Hyperlocal Tokyo

This is a small restaurant with only eight counter seats. The elevator opens directly into the restaurant. **1. Northern Sanriku Purple Sea Urchin, Caviar, and Preserved Duck Egg Tofu** The sea urchin was alive, and its spines were moving! I was surprised. **2. Sea Urchin on Eel Spring Rolls** Steamed sea urchin is generously piled on top. **3. Glass Noodles and Bottarga** The restaurant's specialty. It was incredibly delicious. **4. Eight-Inch Platter** Black abalone, hill seaweed, Okayama water shield, Shaoxing wine-marinated button shrimp and tea beans, and miso tuna sandwich. **5. Shark Fin** Thick slices of 'Mobu' shark fin, smoked cherry tomatoes, shrimp stuffed into zucchini blossoms, and a crabmeat sauce. **6. Ozaki Beef** Spicy Sichuan-style tofu. The aroma was fantastic. **7. White Miso Dan Dan Noodles** Inaba Chinese noodles in a white miso-based broth. A refreshing dish. **8. Ishigaki Island Pineapple, Mango, and Gelato** Both the pineapple and mango were sweet and delicious. Chef Yamanobe was also a lot of fun, and I had a wonderful time.

The food is very good, in my opinion. It's personally to my taste. While preferences vary, it's a Chinese dish, so some might find it flavorful and universally appealing, while others might find it too strong. For a typical Chinese restaurant, this level of flavor wouldn't be an issue, but for a higher-end establishment, it might be divisive. However, what was truly disappointing was the service. I'm not sure if it was because of how I looked or if it was because I wasn't a regular customer, but I wasn't allowed to make a reservation on the spot. Looking online, it seemed like there were plenty of open slots... Perhaps it was their personality or the way they run the place, but it wasn't a very good experience. It definitely didn't feel like the kind of service you'd expect from a high-end restaurant. The staff, who seemed to be part-time workers, were very pleasant. I wasn't able to make a reservation even though the restaurant wasn't fully booked, so I couldn't return. It was a good opportunity for me to reflect on my appearance and demeanor, but ultimately, I don't think I'll be going back. There are other restaurants that offer similar quality food at a lower price point.

The dishes were made with an abundance of high-quality ingredients, leaving me feeling both full and happy! This restaurant has been awarded as one of the top 100 restaurants in Japan! It's conveniently located near Ginza Station and offers both counter and private room seating. The food was delicious from start to finish, without any heaviness in the stomach. I thoroughly enjoyed the meal! Thank you for the wonderful experience!

Yama no Be, a super high-end Chinese restaurant located in Ginza. As the name suggests, they offer both traditional Edo-style Chinese cuisine and classic Chinese dishes, all with unique and creative combinations. The chef here is famous for his appearances on NHK cooking shows and YouTube. He's always pushing boundaries and innovating, which I admire. On this particular visit, we were treated to crabmeat and egg with generous shavings of Alba white truffle, and an incredibly rich chicken broth ramen. (Whether it was delicious is another story...) Other dishes included a golden ham soup with matsutake mushrooms, matsutake mushroom fritters, and glass noodles with bottarga. They take traditional cooking methods and add a modern twist. However, with prices ranging from 50,000 to 65,000 yen per person, it's a hefty price tag... Perhaps this level of innovation is necessary to attract a clientele of high-society individuals. Personally, I found the flavors to be quite strong and not to my liking. If you're looking for a conversation starter and have the money and time to spare, it might be worth a visit. But I wouldn't recommend it casually. (It's just too expensive.)

It was the time of flowering Sichuan pepper and bamboo shoots in mid-April 🌸. The spring rain of crab and bottarga was delicious. While I used a private room for four people, I think the counter would be better considering the speed of food service!