Foodle

Pictures are not allowed at Sushi Sho NY, so this is all I have from my last meal - a gift of futomaki. Nakazawa-san's sushi has continued to reach new heights at each phase of his career. The consistent focus is on using local ingredients where possible, educating diners on the history of sushi, and continually leveling up presentation. If the original Sushi Sho is a neighborhood sushiya that birthed an entire "school" of restaurants, the Waikiki iteration is the more upscale, corporate-sponsored version that proved the success of this philosophy needn't only be contained to Tokyo. The NYC version feels like oyakata's vision fully realized. A stunning, custom-designed space that seems to compress 1300 years of sushi history into a single meal.
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Making good sushi night after night for 30+ years is challenge enough. Doing it in 3 locations several thousand miles apart, with different audiences, supply chains and ingredients is something that can only be executed by a true master. This feels wholly different than how successful chefs roll out their top restaurant concepts to new locations in "hot markets" like Las Vegas, Hong Kong or Dubai. And it's a completely different approach to how other unnamed sushiya have strategized entry to the American market - sometimes capitalizing on a brand name and expensive hinoki counter without sending the master or really doing much at all to show any consideration at all for translating their philosophy on new terroir.
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Nakazawa-san chose NYC precisely because of the challenge inherent in the restaurant business here: the most demanding diners, the thinnest margins, the shortest staying power. Foreign diners may be naive, but that doesn't mean they are oblivious to emotional intent. There's a reason Sushi Sho has a multi-month waiting list - people can sense that drive, that desire to produce something special. The businessman who knows how to extract every dollar of margin from diners and deftly manage supply chains may produce food that is every bit as tasty (and expensive!) as the craftsman who is driven by a thirst for endless self-improvement. But it is only the latter that achieves lasting greatness. Less

🍔𝗗𝗼𝗴-𝗙𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗱𝗹𝘆 𝗚𝗼𝘂𝗿𝗺𝗲𝘁 𝗕𝘂𝗿𝗴𝗲𝗿𝘀
🐕愛犬と楽しめる本格グルメバーガー

✼••┈┈┈┈┈┈┈ 𝗘𝗡𝗚𝗟𝗜𝗦𝗛 ┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈••✼

A long-time favourite in Tokyo’s burger scene, “𝗕𝘂𝗿𝗴𝗲𝗿 𝗠𝗮𝗻𝗶𝗮” is loved for its juicy patties, comforting Americana atmosphere, and creative seasonal burgers🌸

The cover photo is their bold and flavour-packed “𝗠𝗲𝘅𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝗕𝘂𝗿𝗴𝗲𝗿”, layered with taco meat, chilli beans, cheddar cheese, salsa, and supplementary jalapeños for an extra kick🌶️

Their rotating monthly specials always feel playful and indulgent - this month’s “𝗖𝗵𝗲𝗲𝘀𝗲 𝗠𝗲𝗹𝘁 𝗕𝘂𝗿𝗴𝗲𝗿” featured sweet caramelised onions and gooey melted cheese🧅

We also still think about the unforgettable “𝗘𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁𝗲𝗲𝗻 𝗖𝗵𝗲𝗲𝘀𝗲 𝗕𝘂𝗿𝗴𝗲𝗿” we had back in March to celebrate the restaurant’s 18th anniversary, featuring eighteen different cheeses🧀

Another huge plus is that every seat is dog-friendly, making this one of my favourite casual spots to visit with @qoothepomchi🐶

✼••┈┈┈┈┈┈┈ 𝗝𝗔𝗣𝗔𝗡𝗘𝗦𝗘 ┈┈┈┈┈┈┈••✼

東京バーガー界の人気店「𝗕𝘂𝗿𝗴𝗲𝗿 𝗠𝗮𝗻𝗶𝗮（バーガーマニア）」🏆 肉汁たっぷりのパティとアメリカンダイナーのような空気感に加え、毎月登場する遊び心溢れるマンスリーバーガーも魅力のお店です🌻

カバー写真の「メキシカンバーガー」は、タコミート・チリビーンズ・チェダーチーズ・サルサを重ねた食べ応えある逸品🌮 ハラペーニョ追加でさらにスパイシーに❤️‍🔥

今月のマンスリーバーガー「チーズメルトバーガー」は、甘くキャラメリゼした玉ねぎととろけるチーズが主役👑 さらに、自家製の「トロピカルシラチャーソース」を追加🌴 マンゴーとパイナップルの甘みを感じるフルーティーな辛さが絶妙で、濃厚なバーガーとの相性も抜群でした🍍

全席ペット同伴OKなので、@qoothepomchi と一緒に定期的に通っているお気に入りのお店です🐾

・🥑メキシカンバーガー (¥1,850)
・🌶️トロピカルシラチャーソース (¥310)
・🧅チーズメルトバーガー (¥1,590)
・🧀18種のチーズバーガー (¥2,240)
・🍋ローズマリーレモンバーガー (¥1,820)
・🥗シーザーサラダ 自家製ベーコンのせ (¥1,330)
・🌽コーンクリームスープ (¥950)
・🍗自家製チキンナゲット (¥960 / 4個)

✼••┈┈┈┈┈┈ 𝗜𝗡𝗙𝗢𝗥𝗠𝗔𝗧𝗜𝗢𝗡 ┈┈┈┈┈┈••✼

📍┆𝗕𝘂𝗿𝗴𝗲𝗿 𝗠𝗮𝗻𝗶𝗮
🗼┆Hiroo · 広尾┆Ebisu · 恵比寿 ┆Shirokane 白金
👩🏻‍🍳┆Burger · ハンバーガー
🏷┆@burger_mania_ #burgermania
💰┆¥2,000~¥3,000🌞
👣┆Pet-Friendly · 店内ペットOK
📅┆Book via Phone · 電話予約
✍️┆Food: 𝖢𝗈𝗆𝖿𝗈𝗋𝗍𝗂𝗇𝗀 · Vibe: 𝖱𝗎𝗌𝗍𝗂𝖼 · Price ¥¥¥

✼••┈┈┈┈┈┈┈ 𝗛𝗔𝗦𝗛𝗧𝗔𝗚𝗦 ┈┈┈┈┈┈┈••✼

#tokyohalfie_burger #tokyohalfie_ハンバーガー#tokyohalfie_petfriendly #tokyohalfie_ペットOK Less

Back to the category of "great sushi restaurants in Tokyo you can actually book": Sushi Suzuki. Suzuki-san has been running his own shop in Ginza for more than a decade now, but his training at Sushi Aoki in the same neighborhood are as strong bona fides as anyone can get. The sushi is large sized and the rice is strongly seasoned with a much higher proportion of akazu than many other contemporaries. Ingredient quality is high and occasionally, exceptional.
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Suzuki-san's bozushi is one of the best "edomae" versions to be found anywhere. There is stunning visual, textual and flavor contrast between the sour rice, rich saba, lightly torched skin, and sweet shiroita konbu. While a few high end sushiya (most notably, Sushi Saito) have incorporated bozushi into their course, Suzuki-san's might be my favorite in Tokyo. Less

Another sushiya in Tokyo where you can actually make a reservation: Ichikawa. Ichikawa-san is one of the first Araki disciples to branch off with his own shop, and the meal is actually pretty similar to Araki-san's. Now that Araki-san is back in Tokyo, it's definitely a more accessible alternative - and with a Tabelog Bronze award and ranking above 4, it's an obvious attraction for foodies seeking confirmation bias in internet scores. Predictably, the nigiri portion of the meal is nearly half tuna, with a few Araki-style "double drop" nigiri sequences. Ichikawa-san seems to favor oil and fat-rich tuna, so if decadence is your speed, this will probably become a fast favorite. Less

🍱𝗔𝗻 𝗜𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗦𝗲𝗮𝘀𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗖𝗼𝘂𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗶𝗻 𝗡𝗮𝗸𝗮𝗺𝗲𝗴𝘂𝗿𝗼
🌸素材の本質を映し出す、凛とした日本料理
…𝘥𝘦𝘵𝘢𝘪𝘭𝘴 𝘣𝘦𝘭𝘰𝘸 · 詳細は⤵︎

✼••┈┈┈┈┈┈┈ 𝗘𝗡𝗚𝗟𝗜𝗦𝗛 ┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈•✼

Hidden near Nakameguro, “𝗛𝗶𝗴𝗮𝘀𝗵𝗶𝘆𝗮𝗺𝗮 𝗠𝘂𝗸𝘂” is an intimate eight-seat counter where every detail feels intentional🪄 After opening in July 2023, the restaurant quickly earned its first @michelinguide star just over a year later🌟

What makes Chef 𝘔𝘪𝘴𝘩𝘪𝘮𝘢 𝘛𝘢𝘵𝘴𝘶𝘬𝘪’s story especially fascinating is that he originally worked in mechanical design before changing paths in his mid-twenties to pursue Japanese cuisine - a background that perhaps explains the precision, balance, and quiet discipline reflected in every dish⚙️

The name “𝗠𝘂𝗸𝘂” refers to something pure, unadorned, and untouched - a philosophy that quietly flows through every aspect of the experience🍃 From the minimalist interiors to the restrained plating, the focus here is never excess, but rather bringing out the true character of each ingredient🌸

✼••┈┈┈┈┈┈┈ 𝗝𝗔𝗣𝗔𝗡𝗘𝗦𝗘 ┈┈┈┈┈┈┈••✼

中目黒にひっそりと佇む、カウンター8席のみの日本料理店「東山無垢」🍶 無駄を削ぎ落とした静謐な空間でいただくのは、信頼する生産者から仕入れた素材の魅力を丁寧に引き出した季節のコース☘️

店主の三島立己氏は、もともと機械設計に携わっていたという異色の経歴の持ち主🛠️ その経験を思わせるような緻密さや、美しいバランス感覚が、お料理や空間づくりの随所に息づいていました🎐

伝統を大切にしながらも、細部まで行き届いた所作に現代的な感性が織り込まれていて、一皿ごとに素材と真摯に向き合う静かな力強さを感じました✨ また季節を変えて伺いたい一軒です🌻

【5月のコース】
①, ② 🍣大間の鮪のおはぎ
③, ④ 🐟稚鮎の揚げ出し
⑤ 🦀北海道産毛蟹・ホワイトアスパラガス
⑥ 🐟アイナメのお椀
⑦ 🐚金目鯛・赤貝
⑧ 🐟北海道産トキシラズの照り焼き
⑨ 🐢鼈の炭火焼き
⑩ 🍚岐阜県産龍の瞳
⑪ 🍛カレーうどん
⑫ 🍈マスクメロン・フロマージュブラン

【2月のコース】
⑬ 🐚島根県産の黒鮑
⑭ 🧅淡路島産玉ねぎ
⑮ 🐟山口県産メジマグロ
⑯ 🐡焼き河豚・白子
⑰ 🦀松葉蟹の真薯
⑱ 🐟マナガツオの西京焼き
⑲ 🍀蕗の土鍋ご飯
⑳ 🍓あまりん

✼••┈┈┈┈┈┈ 𝗜𝗡𝗙𝗢𝗥𝗠𝗔𝗧𝗜𝗢𝗡 ┈┈┈┈┈┈••✼

📍┆𝗛𝗶𝗴𝗮𝘀𝗵𝗶𝘆𝗮𝗺𝗮 𝗠𝘂𝗸𝘂 · 東山無垢
🗼┆Nakameguro · 中目黒
👩🏻‍🍳┆Japanese · 日本料理
🏷┆@higashiyamamuku #東山無垢
💰┆Omakase Course · おまかせコース (¥25,300)
🚉┆Nakameguro · 中目黒駅 (West Exit)🚶🏽‍♀️11min
👣┆Smart Casual · スマートカジュアル
📅┆Book via @omakasejapan · 予約困難
✍️┆Food: 𝖤𝗑𝖼𝖾𝗉𝗍𝗂𝗈𝗇𝖺𝗅 · Vibe: 𝖤𝗅𝖾𝗀𝖺𝗇𝗍 · Price ¥¥¥

✼••┈┈┈┈┈┈┈ 𝗛𝗔𝗦𝗛𝗧𝗔𝗚𝗦 ┈┈┈┈┈┈┈••✼

#tokyohalfie_nakameguro #tokyohalfie_中目黒 #中目黒グルメ #東山グルメ Less

A casual offshoot of the hard-to-book Tacubo in Daikanyama, @tacubo_shirokanedai offers the same wood-fired Italian cuisine but in an à la carte format. Entering the restaurant is a dramatic affair where a long stairway leads to a rustic cave-like dining room. Guests sit along one long communal table with an impressive wine cellar on one side and the open kitchen on the other. The menu is pretty extensive with a dozen appetizers, 20 pastas and 6 mains to choose from. The dishes are meant to be shared between two people and you can ask them to be split ahead of time. The must-try is the signature chilled pasta with caviar but all of the dishes we tried were delicious and well executed. Don’t miss the extensive wine selection here - available by the glass or bottle.

What we tried:

Yamayuki Tuna Tartare on Wood-Fired Bruschetta

Roasted Shiitake Mushroom from Fukuda Farm with Gorgonzola

Conger Eel Fritto with Celeriac and Lardo

Braised Wagyu Beef Offal with Tuscan Kale in Tomato Sauce and Pecorino

Chilled Pasta with Oscietra Caviar and Smoked Scampi

Ragu of Squid Ink

Crepe with Vanilla Ice Cream and Japanese Native Honey from Ehime

Canele
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Tacubo Shirokanedai
Tokyo, Japan
#supermelJapan #supermelTokyo Less