Epicurean bliss in upmarket Tokyo
Ebisu, Aoyama, Hiroo and Roppongi are affluent neighborhoods bound by close proximity and exceptional restaurants. Which establishments are currently fueling the gourmand scene? We present five of our favorites.
DAL-MATTO Nishi-Azabu
Chef's choice Italian
Le Bourguignon
Classic French unspoiled by fame
MASA'S KITCHEN
Unembellished Chinese
Takumi Shingo
The consummate sushi experience
IL TEATRINO DA SALONE
Italian for the senses
DAL-MATTO Nishi-Azabuダルマット西麻布本店
Phone: 03-3470-9899
- Address:
- B1F, Daini Taiko Bldg., 1-10-8 Nishi-Azabu, Minato-ku, Tokyo
- Open:
- Tuesdays to Sundays, holidays, day before holidays
Dinner 18:00-04:00 - Closed:
- Mondays
Chef Hirai's favorite holiday pastime is to dine all over Japan and find new ingredients for dishes at the five DAL-MATTO restaurants he manages.
Roast Yamagata beef from the tomo sankaku (tri tip) cut. Chef's choice dishes are always changing and have no names.
Cold pasta with peaches and sweet tomato, strawberries or cherries in spring, and pears in autumn. Risotto is served in winter.
Nestled in a basement, the restaurant also has private rooms and counter seats. Sister restaurant OGGI DAL-MATTO is right upstairs.
The shop carries a wide selection of reasonably priced wines. All-you-can-drink wine service is available for 1,500 yen.
Chef's choice Italian
First comes the amuse-bouche, followed by appetizers of vegetables, seafood and meat. Then cold pasta, warm pasta and the main dish are served in the chef's choice course, the only item on the menu. The price of the 7-dish course is approximately 6,000 yen, which comes to less than 1,000 yen per plate. Yet every dish is expertly prepared, in a bold Italian style, to bring out the full flavor of its quality ingredients. The difficult-to-book DAL-MATTO has been pleasing customers this way for 10 years on a Nishi-Azabu alley near Roppongi.
"When visiting a sushi shop for the first time, the chef is more likely to treat you like a regular customer if you order the chef's choice," muses chef Masato Hirai. "You might inform the chef of ingredients you don't like, and he might ask if the quantity is ample. But otherwise he will prepare the meal the way he thinks best. I thought it would be fun for both me and my guests to apply the "chef's choice" concept to western cuisine."
Limiting the menu to the chef's choice course frees the chef to create what he thinks best. It also prevents food waste and reduces prices. Customers enjoy watching chef Hirai freely prepare dishes in his partially open kitchen while they dine, laugh and chat. He in turn chuckles with delight when observing their obvious appreciation of his cuisine.
"Everything works wonderfully this way," he says with a smile. Chef Hirai trained in Italy as well as under reputed chefs at famed Italian restaurants in Japan such as LA BETTOLA da Ochiai and Crattini. But even without knowledge of his impressive background, guests recognize from the first bite they are being treated to something special by a very talented chef.
Phone: 03-3470-9899
- Address:
- B1F, Daini Taiko Bldg., 1-10-8 Nishi-Azabu, Minato-ku, Tokyo
- Open:
- Tuesdays to Sundays, holidays, day before holidays
Dinner 18:00-04:00 - Closed:
- Mondays
Le Bourguignonル・ブルギニオン
Phone: 03-5772-6244
- Address:
- 3-3-1 Nishi-Azabu, Minato-ku, Tokyo
- Open:
- Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays to Sundays, holidays and the day before holidays
Lunch 11:30 – last order 13:00 Dinner 18:00 – last order 21:00 - Closed:
- Wednesdays and the second Tuesday every month
The restaurant is built like a small renovated home in Bourgogne. Its warm, natural ambience is ideal for savoring quality time.
Tender, flavorful pigeon de Bresse with romaine lettuce farcie and girolles.
Hairy crab, eggplant and avocado millefeuille with ingredients from Hokkaido, where Kikuchi was born.
Kikuchi is a renowned wine expert with over 300 wines in the cellar, mainly from vineyards he has visited in Bourgogne.
Service is excellent and departing guests are seen to the door. "I want to win hearts with more than food," says Kikuchi.
Classic French unspoiled by fame
"I spent a very fulfilling three years training in Bourgogne, where I also studied wine by visiting around 200 winemakers in my spare time," responds owner chef Yoshinaru Kikuchi when asked about his restaurant's name.
Le Bourguignon has been in business for over 15 years now and helped launch the careers of several well-known chefs. As one of the best-established restaurants in the area, it is usually fully booked.
Kikuchi never forgets his culinary roots and takes off two weeks every summer to train as an apprentice at restaurants in France. "By working as a staff member, I refresh my perspective and make new discoveries I can apply here in Tokyo," he says. His enthusiasm hasn't waned since his early days in Bourgogne.
His French cuisine is classic, not elaborate, and continues to evolve. We find it very easy to understand why Le Bourguignon continues to attract so many respected gourmands.
Phone: 03-5772-6244
- Address:
- 3-3-1 Nishi-Azabu, Minato-ku, Tokyo
- Open:
- Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays to Sundays, holidays and the day before holidays
Lunch 11:30 – last order 13:00 Dinner 18:00 – last order 21:00 - Closed:
- Wednesdays and the second Tuesday every month
MASA'S KITCHENMASA'S KITCHEN
Phone: 03-3473-0729
- Address:
- B1F, Conforia Ebisu, 1-21-13 Ebisu, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo
- Open:
- Tuesdays to Sundays, holidays and the day before holidays
Lunch 11:30 – last order 14:00 Dinner 18:00 – last order 22:30 - Closed:
- Mondays
Counter seats in the fashionable bistro-like restaurant provide a clear view of the creative process and a comfortable setting for single female guests.
Appetizers include lightly seasoned zha cai pickles, mouthwatering Szechuan-style chicken and tofu with century egg.
Shang tang soup with corn, spareribs and a rich Jinhua ham flavor accompanies some courses.
"We prepare dishes based on the 'eat well, live well' concept, the essence of Chinese cooking," says chef Namazue.
Delicious shark fin simmered in clear soup is a hallmark dish included in every course.
Unembellished Chinese
You'd never guess from the bare concrete walls, stainless steel kitchen and dark counter seats that MASA'S KITCHEN is a Chinese restaurant. Unlike casual downtown noodle shops and most high-end establishments, it doesn't loudly proclaim it is Chinese.
MASA'S KITCHEN is positioned as Szechuan to reflect chef Masahito Namazue's firm grounding in the genre. But his style steps outside the usual boundaries. His assorted appetizers, for example, include Chinese-style gasphacho, raw zha cai pickles perfect with beer, mouth-watering chicken and Cantonese-style barbecued pork freshly made every night and day.
A western influence is apparent in his preparation and presentation. Szechuan pepper and chili pepper are sparingly used, for example, to bring out the natural flavors of the main ingredients. And most dishes pair well with delicate white wine.
On the other hand, every dish is prepared in traditional Chinese stock, the essence of Chinese cuisine. Perhaps we are witnessing the incarnation of a new sub genre in the 4,000-year evolution of Chinese cuisine.
Phone: 03-3473-0729
- Address:
- B1F, Conforia Ebisu, 1-21-13 Ebisu, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo
- Open:
- Tuesdays to Sundays, holidays and the day before holidays
Lunch 11:30 – last order 14:00 Dinner 18:00 – last order 22:30 - Closed:
- Mondays
Takumi Shingo匠 進吾
Phone: 03-6434-0074
- Address:
- 1F, Win Aoyama, 2-2-15 Minami Aoyama, Minato-ku, Tokyo
- Open:
- Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays to Sundays, holidays and the day before holidays
18:00 to arrival no later than 23:00 - Closed:
- Wednesdays
Takahashi masterfully prepares the chef's choice, the only item on the menu, while never neglecting to create a soothing experience for guests.
All 8 seats in the restaurant are located at the counter in a minimalist setting adorned only by Karatsu ware and flowers.
Marinated shinko and kohada (young and adult spotted sardine). Takahashi prepares hikarimono (shiny fish) with special finesse.
Lightly grilled barracuda complemented by tart, fragrant soaked eggplant.
The sake menu includes junmai (pure sake) with a deep rice flavor. Takahashi spent half a year studying sake at a brewery.
The consummate sushi experience
Some people feel nervous about dining at sushi counters, especially at expensive sushi restaurants. But guests have no reason to worry at Takumi Shingo, where dishes are served at a comfortable pace and expertly tailored to each individual guest.
Drinking guests receive more appetizers than sushi, while non-drinkers tend to find more sushi on their plates. Owner chef Takahashi monitors facial expressions and body language to pace the meal and relaxes the atmosphere with light conversation when he senses tension. The food and service are so exceptional that you can't help but relax.
"I'm always pleased to hear guests compliment the food," remarks Takahashi, "but I'm even happier when they commend the experience." His impressive skills were honed by 18 years of training under chef Nakazawa at renowned Sushi Takumi in Yotsuya and he prepares Edomae (old Tokyo) sushi from fresh, seasonal ingredients based on age-old techniques. Having proven his sushi making skills beyond the shadow of a doubt, he is more interested in the finer points of the dining experience and enjoys receiving recognition for these efforts.
Phone: 03-6434-0074
- Address:
- 1F, Win Aoyama, 2-2-15 Minami Aoyama, Minato-ku, Tokyo
- Open:
- Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays to Sundays, holidays and the day before holidays
18:00 to arrival no later than 23:00 - Closed:
- Wednesdays
IL TEATRINO DA SALONEIL TEATRINO DA SALONE
Phone: 03-3400-5077
- Address:
- B1F, House 7115, 7-11-5 Minami Aoyama, Minato-ku, Tokyo
- Open:
- Mondays to Fridays, Saturdays, holidays and the day before holidays
Lunch 12:00 – last order 13:00 Dinner 18:00 – last order 20:00 - Closed:
- Sundays, first and third Mondays of the month
Guests at comfortable counter seats can relax and enjoy the culinary performance, including expert food preparation and brief descriptions from the chef.
Cannolo, chips di alghe and fritto di due formaggio on a bed of stones. Rustic objects enrich the experience at IL TEATRINO DA SALONE.
Yuta Okano spent nearly four years mastering Italian regional cuisine in Marche and Campania.
Zuppa di pesce (seafood soup) is a specialty included with every course, year round.
Natural wines from Italy are expertly paired, with every herb, spice and ingredient taken into account.
Italian for the senses
Chefs are on stage in the aptly named Il Teatrino (small theater), a high-end ristorante where the best seats in the house are right at the counter. Of course, exquisite cuisine is the star attraction, but food preparation and attentive service, including impromptu small talk, play supporting roles.
The single course meal, which changes monthly, receives the wholehearted attention of a gifted chef who produces every dish with flair. While paying respect to tradition, he follows his unerring instincts to create dishes unique to IL TEATRINO DA SALONE.
From tangy seafood soup to traditional Neapolitan fries filled with delectable cheese, the fare is imaginatively presented to please the five senses. It's an unforgettable experience that stays fondly in your memory.
Phone: 03-3400-5077
- Address:
- B1F, House 7115, 7-11-5 Minami Aoyama, Minato-ku, Tokyo
- Open:
- Mondays to Fridays, Saturdays, holidays and the day before holidays
Lunch 12:00 – last order 13:00 Dinner 18:00 – last order 20:00 - Closed:
- Sundays, first and third Mondays of the month
*Articles are written based on information available at the time of publication.
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