Foodle

Kanda is one of Tokyo’s defining modern kaiseki restaurants, led by chef Hiroyuki Kanda, whose cooking combines classical Japanese technique with warmth, elegance and a subtle contemporary touch. After many years in Moto-Azabu, the restaurant moved to its new home in Toranomon Hills Residential Tower, with a serene minimalist space designed in collaboration with Hiroshi Sugimoto. Kanda’s cuisine reflects the chef’s Tokushima roots, meticulous sourcing and belief that “subtle flavour is true flavour.” It has held three Michelin stars continuously since the 2008 Tokyo guide, making it one of Japan’s most respected culinary institutions. Less

Sushi Ikkou, a renowned restaurant that has earned two Michelin stars in Sapporo, has relocated to Ginza and is currently ranked 3rd in the Tokyo sushi category on Tabelog. After about a year, I finally had the opportunity to attend the highly popular May Shako event!Upon entering, I was amazed by the grand space featuring a stunning waiting bar, despite being in Ginza. The black dragon Ikkou bottle and knives are on display. Here, I enjoyed complimentary champagne.The main counter is a beautifully spacious area that feels luxurious, far beyond what one would expect in the city center.The fish served at Sushi Ikkou is the cream of the crop, selected from hundreds of thousands, featuring only the Olympic-level seafood, regardless of the source or fishermen. Master Kudo personally chooses the best ingredients with an expert eye, pairing them with versatile rice that changes its character to complement the seasoned toppings.Not only do they offer unique items like stuffed baby spear squid and soft-boiled egg shako, but even the more common ingredients like spring sea bream and anago are prepared with a level of expertise that makes them truly special. Everything here is a specialty, and each piece of sushi is one-of-a-kind. (I have tweeted more details about the shako separately.)The effort put into each piece of stuffed shako is astounding. For just one piece, the chef abstains from alcohol for a month and travels to Hokkaido weekly without breaks, ensuring that the freshly caught shako is prepared and airlifted to Tokyo within an hour. Out of all the shako, only half meets Ikkou's standards, which means immense labor and cost are invested in each piece. Normally, female shako can feel tough due to being boiled on the beach, but at Ikkou, the eggs are soft and serve as a sauce for the shako, creating a rich and flavorful experience that melds beautifully with the rice and fish in your mouth. It completely changes the concept of shako as I knew it. This is truly the ultimate piece that cannot be found elsewhere, and I feel incredibly fortunate to have experienced it before I die!The presentation is elegant, and Master Kudo's conversation is surprisingly lively, maintaining a perfect balance of lightheartedness and tension, filled with laughter.I will definitely be returning to this sushi restaurant!◆ Appetizers, ◇ Nigiri◆ Sea Bream◆ Surf Clam◆ Kinmedai Shabu-Shabu◆ Stuffed Baby Spear Squid◆ Bachi Ko◇ Spring Sea Bream◇ Sayori◇ Sardine◇ Red Meat◇ Toro◇ Sea Urchin◆ Nodoguro Rice Bowl◇ Kohada◇ Soft-Boiled Egg Shako◇ Sumi Ika◇ Anago◆ Tamago◇ Kinmedai◇ Horse Mackerel◇ Tekka Maki◇ Goya Maki Less