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Just a 3 minute walk from Akebonobashi Station, this quietly tucked-away Japanese restaurant sits in a residential neighborhood. Chef Matsuo, trained in traditional Japanese cuisine, and Chef Komoriya, with a background in Western cooking, work hand-in-hand to create their dishes. The cuisine, built around seasonal ingredients, respects the structure of a traditional kaiseki meal while showcasing a warm, creative touch. Their signature clay-pot rice changes with the seasons, offering a simple yet deeply flavorful experience.This restaurant features around 20 types of sake, with a focus on exquisite kanzake (warmed sake). In its understated setting, the sincerity of the chefs' craftmanship and the essense of Japanese hospitality quietly shine through.

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Owner Shu Hirayama honed his skills at renowned Japanese cuisine and soba establishments like Ginza's “Kojū” and Ryōgoku's “Hosokawa.” His expertise shines through in dishes like perfectly seasoned nuta salad and simmered vegetables, crisp tempura, and the smooth texture of his 100% buckwheat soba. The deliciousness of the soba noodles, with their supple bite, goes without saying, but the real standout is the broth. Based on katsuobushi (dried bonito flakes) and enhanced with the umami of dried shiitake mushrooms, the broth offers a clear, deep richness that slowly and deeply satisfies.

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Bliss arrives the moment you wash down your first beer with "Deep-fried lotus root chips seasoned with seaweed salt," then snack on the "Namero of the day" with warm Etsukaijin sake or soda-cut shochu. The "Black mentaiko" (spicy cod roe) is made from the recipe of "Gion Fu Mentaiko," where the chef once trained. The "Mejiro shrimp cutlet" comes directly from Chef Tatsuhiko Koga of "Shunkotei" in Meijiro, a regular patron during the restaurant's Akasaka days. Even the yuzukosho is homemade, using yuzu harvested at the Kumamoto home of one of the chef's friends.

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While many high-end Japanese restaurants in Tokyo lean towards Kansai style cuisine, starting with Kyoto flavors, this is one of the few that proudly focuses on Edo-style cooking. "I became interested in Edo cuisine because I wanted to serve local dishes featuring shiba shirmp and Japanese sillago," says Mr. Kaibara. As he researched further, he was drawn to its diversity. By carefully preparing the broth using only katsuobushi (bonito flakes) and incorporating plenty of rice-koji in the Edo-style sweet miso, he pays attention even to unseen details, faithfully recreating the flavors of Edo.

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Perhaps more than any other type of cuisine, Japanese cuisine has seen relatively few female chefs. It's a frustrating reality, yet Sayaka Horiuchi is steadily making a name for herself. Her signature dish is the local specialty from her hometown of Kofu, "Torimotsu ni." It features freshly prepared chicken offal simmered to tender perfection, achieving the delicate flavors characteristic of kappo cuisine. Even seemingly simply ingredients, like okara, are given careful attention, with some dishes taking up to two days to complete. Her dedicated approach and brisk, graceful presence are as refreshing as her cuisine itself.

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An omakase course featuring approximately 11 dishes. The soba noodles are made with a 10:1 ratio of buckwheat flour to wheat flour, known as “gaichi.” Alongside seasonal dishes, the course includes “karasumi soba” (bottle gourd roe soba) that doubles as an appetizer. For the finale, diners can compare and savor soba made from various regional varieties—like Hokkaido's Kitawase and Fukui's Maruoka native strain—a delight for any soba enthusiast.

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A hidden gem for adults, illuminated in the night of Azabu-Juban, with just 8 seats. Chef Kawada, who honed his skills at a Michelin-starred restaurant in Fukuoka, has expanded to Tokyo. He elevates traditional Japanese culinary techniques to the art of kushikatsu. Skewers fried in ultra-fine custom breadcrumbs and 100% plant-based oil achieve astonishing lightness. Seasonal ingredients reflect the changing seasons, rising as delicate plates. The omakase course combines elegance and sophistication, accompanied by carefully selected fine wines. Beyond the boundaries of kushikatsu, it leads to a new realm of gourmet cuisine.

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Elegant in both aroma and sweetness, with a lingering aftertase, that is the aori ika (bigfin reef squid). The oni kasago (scorpionfish) has a subtle flavor, yet a captivating green, oceanic fragrace. The budai (parrotfish), with its crisp bite, releases a kelp-like umami the more you chew. The amadai (tilefish) excludes refined sweetness and aroma, while the kago kamasu (barracuda), offers a teasing flavor that clings to the tongue. The mejina (largescale blackfish) reveals a gentle sweetness from its firm, springy texture. The hokkigai (surf clam), lightly seared to draw out its fragrance, and the omon hata (marbled grouper), muscular yet leaving a lingering sweetnes and aroma as it goes down the throat, each piece of nigiri sushi here delivers a unique, unforgettable experience found nowhere else.

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The buzzworthy new spot in Azabujuban is “San Tate.” True to its name, its specialty is freshly ground, freshly made, and freshly boiled soba noodles prepared right before your eyes. The soba, blended mainly from native varieties from Fukui and Toyama, features a gentle sweetness with a distinct grain character. But leaving after just the soba would be a waste. The veteran sommelier recommends pairing soba with champagne. You're sure to discover a new marriage of flavors.

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Tucked away in a quiet alley of Nishi-Azabu, this fully private restaurant welcomes only two parties per day. Guests gather around a central irori (traditional sunken hearth), where the chef and sommelier exclusively serve dishes prepared solely over charcoal. Seasonal ingredients sourced from across Japan are elevated through techniques such as steaming in seiro baskets, ash roasting, and simmering in pots, turning even the shifting aromas, sounds, and warmth into part of the experience. Watching the flicker of the charcoal while sipping sake, time seems to slip away. At this modern revival, a "Reiwa-era hearthside," diners can quietly savor a special evening of true indulgence.

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The Negima Nabe dates back to the Edo period, where fatty cuts of tuna, now known as toro, were once discarded or used as fertilizer. The common people, however, found a clever way to use them, and this dish faithfully recreates that for the modern day. Instead of kombu, the broth is made from plenty of sake and katsuobushi, with no added sweetness, only soy sauce for a clean, sharp flavor. In this broth, tuna collar and belly cuts are simmered and enjoyed together with the broth itself. To finish, the remaining broth is poured over freshly cooked rice, creating a simple yet delicious peppered rice. This is a dish that invites you to savor Edo-era sophistication.

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"Nogizaka-Shin" continues to evolve and deepen its craft. One key factor behind its growth is its collaborations with contemporary ceramic artists. The restaurant has hosted numerous special dining events where dishes are created to match the tableware made by each artist. There are only two rules at these events, "Only the flow of the menu will be shared in advance" and "The tableware will only arrive just before the event". Creating cuisine under such demanding conditions is no easy feat. For instance, in the dish "Parbroiled conger eel with roasted sake and steamed potatoes," the chef achieved an unprecedented pairing of hamo (conger eel) and potatoes. It is, without a doubt, one of the most dynamic kappo restaurants today.

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Carefully selecting the best-quality fish from readily available varieties, the chef slices them with smooth, precise knife work, producing sashimi that is both sleek and satisfying. A chawanmushi made with Hokkaido Funka Bay hairy crab introduces mochi for a new texture. From the flow of Japanese cuisine comes a highlight: a hand-cut beef tongue hamburger, beautifully seared. The meal then returns to its Japanese roots with Handa somen noodles, offering a moment to pause before moving on to a curry with an ichiban dashi base. Finally, the dessert features konpeito (sugar candy) from "Ryokujuan Shimizu," inspired by the flavor of yogurt and evoking the taste of an Indian lassi.

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Shiga's “Tokuyama Sushi” [Owner-Chef Hiroaki Tokuyama] oversees the cuisine, introducing aged sushi. That said, his influence isn't as pronounced as one might expect, so the real draw is likely Chef Hitoshi Sato's obsession with ingredients. The ingredients sourced nationwide are superb, and the stories behind them are equally compelling. Wild and sea-sourced ingredients. Yet it's precisely because he fully understands their individual character that his work elevates their deliciousness to another level. Using seasonal ingredients meticulously selected by a top-tier chef, he serves “Japanese cuisine that is both good for you and delicious” – surpassing a hundred medicines.