Hyperlocal Tokyo

A Japanese restaurant located in a building a 1-2 minute walk from Ginza Station's B3 exit. It moved from Azabu-Jūban to Ginza last year. I had been there several times during its Azabu-Jūban days, but this was my first visit since the move. I made a reservation for the second seating on a weekday evening. The new location has a long counter with 10 seats and private rooms. The seats are spacious, and the space itself is quite large. The omakase course is ¥45,000. It includes 11 dishes, white rice cooked in a clay pot, steak, another clay pot rice, and two desserts, for a total of about 16 dishes. The content and volume are impeccable. Even so, it's so delicious that everyone wants seconds. It's not like refined Japanese cuisine, as the sashimi is thick and there are many hearty dishes, but the seasoning is delicate and allows you to savor the flavors of the ingredients. The seasonal ingredient that day was bamboo shoots, and I enjoyed both the cooked and grilled versions, which were both delicious. They also served thick Hokkigai clams, which is rare to find a place that serves them so generously. The final main course was Chateaubriand from a female Hokkaido beef. It's always delicious. The clay pot rice was bamboo shoot and scallop rice. The aroma and umami were both strong! The staff has increased since the move, with many in the same age group, and Muroi-san seems to be enjoying himself. He's still as bubbly as ever. His signature fire play is still going strong. ↓Review from before the move A Japanese restaurant located a few minutes' walk from Azabu-Jūban, across the river from Shin-Hiro-o Park, nestled in a residential area. Despite opening this year, it's already a hard-to-get-a-reservation restaurant due to its history and buzz. The head chef is Muroi-san, who previously worked at Ishikava and Kimoto. He's still only 31, so he's young. The exterior of the restaurant has an aura, like a high-end Japanese restaurant in the countryside. The interior is very clean, as it's a new establishment, with an L-shaped counter that seats about 9 or 10. The seats are spacious and relaxing. The course is ¥36,000, excluding drinks. That day, it was a snow crab course, but the price remains the same, which is fantastic. It consists of 10 dishes, rice, and dessert. The crab was the highest quality snow crab, known as Tajima crab. It was a luxury to be able to compare steamed and grilled crab. Of course, everything was delicious, but I loved the flavor of the soup. I also remember the blackthroat seaperch and taro. The final Chateaubriand reminded me of Kimoto, but the grilling method was different, and it was very delicious. The course was very satisfying. The head chef has been through a lot, but he's still going strong, without a care in the world. He's cool and has a loud voice, so he must be good at karaoke. He's still young, so I'm looking forward to seeing what he does in the future.

The accounting is unclear. We were charged ¥120,000 for a ¥45,000 per person course (including tax) for two people, plus one tea and one non-alcoholic beer each. What is the ¥30,000 difference? ¥30,000 for a cup of tea and a non-alcoholic beer? The food was not bad, but the staff training was inadequate. Some staff members even placed dishes on the table at an angle, leaving them tilted. (The dish was tilted because it caught on the edge of the tray.) The sommelier, despite our desire to drink at our own pace, filled our glasses to the brim and then quickly emptied the bottle and took it away. It was simply rude! Also, despite ordering drinks, they asked us if we wanted sparkling or still water. It's not a French restaurant, it's a Japanese-style restaurant, so charging for water is strange. The head chef was only talking to a flashy, flamboyant woman who looked like a hostess and a flashy, tough-looking man, who seemed to be regulars. He didn't pay any attention to other customers. He's doing the same thing as the head chef at Kimoto, so it's clear they're the same kind of people. This restaurant will never get a Michelin star. I will never go back.

First visit. I enjoyed a spring-filled meal featuring wild vegetables and shellfish. The dishes were all fragrant, cooked over firewood and charcoal. They also have a good selection of wines. The straight counter was clean and simple, with a Japanese painting of cherry blossoms on display.

Instagram: y.yasui0423 This restaurant, which just opened on July 4, 2022, is located in Azabu-Jūban, near Takatori Shin-Kobe and Suzudashi. Despite being newly opened, reservations are already fully booked. The head chef, Mr. Muroi, is a veteran of the renowned Japanese restaurants Kagurazaka Ishikava and Kimoto, before striking out on his own. This is authentic Japanese cuisine. The dishes are simple in composition, but the flavors are bold and highlight the natural taste of the ingredients. Charcoal and firewood are used depending on the ingredients. It was delicious. Thank you for the meal. ❰Menu❱ Tasting Course: ¥36,000 (excluding tax and service charge) Appetizer - Abalone, wild kuruma shrimp, corn purée Light Refreshment - Clam tempura with sansho soy sauce and rice cooked in kombu broth Soup - King crab and winter melon soup Sashimi - Flathead flounder, squid Fried Dish - Chinese-style grilled sweetfish, sweet sauce, shredded scallions Palate Cleanser - Tomato, water shield Grilled Dish - Charcoal-grilled white sea bream - Firewood-grilled maitake mushrooms Simmered Dish - Kamo eggplant Meal - White rice, Chateaubriand - Firewood-grilled red sea bream rice Dessert - Pistachio ice cream - Fruit and white wine jelly

My first visit. It's located in a place you wouldn't expect to find such a place. The appearance is definitely that of a first-class establishment. When I entered, the atmosphere was Japanese-style, and when the charcoal was lit, I was incredibly excited. The food was absolutely delicious, and it was a satisfying day!