nori, and some vegetables. I did not like it!

The check

The first dessert cost 750 yen (7 USD). Very honest price considering you also get a cup of tea.

The second visit cost me 1,320 yen (12 USD); the age-manju were 500 yen.

Where in Tokyo:
1 Chome-19 Kanda Sudacho, Chiyoda City.
In Japanese: 〒101-0041 東京都千代田区神田須田町１丁目１9.