Hyperlocal Tokyo

Just a short walk from Roppongi Station, tucked away in a back alley, I discovered a renowned eel restaurant that was selected for the 2024 Michelin Guide Tokyo Selected Restaurants! This time, I enjoyed their Saturday lunch-only course. ◉ Course 【Lunch-Only! Eel Rice Bowl Course】¥8,400 ☆ Seasonal Side Dish (Medium Fatty Tuna in Vinegar Sauce) ☆ Eel Roll ☆ Pickled Vegetables ☆ Eel Liver Soup ☆ Eel Rice Bowl (Using one whole eel) The eel rice bowl was incredibly delicious with its refined flavor! If you're a fan of the crispy, fragrant eel in the Kansai style, this is a must-try. It's a truly luxurious experience. The eel roll and side dishes were also delicious.

## Mitsuke Teru, Roppongi I recently enjoyed a Kansai-style eel dish at Mitsuke Teru in Roppongi. It's just a short walk from Roppongi Station. **Lunch-only Eel Set Course** * Seasonal side dish (Southern-style marinated tuna) * Eel roll * Pickled vegetables * Eel liver soup * Eel dish (one whole eel) * Rice (small, regular, or large) This eel specialty restaurant was selected for the 2024 Michelin Guide Tokyo Selected Restaurants. I ordered a matcha green tea with brown rice for my drink. The marinated tuna was refreshing and perfect for the hot summer. The tuna was firm and delicious. The eel roll was a delightful combination of fluffy, slightly sweet egg and refined eel. The pickled vegetables were all delicious, offering a variety of textures and flavors. The eel liver soup had a large, plump liver. Then, the eel arrived! They use domestically-sourced, high-quality Miyazaki Wagyu eel, which is carefully grilled in front of you. The live performance is exciting! The sound of the chef expertly slicing the grilled eel with a knife echoed through the restaurant. This Kansai-style eel is grilled without steaming, resulting in a crispy, crunchy exterior. The sound is satisfying. The flesh is tender and flaky, with a melt-in-your-mouth texture. The rich flavor and fat of the eel spread throughout your mouth, and there's no fishy smell at all, making it incredibly easy to eat. The eel sauce has been passed down for 135 years, with each generation adding to it. It starts off salty, but then the sweetness follows, creating a well-rounded flavor that's delicious. The sansho pepper has a gentle aroma that spreads throughout your mouth. It's refined, with a mild, mellow spice. The restaurant is named after Mitsuke Teru, who hails from Tajimi City in Gifu Prefecture. He was appointed as an 'Ambassador for the Promotion of Japanese Cuisine' by the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries. The tableware is exquisite, and the atmosphere is refined, making for a wonderful lunch experience. It's great to be able to enjoy Kansai-style eel in Tokyo. It's also a blessing to have a course with five dishes. The staff's attentiveness was exceptional. I believe that both lunch and dinner would be highly satisfying experiences. I definitely want to visit again.

Today, I visited "Mitsuhiro Miyake in Roppongi"! This Japanese restaurant, located in a quiet area of Roppongi, offers a prix fixe course featuring seasonal ingredients prepared by Chef Mitsuhiro Miyake. I experienced the course and will share my thoughts in a concise review. **In a Nutshell:** An exquisite experience where you can savor the autumn season with breathtaking ingredients and masterful craftsmanship. **Access from the Station:** It's a 5-minute walk from Roppongi Station. It's easily accessible from the Hibiya Line and the Oedo Line, situated in a tranquil area slightly removed from the hustle and bustle of the city. **Seating:** The restaurant has a counter with only 14 seats and private rooms, allowing you to enjoy a leisurely meal in a private setting. You can watch the chefs prepare the dishes right in front of you at the counter, adding a captivating live element to the experience. The sight of eel being grilled right before your eyes is truly mouthwatering. **Interior:** The interior boasts a sophisticated and modern Japanese design, creating a refined atmosphere for adults. The counter, crafted from maple wood sourced from Miyake's hometown of Gifu, and the interior adorned with Tajimi tiles enhance the elegant ambiance. The space is designed to allow you to focus on enjoying your meal. **Cuisine:** The prix fixe course features meticulously prepared seasonal ingredients, with each dish presented artistically. From the flatfish marinated in kelp to the tuna medium fatty with pickled vegetables, and the grilled eel finished with a 130-year-old seasoned sauce, every plate brought surprise and delight. The "Miyake Original Caviar" was particularly memorable, with its smooth flavor pairing perfectly with salmon roe. This time, as autumn had arrived, the dishes incorporated autumnal motifs like moon viewing and autumn leaves, making it a visually pleasing and satisfying course. **Dishes I Enjoyed Today:** * **Flatfish:** Marinated in kelp, this dish delivers a strong umami flavor. * **Soft-shelled Turtle:** Clear soup with soft-shelled turtle. It's adorned with chrysanthemum petals, adding a touch of autumn. The bowl is also very cute. * **Tuna Medium Fatty, Red Sea Bream, Hair Crab:** The tuna is served with pickled vegetables sandwiched inside. It has a great texture, and the hair crab is infused with the aroma of roses using charcoal, allowing you to savor the fragrance. * **輝 Caviar:** Miyake Mitsuhiro's original caviar. It has a mild flavor and is delicious even on its own. Half of it is served on squid, creating a luxurious mini caviar bowl. It's so extravagant. * **Bluefin Tuna, Pheasant, Soba Noodles:** This dish features the unusual pheasant meat. The rice stalks in the center evoke the feeling of autumn. * **Aged Eel:** Crispy grilled eel. I was surprised at how plump the eel was after being grilled over charcoal. I could truly savor the natural flavor of the eel. * **Crab:** Deep-fried crab. It's topped with autumn eggplant, making it a seasonal dish that captures the essence of autumn. * **Yonezawa Beef:** Chateaubriand with matsutake mushrooms, another luxurious combination. It's seasoned with a delicate soy sauce-based sauce. * **Octopus:** Octopus in vinegar. It's refreshing with jelly, perfect for cleansing the palate. * **Matsuka-ro:** Miyake Mitsuhiro's original udon noodles, known as shokoro udon. Homemade hand-cut noodles infused with truffle are topped with Hokkaido sea urchin, quail egg yolk, and truffle, allowing you to fully enjoy the aroma of truffle. Udon lovers must try this. * **130-Year-Old Traditional Eel Kabayaki:** Eel marinated in a secret sauce is luxuriously served in a bowl. The eel's delicious flesh is perfectly harmonized with the marinade, creating a well-balanced eel dish that offers a blissful experience. It's a refined eel that you won't find anywhere else. * **Shine Muscat, Nagano Purple, Hosui Sherbet, Black Bean Tea:** **Must-Try Menu Items:** The charcoal-grilled eel using the 130-year-old "Immortal's Sauce" is a must-try. The aged eel, which has been aged for over 10 days, is served both as a white-grilled eel and as an eel bowl with sauce, offering a deep flavor you won't find anywhere else. **Price:** The prix fixe course is ¥30,250 (including tax), but it's worth every penny. The quality of the ingredients, the culinary skills, and the overall atmosphere of the restaurant come together to create a luxurious experience. The dishes I enjoyed today, including the flatfish marinated in kelp, the soft-shelled turtle soup, the charcoal-grilled hair crab, the Yonezawa beef Chateaubriand, and the Matsuka-ro udon, were all exquisite, showcasing seasonality and delicate flavors. The black bean tea served at the end is a welcome touch for a relaxing finish. The restaurant's commitment to the quality of ingredients and meticulous preparation is evident throughout the experience. The eel dishes, in particular, showcase Miyake's skills and passion, offering a unique and special experience. The fusion of tradition and innovation in the cuisine will leave you truly satisfied. If you're looking for a special place to go on a date or for a memorable occasion, "Mitsuhiro Miyake" is the perfect choice. Be sure to check it out!

This kaiseki restaurant is run by someone who was appointed as an ambassador for Japanese cuisine by the Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries. Every dish was thoughtfully prepared and absolutely fantastic. The menu included abalone, sea urchin, crab, truffles, Yamagata beef, eel, tuna, pike conger, caviar, scabbardfish, sweetfish, melon, watermelon, peach, and seasonal vegetables. Considering the high quality and variety of ingredients used, the price was quite reasonable. It was a truly wonderful meal. I will definitely be returning soon.

I recently enjoyed a delicious eel lunch at Miyake Teru, which offers a special course only on Saturdays. The Kansai-style grilled eel had crispy skin and tender flesh, and the secret sauce was also delicious. This summer has been exceptionally hot, so I needed the power of eel to get through it!