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Southern American cuisine is attracting attention from around the world. This is a cheerful, friendly Peruvian restaurant. Once seated, start with Peruvian beer or a Pisco Sour. Accompanying the drinks is canchita, a snack made from toasted corn. Dishes on the menu, like ají de gallina, a mild chicken curry, or lomo saltado, a beef stir-fry with soy sauce, are all popular in Peru. In other words, "Akowa" elevates traditional Peruvian cuisine into contemporary restaurant dishes.

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"Find Your Spain." Spain, once thought to be on the other side of the world, is right here. At this jamonería, a specialty ham shop, centered on the finest jamón ibérico, a cortador hand-slices the whole leg, capturing its aroma and lingering flavor in every plate. Spanish chef Miguel fuses Japanese sensibilities with traditional Spanish cuisine, creating a new expression of Spain that combines passion with delicacy. In a warm space adorned with mosaic tiles and crafts, you can discover "your own Spain" with family and friends.

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Nestled near Ueno Forest, this renowned establishment serves “modern Western cuisine” crafted by Chef Toyama, trained in French techniques. Skills honed at Kyoto's celebrated Western restaurants fuse with ingredients sourced directly from Kumamoto producers, creating dishes that evoke nostalgia while hinting at innovation. The signature demi-glace sauce, prepared over a week, boasts profound depth, while the signature hamburger steak is a masterpiece concentrating the meat's umami. The “Gandhi Curry,” featuring original spices, is also popular. Loved as a family treat for lunch and a bistro for evening conversations over wine.

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From Yaesu and Nihonbashi, a “regenerative” restaurant shaping the future standard. It champions not just environmental and social consciousness, but a “food cycle” that promotes regeneration. Daytime features plant-based gluten-free lunches, while evenings showcase innovative tapas blending Japanese ingredients with science. A talented young chef collaborates with producers and startups nationwide to propose new flavors connecting nature and the future. It's a “future-oriented bistro” that's delicious, enjoyable, and sparks change.

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Chef Shota Takahashi, who trained at the Michelin-starred "Zuberoa" in Basque Country and the renowned "Tio Danjo" in Tokyo, crafts a variety of regional Spanish dishes woven together with seasonal Japanese ingredients. His course menu, blending Spanish tradition with Japanese sensibility, is harmonious composition that skillfully layers the flavors of meat, fish, and rice. Over 200 selections of Spanish wines and sherries further enhance the food. The warm, wood-toned interior radiates calm, and the gentle conversation shared across the counter becomes part of the flavor itself. A place in Shimokitazawa where the night invites you to unwind.

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One step beyond, this restaurant's most highly recommended dish is "Hakuse", in which the braised meat is slowly roasted in the oven. The glossy skin comes out crispy, the bones slide out effortlessly, and the flesh tenderly separates along the grain, melting in your mouth without even chewing. Yet the meat retains its porky richness, delivering a robust, satisfying flavor. What makes it even more interesting is pairing it with warm sake. Of course, a classic beer works too, but the charming female staff can guide you toward unique pairings, making it worth leaving the choice in their hands.

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Shocked by the deliciousness of biryani he encountered in South India, owner Kimihiko Osawa opened this reservation-only biryani specialty restaurant dedicated to perfecting the dish. To ensure optimal flavor at the moment of serving, all orders start simultaneously and are limited to just 10 seats. The lifeblood lies in the “evolution of flavor and harmonious unity” created by the layers of meat, rice, and spices. The menu features just one variety. Centered around mutton and chicken, seasonal offerings like lobster and oysters also appear. Every step—temperature, plating, spoon, even the cola—is meticulously calculated, delivering “Japan's finest biryani experience.”

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The omelet rice, a Western-style dish and a signature of this restaurant, is visually striking with the rich yellow of Tochigi "maho eggs," contrasting beautifully against the brown of the house-made demi-glace sauce. Other dishes, like the crab cream croquette with a luxurious sauce américaine, the Madeira-scented beef tongue stew, and the gratin topped with piping hot béchamel that makes you smile in delight, also deliver that precise, satisfying flavor that makes you think, "Yes, this is it." Beyond eggs, the restaurant actively uses ingredients from its home region of Tochigi, including vegetables and meats, subtly infusing local pride even into the restaurant's name.