Gusto Journals Japan

▪️Fileja (Kanda-Tokyo)
▪️Italian - Pasta course: ~¥12K

A six-seat chef's restaurant in a beautifully designed space hidden in Kanda. Fileja offers a unique and highly entertaining dinner experience through a memorable 3-hour course that consists of 20+ dishes.
▪️
This almost feels like a sushi omakase - with fresh pasta dishes instead of nigiri pieces. Several non-pasta dishes are sprinkled in between in lieu of 'otsumami' , and they add a nice variation to the course. The cabbage roll and the wagyu cheek stew are among the noteworthy non-pasta dishes.
▪️
But the star here is the pasta. Good fresh pasta is already difficult to find but Fileja serves around 10 different pasta dishes all fresh made in front of you from scratch, including bucatini, tortelli, flat pappardelle, ravioli... The pasta are then elevated through expertly made sauces. The chef generally keeps it simple and sticks to doing the classics well - already making a strong statement of intent with the opening tortelli that is cooked in a very straightforward butter sauce.
▪️
As you have 20+ dishes, portions are minuscule. It feels like the chef is constantly teasing you, making you crave for more after you savor every drop of delicious sauce in your plate, as he keeps hitting you with one fascinating dish after the other. There is also a selection of carefully selected natural wines accompanying the course in the way you desire.
▪️
This was one of the most enjoyable dining experiences for me this year - lots of entertainment value watching the chef make different kinds of pasta in front of you, also helped by his personable style that keeps the mood light and airy.
▪️
The course is of great value and still easy to book, another proof that you don't need to chase ridiculously hard reservations and pay ridiculously high bills to have a delicious fine dining experience in Tokyo. Wholeheartedly recommended.
#gustojournals_tokyo Less

▪️Fileja (Kanda-Tokyo)
▪️Italian - Pasta course: ~¥12K

A six-seat chef's restaurant in a beautifully designed space hidden in Kanda. Fileja offers a unique and highly entertaining dinner experience through a memorable 3-hour course that consists of 20+ dishes.
▪️
This almost feels like a sushi omakase - with fresh pasta dishes instead of nigiri pieces. Several non-pasta dishes are sprinkled in between in lieu of 'otsumami' , and they add a nice variation to the course. The cabbage roll and the wagyu cheek stew are among the noteworthy non-pasta dishes.
▪️
But the star here is the pasta. Good fresh pasta is already difficult to find but Fileja serves around 10 different pasta dishes all fresh made in front of you from scratch, including bucatini, tortelli, flat pappardelle, ravioli... The pasta are then elevated through expertly made sauces. The chef generally keeps it simple and sticks to doing the classics well - already making a strong statement of intent with the opening tortelli that is cooked in a very straightforward butter sauce.
▪️
As you have 20+ dishes, portions are minuscule. It feels like the chef is constantly teasing you, making you crave for more after you savor every drop of delicious sauce in your plate, as he keeps hitting you with one fascinating dish after the other. There is also a selection of carefully selected natural wines accompanying the course in the way you desire.
▪️
This was one of the most enjoyable dining experiences for me this year - lots of entertainment value watching the chef make different kinds of pasta in front of you, also helped by his personable style that keeps the mood light and airy.
▪️
The course is of great value and still easy to book, another proof that you don't need to chase ridiculously hard reservations and pay ridiculously high bills to have a delicious fine dining experience in Tokyo. Wholeheartedly recommended.
#gustojournals_tokyo Less

▪️Fileja (Kanda-Tokyo)
▪️Italian - Pasta course: ~¥12K

A six-seat chef's restaurant in a beautifully designed space hidden in Kanda. Fileja offers a unique and highly entertaining dinner experience through a memorable 3-hour course that consists of 20+ dishes.
▪️
This almost feels like a sushi omakase - with fresh pasta dishes instead of nigiri pieces. Several non-pasta dishes are sprinkled in between in lieu of 'otsumami' , and they add a nice variation to the course. The cabbage roll and the wagyu cheek stew are among the noteworthy non-pasta dishes.
▪️
But the star here is the pasta. Good fresh pasta is already difficult to find but Fileja serves around 10 different pasta dishes all fresh made in front of you from scratch, including bucatini, tortelli, flat pappardelle, ravioli... The pasta are then elevated through expertly made sauces. The chef generally keeps it simple and sticks to doing the classics well - already making a strong statement of intent with the opening tortelli that is cooked in a very straightforward butter sauce.
▪️
As you have 20+ dishes, portions are minuscule. It feels like the chef is constantly teasing you, making you crave for more after you savor every drop of delicious sauce in your plate, as he keeps hitting you with one fascinating dish after the other. There is also a selection of carefully selected natural wines accompanying the course in the way you desire.
▪️
This was one of the most enjoyable dining experiences for me this year - lots of entertainment value watching the chef make different kinds of pasta in front of you, also helped by his personable style that keeps the mood light and airy.
▪️
The course is of great value and still easy to book, another proof that you don't need to chase ridiculously hard reservations and pay ridiculously high bills to have a delicious fine dining experience in Tokyo. Wholeheartedly recommended.
#gustojournals_tokyo Less

▪️Chisou Sottakuito - Hiroshima City
▪️Kaiseki (Dinner course with sake pairing: ¥33000)

Through the interplay of peerless craftsmanship and unwavering focus on ingredient quality, local and microseasonal delicacies of Hiroshima are rendered into unforgettable dishes at Chisou Sottakuito.
◾
The first dish says it all. The clear dashi made with soft Hiroshima water blends in with the beautiful lacquerware, and green watershields called Junsai adorn the white okoze fish as if they were gracefully suspended mid-air. While I silently adore the aesthetics of this dish, the chef proceeds to tell me about how it is now the peak season of junsai in Hiroshima. They are served at their best to showcase their unique viscous texture which is revered by the Japanese.
◾
This is the height of Washoku: a dish made to appreciate the subtle difference of texture a few days may bring to a prized local ingredient.
◾
The course continues in the path set by the first dish. A massive scallop-like tairagai is hand-plucked in front of us in an effort to retain its umami, the sashimi is served with a 34-year-old ponzu made from scratch by the chef, a piece of mackerel is explained to have a remarkably soft taste because it fed on nothing else but sakura-ebi shrimps... Minute details in each dish display the chef's fantastical level of skill and obsession for his craft.
◾
But nothing illustrates the quality of cooking here better than the dashi - the feather in Sottakuito's cap. Several different dashi are featured in the course. Perhaps most impressive one is behind the takamori wagyu dish - a broth prepared by aged rishiri konbu and 4 kinds of dried fish. The depth of flavor with the added umami from the wagyu is astounding.
◾
The sake pairing from @riepyonosake features very rare bottles, some nama and aged ones. The aged sake she brought for the final dish of rice with summer truffles was made for one of the best pairings I've experienced, as the sake's almost cacao-like nutty flavors blended beautifully with the fragrant truffles.
◾
If it is not clear by now, I would wholeheartedly recommend Chisou Sottakuito for a kaiseki experience worth traveling for. Less

▪️Chisou Sottakuito - Hiroshima City
▪️Kaiseki (Dinner course with sake pairing: ¥33000)

Through the interplay of peerless craftsmanship and unwavering focus on ingredient quality, local and microseasonal delicacies of Hiroshima are rendered into unforgettable dishes at Chisou Sottakuito.
◾
The first dish says it all. The clear dashi made with soft Hiroshima water blends in with the beautiful lacquerware, and green watershields called Junsai adorn the white okoze fish as if they were gracefully suspended mid-air. While I silently adore the aesthetics of this dish, the chef proceeds to tell me about how it is now the peak season of junsai in Hiroshima. They are served at their best to showcase their unique viscous texture which is revered by the Japanese.
◾
This is the height of Washoku: a dish made to appreciate the subtle difference of texture a few days may bring to a prized local ingredient.
◾
The course continues in the path set by the first dish. A massive scallop-like tairagai is hand-plucked in front of us in an effort to retain its umami, the sashimi is served with a 34-year-old ponzu made from scratch by the chef, a piece of mackerel is explained to have a remarkably soft taste because it fed on nothing else but sakura-ebi shrimps... Minute details in each dish display the chef's fantastical level of skill and obsession for his craft.
◾
But nothing illustrates the quality of cooking here better than the dashi - the feather in Sottakuito's cap. Several different dashi are featured in the course. Perhaps most impressive one is behind the takamori wagyu dish - a broth prepared by aged rishiri konbu and 4 kinds of dried fish. The depth of flavor with the added umami from the wagyu is astounding.
◾
The sake pairing from @riepyonosake features very rare bottles, some nama and aged ones. The aged sake she brought for the final dish of rice with summer truffles was made for one of the best pairings I've experienced, as the sake's almost cacao-like nutty flavors blended beautifully with the fragrant truffles.
◾
If it is not clear by now, I would wholeheartedly recommend Chisou Sottakuito for a kaiseki experience worth traveling for. Less

Bu İstanbul ziyaretimin sürprizlerinden biri Ataşehir'in sapa bir köşesinde konumlanan The Salaş oldu. Mekanın menüsü, kuzu ve sakatat şişlerden mütevellit. Izgara başındaki Hasan Bey'i izledikçe, şişlerini pür dikkat takip eden Japon yakitori ustalarını anımsamamak mümkün değil. Hasan Bey'in ızgaradaki sıradışı hakimiyeti, adı gibi salaş bu mekanda İstanbul'un en popüler kebapçılarından daha lezzetli etler çıkmasını mümkün kılıyor.
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Menüdeki ürünler tek şiş halinde sipariş edildiği için 2 kişi gidip pek çok farklı et denemek mümkün. Hasan Bey, denediğim bütün parçalarda çok yüksek seviye bir pişirme standardı ortaya koymayı başarmış. Beni en çok etkileyen et, ilk resimdeki gömlek yağına sarılı kuzu lokum şiş oldu. Tek parça halinde yemeniz önerilen bu ürünü ısırdığınız an, gömlek yağı ağızda patlayarak küşlemenin aromasını müthiş bir şekilde öne atıyor. Olağanüstü bir küşleme yorumu. Solundaki Yağlı Kara da yine yağ ve ızgara lezzeti kombinasyonuyla İstanbul'da bildiğimiz yağlı karaların ötesinde bir deneyim.
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Sakatatlarda da pişirme kalitesi aynı çizgiden devam ediyor. Özellikle yürek ızgara, marinasyonu ile yumuşak bir doku kazanmış. Sakatatların parladığı bir başka yemek ise sürpriz bir şekilde haşlanmış içli köfte. Ince bir hamurun içerisinde sakatat ağırlıklı enfes bir iç dolgu var. Hafızalara kazınan bu lezzeti, tatlı niyetine bir daha söyledim.
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Adana'nın biraz daha tıkız formunda olan kıyma kebabı yağlı karadan yapılıyor ve böylece çoğu Adana Kebap'ta bulamayacağınız bir et lezzeti veriyor. Son olarak gömlek yağına sarılı köfte "şeftali kebabı" da lokum kadar olmasa da gömlek yağının nimetlerinden faydalanarak yüksek dozlu bir lezzet patlaması yaşatıyor. Bütün bunlara eşlik eden ev yapımı ayran ve şalgam da ayrı birer övgüyü hak ediyor.
◾
Bütün bu övgülerin sonrasında, beklentileri doğru ayarlamak adına biraz da Salaş'ın ne olmadığından bahsetmek lazım. Burası uzun soluklu bir keyif yemeği mekanı değil. Bizim bütün bu şişlerle ye-kalk yapmamız 40-45 dk sürdü. Sadece lezzet odaklı bir yemek deneyimi için Salaş'ı bütün etseverlere öneririm. Ambians ve servisin önem kazandığı bir senaryoda ise, daha farklı adresleri tercih etmekte fayda var. Less

Bu İstanbul ziyaretimin sürprizlerinden biri Ataşehir'in sapa bir köşesinde konumlanan The Salaş oldu. Mekanın menüsü, kuzu ve sakatat şişlerden mütevellit. Izgara başındaki Hasan Bey'i izledikçe, şişlerini pür dikkat takip eden Japon yakitori ustalarını anımsamamak mümkün değil. Hasan Bey'in ızgaradaki sıradışı hakimiyeti, adı gibi salaş bu mekanda İstanbul'un en popüler kebapçılarından daha lezzetli etler çıkmasını mümkün kılıyor.
◾
Menüdeki ürünler tek şiş halinde sipariş edildiği için 2 kişi gidip pek çok farklı et denemek mümkün. Hasan Bey, denediğim bütün parçalarda çok yüksek seviye bir pişirme standardı ortaya koymayı başarmış. Beni en çok etkileyen et, ilk resimdeki gömlek yağına sarılı kuzu lokum şiş oldu. Tek parça halinde yemeniz önerilen bu ürünü ısırdığınız an, gömlek yağı ağızda patlayarak küşlemenin aromasını müthiş bir şekilde öne atıyor. Olağanüstü bir küşleme yorumu. Solundaki Yağlı Kara da yine yağ ve ızgara lezzeti kombinasyonuyla İstanbul'da bildiğimiz yağlı karaların ötesinde bir deneyim.
◾
Sakatatlarda da pişirme kalitesi aynı çizgiden devam ediyor. Özellikle yürek ızgara, marinasyonu ile yumuşak bir doku kazanmış. Sakatatların parladığı bir başka yemek ise sürpriz bir şekilde haşlanmış içli köfte. Ince bir hamurun içerisinde sakatat ağırlıklı enfes bir iç dolgu var. Hafızalara kazınan bu lezzeti, tatlı niyetine bir daha söyledim.
◾
Adana'nın biraz daha tıkız formunda olan kıyma kebabı yağlı karadan yapılıyor ve böylece çoğu Adana Kebap'ta bulamayacağınız bir et lezzeti veriyor. Son olarak gömlek yağına sarılı köfte "şeftali kebabı" da lokum kadar olmasa da gömlek yağının nimetlerinden faydalanarak yüksek dozlu bir lezzet patlaması yaşatıyor. Bütün bunlara eşlik eden ev yapımı ayran ve şalgam da ayrı birer övgüyü hak ediyor.
◾
Bütün bu övgülerin sonrasında, beklentileri doğru ayarlamak adına biraz da Salaş'ın ne olmadığından bahsetmek lazım. Burası uzun soluklu bir keyif yemeği mekanı değil. Bizim bütün bu şişlerle ye-kalk yapmamız 40-45 dk sürdü. Sadece lezzet odaklı bir yemek deneyimi için Salaş'ı bütün etseverlere öneririm. Ambians ve servisin önem kazandığı bir senaryoda ise, daha farklı adresleri tercih etmekte fayda var. Less

Ibaraki is often seen simply as another suburban city near Tokyo and overlooked as a tourist destination. While I had a similar image of Ibaraki, a day trip was enough for me to wake up to the potential of this quaint prefecture and to appreciate its local gems hidden out of sight just an hour's distance from Tokyo.

Here's the itinerary of my day trip which can hopefully inspire others:

1. Kodokan (pics 2-3): A traditional Japanese building with absolutely stunning aesthetics, Kodokan was founded as a Samurai school by the Togukawa clan in the late Edo period. This is an impressive historic site to witness a slice of the lives of Japan's last samurai generation - in the shadow of the revolutionary change to come.
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2. Kairakuen (4-5): A spacious Japanese garden teeming with plum blossoms. The strikingly pretty teahouse in the center of the garden reminds me of Ginkakuji with its thatched rooftop.
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3. Restaurant Iijima (6): Hitachi beef is a local delicacy of Ibaraki and Iijima offers many different ways of enjoying it. I particularly liked the succulent hamburg, elevated by the high quality beef.
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4. Treehouse Bonsai (7-8): Ran by an American bonsai professional, this bonsai garden not only hosts many beautiful pieces, but it also offers a rare chance to learn about the art of bonsai in English.
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5. Tsukuba Vineyard (9-10): Besides beer and nihonshu, Ibaraki is also a famous wine-producing region within Japan. There's some noteworthy wine and warm hospitality to be enjoyed in a visit to Tsukuba Vineyard.

As most of Tokyo&Kyoto's most famous sights are getting overcrowded to the point of being not enjoyable anymore, it is good to remember there is always more to see and discover in Japan outside of the hype. Less

Ibaraki is often seen simply as another suburban city near Tokyo and overlooked as a tourist destination. While I had a similar image of Ibaraki, a day trip was enough for me to wake up to the potential of this quaint prefecture and to appreciate its local gems hidden out of sight just an hour's distance from Tokyo.

Here's the itinerary of my day trip which can hopefully inspire others:

1. Kodokan (pics 2-3): A traditional Japanese building with absolutely stunning aesthetics, Kodokan was founded as a Samurai school by the Togukawa clan in the late Edo period. This is an impressive historic site to witness a slice of the lives of Japan's last samurai generation - in the shadow of the revolutionary change to come.
◾
2. Kairakuen (4-5): A spacious Japanese garden teeming with plum blossoms. The strikingly pretty teahouse in the center of the garden reminds me of Ginkakuji with its thatched rooftop.
◾
3. Restaurant Iijima (6): Hitachi beef is a local delicacy of Ibaraki and Iijima offers many different ways of enjoying it. I particularly liked the succulent hamburg, elevated by the high quality beef.
◾
4. Treehouse Bonsai (7-8): Ran by an American bonsai professional, this bonsai garden not only hosts many beautiful pieces, but it also offers a rare chance to learn about the art of bonsai in English.
◾
5. Tsukuba Vineyard (9-10): Besides beer and nihonshu, Ibaraki is also a famous wine-producing region within Japan. There's some noteworthy wine and warm hospitality to be enjoyed in a visit to Tsukuba Vineyard.

As most of Tokyo&Kyoto's most famous sights are getting overcrowded to the point of being not enjoyable anymore, it is good to remember there is always more to see and discover in Japan outside of the hype. Less

Ibaraki is often seen simply as another suburban city near Tokyo and overlooked as a tourist destination. While I had a similar image of Ibaraki, a day trip was enough for me to wake up to the potential of this quaint prefecture and to appreciate its local gems hidden out of sight just an hour's distance from Tokyo.

Here's the itinerary of my day trip which can hopefully inspire others:

1. Kodokan (pics 2-3): A traditional Japanese building with absolutely stunning aesthetics, Kodokan was founded as a Samurai school by the Togukawa clan in the late Edo period. This is an impressive historic site to witness a slice of the lives of Japan's last samurai generation - in the shadow of the revolutionary change to come.
◾
2. Kairakuen (4-5): A spacious Japanese garden teeming with plum blossoms. The strikingly pretty teahouse in the center of the garden reminds me of Ginkakuji with its thatched rooftop.
◾
3. Restaurant Iijima (6): Hitachi beef is a local delicacy of Ibaraki and Iijima offers many different ways of enjoying it. I particularly liked the succulent hamburg, elevated by the high quality beef.
◾
4. Treehouse Bonsai (7-8): Ran by an American bonsai professional, this bonsai garden not only hosts many beautiful pieces, but it also offers a rare chance to learn about the art of bonsai in English.
◾
5. Tsukuba Vineyard (9-10): Besides beer and nihonshu, Ibaraki is also a famous wine-producing region within Japan. There's some noteworthy wine and warm hospitality to be enjoyed in a visit to Tsukuba Vineyard.

As most of Tokyo&Kyoto's most famous sights are getting overcrowded to the point of being not enjoyable anymore, it is good to remember there is always more to see and discover in Japan outside of the hype. Less