Hyperlocal Tokyo

This restaurant is located near Higashi-Ginza Station. While the food is described as home-style cooking, I'd be surprised if these dishes were served at home! Haha. This restaurant serves dishes like hamburgers, pot pies, and rice cooked in a clay pot, which are indeed dishes that could be made at home. But the way they are prepared is far superior to home cooking. Haha. For example, the hamburger uses high-quality meat and is topped with uni (sea urchin). And the uni is the real deal, soaked in salt water. Every dish is carefully crafted with an extra touch. The prices may not be cheap, but considering the chef's skill and the time and effort put into each dish, it's a fair price. Incidentally, the owner is a former head chef at a famous restaurant in Mita. So the quality of the food is no surprise. Highly recommended!

It was neither good nor bad, and considering the price, it might be a bit underwhelming. I think the strawberry creme brulee and the tuna were better than the stir-fried beef and chives. The atmosphere was nice.

This Japanese restaurant is located in a narrow building on a corner, just a 1-minute walk from Exit A8 of Higashi-Ginza Station. The chef, formerly of Takada Hachisho and Harayama in Gifu Prefecture, has now opened his own establishment. While highly rated, reservations are relatively easy to secure. I visited on a Sunday evening with a reservation. The restaurant has only six counter seats, creating a cozy and intimate atmosphere. They offer two omakase courses: ¥22,000 and ¥27,500. I opted for the ¥27,500 course on this occasion. The menu consists of seven dishes, a clay pot rice, and dessert. The volume and number of dishes were average, perhaps slightly on the smaller side. The chef explained that the dishes are inspired by home-style cooking, and while they lack extravagance, each one is undeniably delicious. The monkfish liver and the sweetfish burger were particularly original and undeniably delicious. The meat dish, served in the middle of the meal, was called 'nikujaga' (meat and potato stew). It featured Hida beef roasted like a beef carpaccio, accompanied by something akin to fried potatoes. The dish was light and refreshing, seasoned with a savory broth and wasabi. The clay pot rice was a flavorful combination of Nagoya Cochin chicken, celery, gingko nuts, and burdock root. While the cuisine may not be flashy enough for Minato-ku ladies, it is consistently delicious and satisfying. The chef and his wife were both very pleasant.

A small counter with four seats and two additional tables, likely for emergencies. The owner has a tough exterior, but his demeanor is gentle and his food is surprisingly delicate. The preparation is meticulous. Delicious! Great value for money.

The overall cuisine was light and delicious. I thought one or the other would lose, but the harmony of sea urchin and golden eye snapper was surprisingly wonderful. The burger was made with Hida beef and a hint of Manjūgāri peppers, giving it a Japanese twist and a light flavor. The eel with sweet sauce and plenty of Japanese ginger is a summery dish. The abalone, coated in Tōmyōji powder, was fried to perfection, with a texture that was both squid-like and shellfish-like, but the flavor was definitely abalone! The colorful shrimp and corn rice made me feel like I was enjoying the summer. For a Japanese meal, the dessert (mango ice cream) was substantial and well-deserved, earning it five stars!