Located a 10-minute walk from Akasaka Mitsuke Station on the Tokyo Metro Namboku Line, Matsukawa is a restaurant I had the pleasure of visiting for the first time, thanks to a dear friend who invited me to their exclusive platinum seating. Thank you very much.Established in 2011 and operated by Matsukawa Co., Ltd. (founded in 2020, CEO: Tadayoshi Matsukawa, headquartered in Minami-ku, Tokyo), Chef Matsukawa previously worked at "Shofukuro" in Shiga and "Aosakan" in Hiroo before going independent.The exterior is a low-rise building with light ivory fireproof tiles, located next to the American Embassy, featuring glass-walled private rooms and wooden doors, presenting a simple yet elegant appearance.This time, I was shown to a private room where I could relax and enjoy my meal.The interior boasts a wooden ceiling, light ochre clay walls, and pale gray tiled floors, creating a space with a traditional Japanese ambiance.The seating arrangement includes 6 counter seats, 4 tatami seats, and two private rooms accommodating 4 and 8 guests, totaling 22 seats.I opted for the Omakase course (JPY 82,500, tax included) along with drinks, bringing my total to JPY 85,200.I felt that this type of cuisine reveals its true essence only when visited throughout the changing seasons.Especially on this day, with a direct hit from a typhoon, I sensed that the freshness of the sea urchin and other ingredients might not have been at their best. Perhaps that was just my perception. After all, each dining experience is unique, and I want to focus on the dishes served that day in my review.That said, given the price point, my expectations were incredibly high, and it’s natural for a connoisseur to seek unparalleled deliciousness without any flaws.Nevertheless, I was able to savor the remarkable skills of the chef.I have included explanations with the photos.It was a great meal.Dishes:1. Steamed black abalone & purple sea urchin & taro stem, served with a jellied broth and black abalone liver sauce.2. Grilled skin-on white fish steamed with rice, topped with beluga caviar.3. Amate flounder (official name: Mako-karei).4. Red sea urchin.5. Water shield.6. Tiger fish with plum paste, Kamo eggplant, served with a broth made from Rishiri kombu and bonito flakes.7. Charcoal-grilled Bachi clam.8. Corn tempura.9. Pike eel.10. Charcoal-grilled tsubugai (turban shell).11. Two charcoal-grilled sweetfish, served with wasabi vinegar.12. Charcoal-grilled Kamo eggplant.13. Eel with tempura of new burdock and young sansho leaves, served with powdered sansho.14. Flounder and yuba (tofu skin) in Rishiri kombu and bonito broth.15. Hand-made soba served in an ice bowl with mozuku (seaweed) and quail egg.16. White rice.17. Fresh karasumi (salted mullet roe).18. Soy sauce marinated salmon roe.19. Shredded nori seaweed.20. Shichimi sansho (pepper).21. Red miso soup with water shield.22. Pickles.23. Mizu yokan (sweet red bean jelly).24. Ripe mango.25. Jelly with watermelon.
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