Category: *** Fine dining

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).

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!

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.

Splurgy dinner at Shiseido Parlour in Ginza

Yōshoku is a type of Western-inspired Japanese cuisine that originated during the Meiji period. Shiseido Parlour restaurant, opened in 1902, is a perfect example of this cuisine still up and running in Ginza. Yes, it is that Shiseido, the cosmetic maker. The company owns a building in Ginza with a cafe and restaurants.

The visit

I went to the restaurant toward the closing time without a reservation on Christmas evening 2019. The reception on the 4th floor kept me waiting for five minutes until a table was available for me.

The dining room had a retro atmosphere, with waiting staff with white gloves finishing dishes table side. The place was still full – with most diners finishing their dinner – so I did not want to bother anyone taking a picture of the room. At a certain point there was a violinist briefly playing for the customers. That kind of atmosphere.

The only reference to Shiseido was some kind of cosmetic on the table (but it was not a gift).

I was offered choice of either bread or rice as a side dish.

I had their dish with roasted lobster, scallop and white fish. It was a substantial dish.

Then I had their famous croquettes. Pronounced a la French. They use bechamel sauce as a thickener and not potatoes. The result is a very smooth and soft texture. Croquettes is a perfect example of Yōshoku dish still popular today in cafe and restaurant menus.

Other classic Western-style dishes on the menu included various curry and rice dishes, fried chicken (tomato flavor) and rice omelet. The most expensive dish was a spiny lobster.

I skipped the dessert given the intense day of eating.

The check

Just two dishes set me back 7,920 yen (73.5 USD). As you might expect is not cheap, clearly you pay for the luxury environment (or I shall say the Japanese idea of how a Westerner refined dining venue should look like). It was a nice dinner and I am glad that I experimented this kind of restaurant but I won’t go back. Sure, the dishes are more refined than the commoner’s versions that you can find in cafes and quick-serving restaurants around Tokyo (or Japan), but these are not the dishes I am after when I am in Japan.

Where in Tokyo:
Tokyo Ginza Shiseido Building 4/5F 8-8-3 Ginza, Chuo-ku.
Website: https://parlour.shiseido.co.jp/en/shoplist/restaurantginza/.

Dinner and lunch at Oysterbar Hokkaido Akkeshi

I already lauded Akkeshi oysters that I experienced in a feast at their izakaya in Nihombashi in Tokyo. In December 2019 I doubled down and I tried their Oyesterbar at Coredo Muromachi, always in Tokyo. I ended up having both a dinner and a lunch.

The Visit: Dinner

The eatery is located on the ground floor of Coredo Muromachi 2, a shopping mall north of Nihombashi bridge (attention, there is also Coredo 1 and 3 in different buildings nearby, not to mention Coredo Nihombashi South of the bridge). It is a relatively small restaurant and is always busy. I arrived for a late dinner and initially there was no table available. However the waiter asked me to wait and he was able to sort out a table for me eventually. He really went above and beyond.

After ordering a drink I was offered a complementary appetizer, a soup with nori and what I believe was crab paste. Let’s say that it was forgettable.

They had two varieties of Akkeshi oysters (really two brands, Akkeshi is a city in Hokkaido): Kakiemon (large ones) and Maruemon (coming in different sizes). Oysters can be ordered raw, grilled, or steamed. I prefer raw and I went for a double tasting platter featuring the three sizes of the Maruemon variety (they call it M, L, LL). These were just great oysters all around: juicy and flavorful. Now, the one with more flavor was the medium one (L) in my opinion.

Then I compared the Kakiemon (on the left) with a large Maruemon. The Kakiemon was indeed marginally meatier and tastier.

With the oysters I was offered several condiments, but I like them raw.

This location is famous for their deep-fried oysters. And, similarly to the ones I had at their izakaya, the fried oysters were delicious with a strong batter envelope that would leave the interior fresh and juicy.

I also tried their tuna and avocado roll that turned out to be a DIY dish.

Then I needed a miso soup and I had their soup with Hanasaki crab. Good and a very large portion.

For this massive dinner, including 11 oysters, my check was 7,359 yen (68 USD). I think it was reasonable. I was fully satisfied by the food and service even if it was a busy evening for the restaurant.

The visit: Lunch

Lunch is a busy affair at this location. I found myself in the area on a Saturday morning and I joined the queue. I was one of the last people in the queue, but I was among the first customers of the day to be seated at 11.00 (perhaps I should call it a brunch).

They had four set menus all revolving around fried oysters. One menu was just that, fried oysters (4 or 5 pieces), the other menus would include 2 fried oysters plus another dish (a seafood bowl, fried chicken, seafood rice with crab). In addition to the fried oysters in your set menu you are limited to order a maximum of one extra fried oyster (I think Japanese restaurants like to have all sort of rules… but in this case I guess it is an attempt to spread the daily stock over a larger number of customers).

My set lunch had the seafood bowl (minced tuna and ikura mainly), a large miso soup and my three coveted deep-fried oysters (I ordered the additional one I was entitled).

I mixed the egg and I used it to add flavor to the rice, as expected.

The miso soup had large clams.

For lunch you can also order their usual oysters. I had three of their large Kakiemon.

The check was 3,976 yen (half was the three big oysters). Worth every penny.

Where in Tokyo:
2-3-1 Nihombashimuromachi Coredo Muromachi 2, 1F, Chuo.
In Japanese: 〒103-0022 東京都中央区日本橋室町2-3-1 コレド室町2 1F.
Website: http://www.funfunction.co.jp/shopinfo/muromachi/.

Spectacular modern Vietnamese cuisine at Nén in Da Nang

In January 2020 I started my Asian Spring Festival travels landing in Da Nang, in central Vietnam. I had a specific goal: dining at Nén. This was a detour from my usual itinerary including Ho Chi Minh City and Chiang Mai and I am really glad I took it. The restaurant offers a modern take on Central Vietnamese cuisine and is helmed by chef Summer Le, a native of Da Nang. The name in Vietnamese indicates an obscure edible bulb from the region that can be described as a hybrid between garlic and shallot. Chef Le aims at highlighting underrated if not unpopular local ingredients and turns them into high cuisine.

The visit

I had a reservation made through their website. The restaurant is housed in a modern villa in a quiet residential district of Da Nang. They only served two set menus, Excursion and Journey. I chose the shorter one, Excursion (I wish I could have mixed the dishes of the two menus).

My “work station” was very comfortable and the staff was professional and happy to answer my questions about the dishes in English.

The service began with what they called an aperitif: amberella (a local fruit) and apple juice drink. Normally they serve liquor, but since I mentioned that I do not drink alcohol, they thoughtfully made a substitution. This happens to me in the best places.

Then there was trio of appetizers. The first was a cracker filled with eggplant topped by fermented grilled pork and coriander. Very nice taste all around.

Then there was a piece of squid with mango mousse and ginger (very tender and the final kick of the ginger was nice).

Finally, the third appetizer was fermented pig ears on a sesame cracker with some mayonnaise (a bit spicy).

The first dish was a pumpkin and carrot soup with crab paste from a small freshwater crab found in Da Nang countryside, hidden beneath a shrimp. The sophistication of the dish did not betray the authenticity of the single ingredients.

The dish was followed by its palate cleanser… yes, every dish was paired with a different palate cleanser. This was jack fruit ice cream.

The second dish was thinly cut curated veal with herbs and sauces. I like cold cuts and I enjoyed this dish.

The palate cleanser was a nice passion fruit granita with jelly.

The third dish was duck breast cooked sous-vide and later lightly pan fried with mango jelly, dried apricot powder, topped by Vietnamese basil and Vietnamese chili satay sauce with cashew nuts. I wish the meat had been a bit more tender, but was another great dish with unexpectedly satisfying flavor pairings.

The new cleanser was coconut milk with black jelly, fresh jack fruit, and shredded coconut. Clearly inspired by local desserts, it could have been a dish by its own.

The fourth dish was sticky rice and fish, soft boiled quail egg, gac fruit (a type of melon) used to color the rice.

It came with a trio of homemade pickles: cabbage, mango, mungbean sprouts.

The dessert: was a dish with sun-dried banana and banana ice cream, complemented by kumquat granita.

Finally I was offered Nén’s version of the local egg coffee. While I am not a coffee drinker, I enjoyed this conclusion of the meal.

The check

The check after tax and service charge was 1,263,000 VND or 54 USD, an absolute bargain for this kind of menu.

The goal of the chef was to offer a modern take on local ingredients and I think it succeeded. The attention to details was admirable (having several palate cleaner between dishes was impressive) and there was a lot of thinking behind every dish (some of this was shared through a page of chef notes that was handed at the end of the dinner, but could have been provided at the beginning). For example, duck is an overlooked meat in Vietnamese fine dining, but chef Le with the use of modern techniques (sous-vide) brough it to the next level. The use of sun-dried banana was very meaninful as sunshine is an integral component of life in Da Nang and it has always been exploited by the locals to cure their food.

I place Nén on par with other great restaurants I enjoyed in Asia such as Anan Saigon, Labyrinth in Singapore, Paste in Bangkok, and even, to some extent, Nabeno-Ism. They all revolve around the theme of reviving traditional cuisine with the use of modern techniques. And I think it is a great way for chefs to play their creativity and pay homage to their heritage.

Where in Da Nang:
16 đường Mỹ Đa Tây 2, Khuê Mỹ, Ngũ Hành Sơn.
Website: https://restaurantnen.com/.

Eating like a secret agent in Chiang Mai: The Service 1921

The Service 1921 is the Thai restaurant of the luxurious Anantara resort in central Chiang Mai (also serving some Chinese dishes). The restaurant is located in what used to be the British Consulate in Chiang Mai and they decided to craft their menu after a secret service theme (but won’t dare to mention 007 for copyright reasons I guess). The menu comes in a nice envelope “for your eyes only” and the dish descriptions pay homage to secret service language. There is even a dining room hidden behind a secret door embedded into a library.

The visit

There was a complimentary appetizer: peanuts, chili, lime, onion and soy sauce to be wrapped in fresh leaves. It was a nice snack. The friendly and professional waitress showed me how to do it.

I went for dinner and I had their appetizer platter: it has two satay pork skewers with its sauce, two pieces of beef in betel leaves and two nice chicken wings filled with noodles. This was a great ensemble.

I had some Japanese tea that was indicated as “fruity” on the menu (and it was) that came with biscotti.

Then I had wok-cooked shredded beef wih basil and other herbs. Quite spicy. It came with rice and was also a good dish.

The check

The check for the two dishes and the tea was 1152 THB (35 USD). Not an exorbitant price for a dinner with this quality of service and food. Obviously there were many more expensive dishes. They tend to be dishes to be shared among two people.

Where in Chiang Mai:
123-123/1 Charoen Prathet Road | Anantara Chiang Mai Resort & Spa.
Website: https://www.service1921.com.

French-inspired lunch at Oxygen in Chiang Mai

Oxygen Dining Room is one of the restaurants of X2 urban resort in Chiang Mai. It offers French and Thai cuisine, with some fusion dishes.

The visit

The resort clearly stands out from the surrounding buildings with its red bricks.

The path to the restaurant id dotted by photo opportunities.

The restaurant is housed in a glasshouse facing the Ping river. Some tables outside are also available.

I had their set lunch menu deal that began with a set of amuse bouche.

Bread was complimentary and came with three types of flavored butter.

The first dish was two sticks of deep-fried minced pork.

The main was a massive piece of chicken breast beautifully grilled.

Finally, the dessert was a sorbet with a banana jelly.


The lunch ended with the classic petit four in the form of trio of matcha flavored sweets.

The check

The set lunch was 990 THB excluding tax and service charge. Add a soda and the final check was 1.271 THB (38.5 USD). This is an expensive restaurant. Dinner lunch sets go for around 100 USD. The lunch menu however was a reasonable value all considered.

If money is no object, this is an interesting restaurant for some refined dishes.

Where in Chiang Mai:
369/1 Charoenraj Road, Wat Ket, Mueang Chiang Mai.

Chinese dinner in Chiang Mai at Fujian

Fujian is the Chinese restaurant of the luxurious Dhara Dhevi resort in Chiang Mai.

The visit

Above you can see the impressive gate leading to the Dhara Dhevi resort, but no, you won’t need to go enter the resort proper to get to the restaurant.

The restaurant is located right on the parking lot in front of the resort, past a bunch of boutiques and souvenir shops. On the left you will find, Le Grand Lanna, that I also reviewed.

A staff member guided to the restaurant.

Inside the dining room looked like the living room of a patrician family. I believe that private rooms are upstairs.

I had a cranberry juice as a drink.

To start, I was offered a fried wonton as an amouse bouche.

I had their seafood sweet and sour soup that was incredibly creamy and came with some nice bites of seafood. An excellent dish.

Then I had their roast duck. Most of their dish came in three sized: small, medium, and large. My dish was a small portion that still could have been shared among two people. The duck came in slices with some pickled ginger. I must say that this duck was juicy and tender, the roasting brought up its flavors and the sauce did not kill them.

Then I had a casserole with brisket (because I love brisket) and this was a let down. The brisket was too fat and just not good and the casserole did not particularly help.

I carefully looked at the dessert list, but I could not find anything that excited me.

I was offered a complimentary sesame ball as a final bite.

The check

After adding taxes, service charge, water, tge check was 1553,64 THB (47 USD) which places Fujian in fine dining territory for Chiang Mai.

There were two excellent dishes and one terrible. So I do not know whether this deserves a recommendation or not. If you are in Chiang Mai for a few days, there is so much better you can get.

Where in Chiang Mai:
51/4 San Kamphaeng Road | The Dhara Dhevi Chiang Mai.

Dim sum festival at China Kitchen (Chiang Mai Shangri-La)

China Kitchen is the Chinese restaurant of the Shangri-La hotel in Chiang Mai (I reviewed Shangri-La’s weekend brunch buffet in the past). I went there in February 2020, for a special promotion called “Dim Sum Festival”: an all you can eat dim sum lunch. Not sure if this promotion will be available in the future, but dim sum is one of the fixtures on their menu so you will be able to find similar dishes. It should be mentioned that China Kitchen is advertised as a Szechuan restaurant, while dim sum is part of the Cantonese tradition.

The visit

I had a reservation for a weekday (the day before, when I just showed up, it was too late and the dim sum menu was sold out) and my table was ready for me.

The package deal included all you can eat dim sum dishes, a soup of the day, fried rice, and dessert, but no drinks.

The soup (tomato and chicken) and the fried rice were particularly good. Then I had at least one dim sum per type:

The fried and baked dim sum were better than the steamed ones.

The dessert was a sweet soup with dragon fruit and jellies (quite refreshing).

The check

The final check was 509.25 THB (15.50 USD). What increased the check from the advertised 368 THB net for the food was a drink (a cup of Oolong); and I should emphasize that this was an affordable drink in comparison to what was on the menu. Since you will hardly eat without a drink, 510 THB was the real price of the set lunch. Still a good deal, even if the dim sum was not among the best I had for sure. The service was very good all around.

Where in Chiang Mai:
89/8 Chang Klan Road | Shangri-La Hotel Level 1.
Website: http://www.shangri-la.com/chiangmai/shangrila/dining/restaurants/shang-garden/