Tokyo Takeaways | フィナーレ (Finale)
I gained ten pounds–here’s why!
Reservations give me anxiety – how do I know what I want to eat next week, let alone next month or perhaps even longer? I like leaving room for spontaneity and taking it day by day; but a friend suggested I reconsider…Not planning allows for more freedom; but sometimes that means not getting into a particular spot. I didn’t want to travel across the globe and get shut out, so I made some reservations for my trip to Tokyo; but perhaps I went a bit overboard.
The Japanese are less forgiving with reservations; which made it near impossible to cancel any of my bookings a week out. Sick? Travel complications? Too bad. Even the most savvy concierges couldn’t talk their way out of reservations on my behalf – even with a few days to fill those sought after seats. It was quite annoying and by the third day – I likened heading to my next reservation like walking the plank. How did this meal that I was super excited to book turn into torture? Ultimately, I was happy I got to see all the restaurants I did; but next time I’ll book two or three key spots & leave the rest up to fate.
Some highlights
Kaiseki is a traditional multi-course Japanese meal; which should definitely be experienced; but sometimes the meal is challenging–giving diners an assortment of dishes that they probably never tried or even thought about eating. At Kasumicho Yamagami –the meal was very special; but I wasn’t expecting to eat turtle or pufferfish. Isn’t pufferfish poisonous??? Maybe the pufferfish wasn’t worth dying over; but chef’s crab dishes make a better argument. I guess turtle is pretty common on a kaiseki menu because I was also served that at Ginza Shinohara, which was a bit more exotic for me–leaning more towards traditional. The service here was top-notch; but I no1 spoke English, so I had no idea what I was eating most of the time. They did serve a damn fine gin & tonic!
Sushi was definitely the category I was most excited for; but also the most challenging to book. Getting advice on where to eat could also be a bit funny–many sushi snobs arguing over “the best” over pages & pages on Reddit & beyond. I took some recommendations from some friends who frequent Tokyo; but there’s tons of blogs out there if you have time to kill. The best meal of the trip (if not my life) was at Sushi Sugita. This was the reservation I extended my trip for. Eight seats, all filled with regulars–everyone having fun and engaging. Chef was also having fun; which isn’t always apparent at some of these high-end sushi counters. We drank a bottle of 2013 Cristal Rose, which was lights out. A truly outstanding meal with strangers I now call friends.
I went to Kurosaki & Namba Hibiya for lunch and both were great; but I'd give the edge to Kurosaki because of the atmosphere and wine list. Namba might serve technically better sushi; but everyone was so serious and it was zero fun (though delicious). Sushi that good should be taken seriously; but damn—you could hear the fan buzz it was so quiet. At Kurosaki, people around the counter were more lively and engaging with chef. We drank a beautiful bottle of 2012 Pierre Boisson Muersault with some spectacular fish–what a way to spend an afternoon.
Mizukami was good; but couldn’t compete with the above mentioned. I do think they are foreigner friendly–with English speaking staff, an easy to follow list of fish served, and a reservation that isn’t impossible to book. Suzuki isn’t necessarily on the sushi nerds must-go list; but it's on the seasoned tokyo gourmands list: it's not new or fancy; but its a classic example of really good sushi. Sushi Yuuki was another spot without much fanfare; but proved to be a solid option for the price–though I'm not rushing back.
I hit my limit on the sushi circuit; but there’s so many places I’d love to check out–from the morning sushi scene to the members only counters.
Tempura is a must in Japan and Tokyo has no shortage of epic tempura spots. There’s plenty of delicious omakase counters like Takiya serving fried food that will bend your mind; but I preferred spots where you could order ala carte. A few standout tempura spots are Tempura Kikage Yukimura & Tendon- Kaneko Hannosuke; while Kusunoki & Naruse are amongst the top spots in the category; but could be hard to reserve.
Tonkatsu is one of my favorites–especially after drinking all night. Spots like Butagumi & Hajime Nihobashi were amongst some of the best I tried; but shout out to Ginza Kimuraya that had a great Shrimp Katsu sandwich.
Ramen is something I often crave; but in nyc there’s only a few places I really love. In Tokyo–there’s an overwhelming amount of top ramen shops like: Kikanbō Spicy Ramen, Ginza Hachigou, or Hashigo Ginza Honten. There’s a bunch of different styles of ramen and in Tokyo–even the chains are top notch, so don’t shy away from them.
Other Noodles: Kawakami for soba and Kurobatei for Udon
Pizza, yes pizza! Tokyo has some incredible pizza including Seirinkan & Marumo
Unagi isn’t always the most popular category; but definitely worth checking out if you want something totally unique. Shun (outside tokyo) is tops; but Nodaiwa Azabu Iikura Honten & Obana should be on your list if you like eel.
Yakitori–this was a hard category to book; but nico was able to get a spot at Imai; which was solid. Lots of top spots like Torishiki, Kasahara, Torisawa, or Toriki are booked far in advance and could be just as hard as the top sushi counters.
Izakayas are casual and fun; so I’m surprised I didn’t hit more of these; but one can only eat so much! Izakaya Vin was a standout–with an epic cellar, laidback vibe, and good food. One of those places you’d probably go twice on one trip. On my next trip–I’ll look to check out more izakayas like Kotaro, Tavern Ofuro, or Sake no Ana.
Wine Bars : Ahiru Store, Luonto, Nuits Blanche, Pas loin, Bistro Simba, Cabottes, Elevage, & Bunon.
That’s all for my trip to Tokyo. Is your trip booked yet? C’mon by for a bowl of pasta, I can’t wait to hear your plans.