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travels for friends, food and wine - in exactly this order
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Restaurants
- Gerhard Huber added a new meal Dinner at くろぎ - Kurogi at Kurogi
Kurogi is one of Tokyo’s most distinctive counter-style Japanese restaurants. Owner-chef Jun Kurogi was born into a Miyazaki restaurant family and trained under Kenichiro Nishi at the legendary Kyomi. After taking over the Yushima restaurant in 2010, he earned Michelin recognition in 2011 and 2012 and became nationally known as the young “Iron Chef... More
Kurogi is one of Tokyo’s most distinctive counter-style Japanese restaurants. Owner-chef Jun Kurogi was born into a Miyazaki restaurant family and trained under Kenichiro Nishi at the legendary Kyomi. After taking over the Yushima restaurant in 2010, he earned Michelin recognition in 2011 and 2012 and became nationally known as the young “Iron Chef Japanese.” Kurogi moved to Shiba-Daimon in 2017, creating a larger stage for his philosophy of “listening to the ingredients” and revealing their character through an elegant, restrained depth of flavour.
Behind its black timber façade, the restaurant feels ceremonial yet animated. Warm lighting focuses attention on the counter, where ingredients are displayed and prepared in full view. Service is polished, generous and personal, while the interaction between chef and guests gives the evening far more energy than conventional, hushed kaiseki.
The early-summer menu began refreshingly with firm tsubugai sea snail and slippery junsai, followed by tender squid and torigai presented with salt and sudachi. Rich, beautifully browned duck was balanced by citrus, before chilled mango cleansed the palate.
The evening’s most extravagant dish combined udon, egg yolk, sea urchin, crisp tempura crumbs and a lavish covering of caviar. Creamy, saline and texturally complex, it captured Kurogi’s fondness for luxury without abandoning comfort. A clear suppon broth followed, possessing remarkable depth despite its delicate appearance.
An elaborate hassun showcased cucumber, mozuku, plum and other seasonal preparations. The central expression of June was whole salt-grilled ayu: crisp-skinned, moist and carrying the fish’s characteristic bittersweet flavour. Sazae sea snail and a comforting beef-and-pork shabu-shabu preceded pristine Ryu no Hitomi rice, served plain and then in richer variations with egg, sakura shrimp, octopus and new ginger.
Soft warabi mochi under roasted kinako and a monumental yet feather-light kakigori completed the meal. Kurogi is best understood not simply as kaiseki but as grand Tokyo kappo: seasonal Japanese cooking performed with intimacy, theatre and unapologetic abundance. Its greatest strength is generosity, although the quantity and conspicuous luxury can occasionally overwhelm. The finest moments remained the simplest ones: clear turtle broth, grilled ayu and freshly cooked rice, where exceptional ingredients were allowed to speak directly. Less
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- Gerhard Huber added a new meal Dinner at Edomae Shibahama at Edomae Shibahama with Tomoko Morikawa
Edomae Shibahama is Chef Hiroshi Kaibara’s deeply personal exploration of Tokyo’s forgotten regional cuisine. After training in respected Japanese restaurants, Kaibara began studying Edo-period cookbooks and historical documents, convinced that Tokyo possessed a culinary identity beyond Edomae sushi. He opened Shokuji Taika in 2016 and relaunched... More
Edomae Shibahama is Chef Hiroshi Kaibara’s deeply personal exploration of Tokyo’s forgotten regional cuisine. After training in respected Japanese restaurants, Kaibara began studying Edo-period cookbooks and historical documents, convinced that Tokyo possessed a culinary identity beyond Edomae sushi. He opened Shokuji Taika in 2016 and relaunched it as Edomae Shibahama in 2021. His philosophy is not to reproduce historical recipes as museum pieces, but to reinterpret their ingredients, preservation methods and bold seasoning with contemporary precision. Bonito-led dashi, Edo sweet miso, irizake and seafood associated with old Tokyo Bay form the restaurant’s vocabulary.
The intimate Shiba restaurant is restrained and quietly elegant, with aged wood, earthen walls and an open kitchen. Our early-summer dinner began with pickled vegetables and a cool, silken preparation in amber dashi, followed by crisp young ayu with summer vegetables. First bonito, served in Kaibara’s characteristic shiba-zukuri style, was meaty and iron-rich, sharpened by ginger and mustard.
Steamed abalone displayed controlled tenderness, while roe-filled mantis shrimp delivered extraordinary sweetness and creamy intensity. The signature shiba-shrimp shinjo, accompanied by white fish in exceptionally clear bonito broth, demonstrated the kitchen’s command of extraction and balance. Pressed horse-mackerel sushi combined oily, lightly cured fish with firm, seasoned rice.
The main course, negima, paired tender tuna with sweet grilled leek in a deeply savoury broth, followed by a lighter presentation with grated daikon. Kōri-dōfu, tofu suspended inside transparent kanten, provided an ingenious, refreshing conclusion. The meal was refined without ostentation and unmistakably rooted in Tokyo’s history, ingredients and culinary imagination. Less
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- Gerhard Huber added a new meal Dinner at Tori Chataro (とり茶太郎) at Tori Chataro (とり茶太郎) with Tomoko Morikawa
Tori Chataro is an intimate, counter-only yakitori restaurant in Shibuya’s quieter Uguisudani district. Chef-owner Takuya Kaneko, born in Tokyo in 1975, studied business and worked in several fields before entering the yakitori profession at 29. He trained at Yakitori Ebisu in Nishi-Ogikubo and the respected Souten in Otsuka, opening Tori Chataro... More
Tori Chataro is an intimate, counter-only yakitori restaurant in Shibuya’s quieter Uguisudani district. Chef-owner Takuya Kaneko, born in Tokyo in 1975, studied business and worked in several fields before entering the yakitori profession at 29. He trained at Yakitori Ebisu in Nishi-Ogikubo and the respected Souten in Otsuka, opening Tori Chataro in 2013.
Kaneko’s philosophy sounds simple: excellent grilled poultry accompanied by excellent drinks. What makes his restaurant exceptional is the range of birds presented within one course. Depending on availability, he uses Hinai-jidori, Nagoya Cochin, Ikkoku Shamo, Gassan Shamo, guinea fowl and Kasumi duck, many raised longer than conventional poultry to develop firmer texture and deeper flavor. Each requires different heat, distance and time over the charcoal.
The modest eleven-seat room focuses attention on Kaneko’s grill. The atmosphere is serious but comfortable, animated by glowing charcoal, drifting smoke and the quiet rhythm of skewers being turned. Service is warm, knowledgeable and precisely paced.
The meal becomes a comparative study of poultry. Lightly seared guinea-fowl and Hinai-jidori breast reveal contrasting textures and levels of sweetness. Smoked white liver is exceptionally rich and creamy, sharpened by salt and a controlled perfume of smoke. Duck thymus brings a softly elastic texture and concentrated savory flavor.
The familiar skewers demonstrate Kaneko’s technique most clearly. Negima combines blistered skin, succulent thigh and sweet, smoke-softened leek. Tsukune remains juicy beneath its caramelized exterior and gains further richness from egg yolk. The signature chicken wing stuffed with sansho rice is a memorable conclusion: thin, crisp skin surrounds rice saturated with rendered chicken fat, while Japanese pepper provides fragrance and a gentle numbing lift.
Rather than treating poultry as trophies, he uses their differences purposefully, allowing diners to taste how breed, maturity, muscle and fat shape flavor and texture.
Tori Chataro received Silver at the Tabelog Awards in 2025 and 2026 and has repeatedly appeared among Japan’s top yakitori restaurants. The recognition feels deserved. This is powerful, generous cooking, but never merely heavy or luxurious. Kaneko turns different breeds, ages and cuts into a coherent progression, preserving yakitori’s elemental pleasure while giving it unusual depth and personality. Less
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- Gerhard Huber added a new meal Dinner at Kousen at Yakiniku Kosen (焼肉幸泉)
Yakiniku Kōsen: The Extraordinary Evolution of a Neighbourhood Classic
Hidden inside the wonderfully timeworn streets surrounding Keisei-Tateishi Station, Yakiniku Kōsen looks much as it has for decades: a tiny, unpretentious neighbourhood yakiniku restaurant, with only a handful of counter seats downstairs and a small tatami room above.
Kōsen... More
Yakiniku Kōsen: The Extraordinary Evolution of a Neighbourhood Classic
Hidden inside the wonderfully timeworn streets surrounding Keisei-Tateishi Station, Yakiniku Kōsen looks much as it has for decades: a tiny, unpretentious neighbourhood yakiniku restaurant, with only a handful of counter seats downstairs and a small tatami room above.
Kōsen was founded more than 40 years ago by the grandmother of the present owner, Ryūshu An. An grew up in Tateishi with her cooking and, after graduating from high school, trained professionally in several Tokyo yakiniku restaurants. When his grandmother retired, he returned to take over the family business, reopening Kōsen in its present form in March 2022.
What he has created is not a reinvention but a remarkable refinement of the traditional machi yakiniku. He preserved the soul of his grandmother’s restaurant, particularly her deeply flavoured homemade momi-dare, while applying everything he had learned about sourcing, ageing, trimming and cutting meat.
Kōsen is not driven by famous beef brands or extravagant marbling. An selects each piece according to flavour and character, then determines its ideal thickness, knife work and seasoning. Different cuts receive different treatments: salt, garlic, miso or variations of the inherited tare. This precision transforms familiar neighbourhood yakiniku into something genuinely exceptional.
Our dinner began with one of Kōsen’s most unusual creations: avocado kimchi. It sounds almost too simple, but the creamy richness of perfectly ripe avocado works beautifully with the spicy, savoury kimchi seasoning. It was distinctive, delicious and immediately memorable.
The excellent senmai sashimi demonstrated the kitchen’s meticulous handling of offal. This was followed by beautifully prepared tongue, served not with the customary lemon but with Kōsen’s distinctive plum-based sauce. The thick-cut upper harami was succulent and intensely beefy, while the sagari, upper loin and other tare-marinated cuts showed precisely why the restaurant’s sauce is so important. These are meats designed to be eaten with rice, each carrying a different balance of sweetness, garlic, savouriness and rendered beef fat.
We continued through lean beef cubes, liver, yaki-yukhoe, liver with nira and a superb selection of horumon, including shimachō and mino. Every piece had been carefully cleaned, trimmed and cut. Nothing felt secondary: the offal received exactly the same attention as the premium cuts.
The revelation of the evening, however, was beef from an eight-year-old Holstein cow raised in Hokkaido. Mature Holstein is not the kind of fashionable, heavily marbled wagyu that usually attracts attention. Its appeal lies elsewhere: depth, structure and an extraordinarily concentrated beef flavour that only develops with age. It was so good that, after completing the entire menu, we ordered another serving. That almost never happens during such a substantial meal, but this meat was impossible to resist.
The soups provided a deeply comforting conclusion, particularly the rich but remarkably clean komutan. By the end, it was clear that Kōsen’s reputation rests not upon one celebrated signature dish, but upon the consistency and intelligence of the entire meal.
The restaurant remains warm, informal and completely unaffected by its success. There is no luxury setting and no theatrical presentation. You sit close to the other guests, grill the meat yourself and experience yakiniku in its most direct and convivial form. Yet behind that apparent simplicity is an enormous amount of judgment, preparation and technique.
Our final bill was approximately ¥17,000 per person. For a meal of this quality, generosity and individuality, that represents extraordinary value. Kōsen is now one of Tokyo’s most difficult reservations, but the excitement surrounding it is fully justified. This is much more than an excellent neighbourhood barbecue restaurant. It is a deeply personal family legacy, preserved with affection and elevated by genuine craftsmanship into one of Japan’s finest yakiniku experiences. Less
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- Gerhard Huber added a new meal Dinner at 茶禅華 - Sazenka at Sazenka with Tomoko Morikawa
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- Gerhard Huber added a new meal Dinner at ひき田 Hikita at Hikita (ひき田) with Tomoko Morikawa
Hikita is one of Tokyo’s most exciting new yakitori openings of 2026. Chef Toyoki Hikita, formerly the driving force behind cult favorite Makitori Shinkobe, now has his own tiny counter in Ebisu. With fewer than ten seats, a serious chef pedigree, and immediate buzz among Tokyo food obsessives, reservations are already nearly impossible.
We went... More
Hikita is one of Tokyo’s most exciting new yakitori openings of 2026. Chef Toyoki Hikita, formerly the driving force behind cult favorite Makitori Shinkobe, now has his own tiny counter in Ebisu. With fewer than ten seats, a serious chef pedigree, and immediate buzz among Tokyo food obsessives, reservations are already nearly impossible.
We went yesterday and would call it next-level yakitori: an enhanced, modern evolution of the classic Torishiki-style tradition. It feels almost like a chicken-themed kaiseki, with vegetables and other refined courses woven between the skewers. The core remains the yakitori: different chickens, different parts, all cooked beautifully and deeply delicious. The wine list is also excellent. Less
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- Gerhard Huber added a new meal Dinner at ひき田 Hikita at Hikita (ひき田)
Hikita is one of Tokyo’s most exciting new yakitori openings of 2026. Chef Toyoki Hikita, formerly the driving force behind cult favorite Makitori Shinkobe, now has his own tiny counter in Ebisu. With fewer than ten seats, a serious chef pedigree, and immediate buzz among Tokyo food obsessives, reservations are already nearly impossible.
We went... More
Hikita is one of Tokyo’s most exciting new yakitori openings of 2026. Chef Toyoki Hikita, formerly the driving force behind cult favorite Makitori Shinkobe, now has his own tiny counter in Ebisu. With fewer than ten seats, a serious chef pedigree, and immediate buzz among Tokyo food obsessives, reservations are already nearly impossible.
We went yesterday and would call it next-level yakitori: an enhanced, modern evolution of the classic Torishiki-style tradition. It feels almost like a chicken-themed kaiseki, with vegetables and other refined courses woven between the skewers. The core remains the yakitori: different chickens, different parts, all cooked beautifully and deeply delicious. The wine list is also excellent. Less
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- Gerhard Huber added a new meal Lunch at Saito (天ぷら 斉藤) at Sushi Saitou (鮨 さいとう)
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- Gerhard Huber added a new meal Dinner at かんだ - Kanda at Kanda with Tomoko Morikawa
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... More
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
