Hyperlocal Tokyo

**Highlights:** * Experience the pinnacle of wild duck cuisine cooked on a 300°C tamahagane (steel) plate. * Course duration: 1 hour and 45 minutes Takajoushu, a renowned establishment known for its exceptional wild duck dishes cooked on tamahagane plates, is a must-visit for any food enthusiast. It's notoriously difficult to secure a reservation, making it a true culinary gem. Located just a 4-minute walk from Asakusa Station, near the iconic Kaminarimon Gate, the restaurant boasts a spacious, traditional Japanese house exterior that blends seamlessly with the Asakusa cityscape. The interior exudes a sense of history, with its traditional Japanese architecture and cozy second-floor tatami room where guests enjoy their meals. Takajoushu is renowned for its unique tamahagane iron plate, which is used to sear the wild duck to perfection. This exclusive cooking method creates a truly unforgettable dining experience. The tamahagane plate reaches temperatures of 300°C, searing the duck quickly and locking in its natural flavors while creating a delightful crispy exterior. The young master of the house meticulously cooks each piece of duck, ensuring every guest enjoys the best possible experience. He genuinely wants first-time visitors to savor the most flavorful parts of the duck. This year, due to the impact of earthquakes and unusual weather patterns, there was a shortage of wild duck, a rare occurrence in 15 years. This unexpected situation allowed guests to enjoy a unique comparison between domestic and wild duck. While the domestic duck was tender and flavorful, the wild duck surpassed it in terms of richness and depth of flavor. The young master's skillful cooking, with its gradual adjustments to the heat and the use of the iron plate's char, enhanced the duck's natural potential. The course concluded with a satisfying chicken rice dish, known as 'torimeshi,' instead of the traditional porridge. This savory rice, infused with chicken fat and seasoned with simple salt and pepper, was a perfect ending to the culinary journey. It's a rare opportunity to dine at Takajoushu, and I'm grateful to the organizer for the invitation. I look forward to returning soon! **Omakase Course:** * Steamed Sea Urchin * Broad Beans * Chicken Breast with Wasabi and Mitsuba * Liver Teriyaki * Gizzard Salt-Grilled * Shin-Gen Chicken Karaage * Domestic and Wild Duck Breast and Tenderloin * Chopped Scallions, Shiitake Mushrooms, and Chrysanthemum * Chicken Rice * Soup * Strawberries **Please feel free to save this review for future reference.** _________________ instagram: 66shuki Twitter : 66shuki TikTok : 66shuki _________________

I made a reservation to host a friend from America who was visiting. It was a dinner party with a small child. We were able to go up to the second floor tatami room and enjoy a relaxing and pleasant time. We ate and drank, and I think it was a little over 20,000 yen per person. On our way out, they were kind enough to give my child a beautiful iridescent duck feather. It's the perfect place to visit for a special occasion.

Duck meat is broadly divided into two types: mallard and wild duck. I've had the chance to try some of the highest quality Colvert (blue-headed wild duck) in French cuisine, but I wasn't completely blown away. This restaurant changed my whole perception of duck. The wild duck here is raised on a diet of nothing but rice, and the restaurant even closes when they can't secure enough for the whole year. That's how dedicated they are to quality. Since it's summer now, they're serving frozen duck from the winter. Even though it's frozen, it's frozen at -60 degrees Celsius, preserving the peak quality of the winter duck. The simplest way to enjoy it is with Kikkoman soy sauce. It's simply delicious. I never knew duck could be this good. It's cooked on a tamahagane blade, the same steel used for Japanese swords. The different cooking methods bring out a variety of flavors from the same cut, which is fascinating. I had both the breast and the thigh, and the thigh is a rare and incredibly flavorful cut. Even frozen, this is the best duck I've ever had. I'll definitely be back in the winter. Thank you for the delicious meal.

The duck meat is absolutely divine. The skill of butchering the duck has been passed down from the previous generation's mother. The cooking vessel is also an ironware resembling a suzuri (inkstone) that is over 300 years old. I heard that most of these were lost during World War II, and the few that remain are being carefully used. I'm so glad to be Japanese. Is this method of grilling and eating duck something only Japanese people do?

While the season with high expectations and difficulty in making reservations has passed, the duck, which was frozen, was decent. The highlight of this restaurant is the way they cook the duck on a large, tamahagane (a type of high-carbon steel) iron plate, about the size of a straw sandal. This tamahagane iron plate is probably unique to this restaurant. Tamahagane is used to make Japanese swords, but nowadays, no one makes iron plates from it, nor are there people who can.