"LIVE TO EAT！"　
World-Renowned Foodie Takefumi Hamada Presents:
10 Must-Go NOW Restaurants

A restaurant worthy of the title ‘Kagoshima’s Gastronomic Representative‘.
Cainoya delivers an innovative Italian-based cuisine mixing the chef’s inspirations with the newest in culinary technology; worth special note is the restaurant’s use of the low-pressure cooker, a field where chef Shiozawa is renowned for leading. By cooking in a low-pressure environment, the chef realized both the steeping of flavors into ingredients at an unparalleled level, as well as keeping the ingredients away from heat-induced harm.

Each and every course is refined to perfection; and while the kitchen boasts 21st-century technology, the balanced-yet-bold flavors pay homage to the most traditional of culinary styles. Cainoya’s unique approach is sure to be a joy for both connoisseurs of cuisine as well as seekers of new methods, but that is not all; for those who enjoy aesthetics, the restaurant’s tableware and mariages of ware and course too are a joy to behold. Although due to the sheer gravity of chef Shiozawa’s skills Cainoya may be less a fit for those who prefer to concentrate on conversing, for all those who enjoy focusing on the plate they face, this restaurant is a must-try!

A French kitchen famed for its the quality of its gibier
Visit during winter and be wowed; the counter seating offers a museum of beautiful feathered birds in addition to an impressive pate en croute. From start to finish, every dish save the dessert incorporates some factor of house-caught gibier, offering a hearty and unforgettable helping of the season’s game. Chef Murota, excelling in traditional culinary methods best for gibier preparation, creates tastes that are as authentic as you can get.

The revamped interior post-moving the venue boasts ambient lighting and design, making Lature even more attractive than it was, a restaurant to continue to watch closely!

From a veteran of Kyoto’s culinary scene; graceful dishes of Japan’s seasonal best.
Walk through the nondescript entrance to find an ambient dark-colored hall, a rarity in Japanese cuisine. The black-based interior serves to highlight the beautiful tableware, and the colorful creations the chef serves atop. Especially worth mention is the ‘hassun’ or appetizer plate; before picking the various tiny dishes apart, take in the varietal beauty of the whole, and the intricacy of the individual jewels. The mind-blowing artfulness owes to the chef’s meticulous craftsmanship; his refusal to compromise even the most menial of preparatory steps blows life into this culinary masterpiece.

On the contrary, Miyasaka’s course also offers glimpses of modesty in subtly-flavored, dimly-colored dishes; flowing with natural goodness, these give guests momentary respite from the awe and inspiration of more artful creations. This balance, this dignified grace to which each visitor is treated, is the true art of service of this still-young master with an essence of Kyoto’s eldest.

The hall, in spite of its underground location at the center of Tokyo’s busiest districts, feels quite expansive and cozy, perfect to sit back and relax. The staff too is polite and polished; the quality of their service speaks to the heights of their teamwork.

Chef Iizuka, accoladed by the master Joel Robuchon himself, puts together a modern but non-contemporary French cuisine; whilst incorporating the seasons’ finest from Japan and his native Nigata, he imports essential French ingredients as well, and remains true to French traditions in preparation and flavoring, giving his courses a distinctly authentic reassurance in both taste and look. The kitchen takes pride in its superbly reliable sans-innovation nature; with durable tradition backboning both course and service, Ryuzu is sure to be a loved destination for years to come.

A ‘Kappo’-style traditional Japanese cuisine restaurant, by an anchor of Gifu’s famed ‘Takada Hassho’.
The last time I visited ‘Takada Hassho’ was almost a decade ago, but the marvelous experience I had there came flashing back instantly as soon as I had Otake’s inherited ‘Potato Hari-Hari’ dish. Identically reminiscent of great memories of the past are some of this unique restaurant’s items, infusing authentic Japanese installations with a slight twist of innovative western hue. Where the kitchen’s creations seemingly lack in initial impact, it more than makes up for in a subtle and cozy sense of fulsome pleasure.

A precious open-till-midnight ‘kappo’ restaurant in Tokyo, Otake remains, for the time being, reasonably bookable… remember this fact of convenience, and go, while seats last!

Takumi’s hall is of stylish contemporary design; the glistening white table cloth reflects brightly the lighting, luminating a graceful and refined expanse as if it were canvas, waiting eagerly for the color of the chef’s creations to paint a vivid and inspirational tone.

The essence of Takumi’s menu is in the enjoyment of combinations; Each dish brings about new and surprising pairings of ingredient upon ingredient, layers of differing matches that continually please the senses.
To keep guests up to date, each course comes with a dedicated card; explaining the dish in detail, from ingredient, preparation, sauce, and more, visitors are invited to read, and enjoy cuisine in dimensions never seen before. This style offers a variety of merit for all involved; those preferring to taste may ignore, whilst those who prefer to know can read to their heart’s content; cutting the mouthful that is the explanation out assures guests can enjoy the moment their dish arrives, instead of waiting and risking the course slowly cooling; efficient, stylish, and effective.

To add an interactive facet, each dish is accompanied by a rack of individually blended spices; note that these are not to tinker with the taste, but to add distinct notes and nuances through scent.Guest’s are invited to enjoy the colors and various whiffs alongside a newfound sense of how differing parfum tones can create incredible mystique in altering how bites taste.

Takumi’s inventive presentation allows a truly original restaurant experience, where guests can delve into the ‘how’ of cuisine before, and as, they enjoy each dish. For a one-of-a-kind evening of pleasure to the mind and the senses, take note of Roppongi’s Takumi.

A restaurant that delivers a downright ‘new’ form of Japanese cuisine.
The hall, contrary to what the venue’s name nuances, boasts a sick and cozy interior; from semi-private room to counter seating, guests have their choice of comfort. Although not one for dress codes, La BOMBANCE nevertheless inspires one to dress to their best; an elegant and mature air settles guests in, only to present the chef’s playful side in a coded course menu. Visitors are invited to take up the challenge, and hope to decipher what creative dish will come their way next.

The entirety of La BOMBANCE’s existence is an anomaly in the scope of Japanese cuisine; full-heartedly embracing the English concept of ‘buzz’ or the French ‘convivialite’, the venue folds the hall into a living entity, making mutual the musical noise and excitement.
A perfect fit, for foodies who are willing to venture.

The best sushi in Yokohama, period.
Nakajo’s signature is its tuna piece. Personally, I especially love his Spring offering, using fixed-net-caught Bluefin; it is refreshing and not overwhelming, with the perfect balance of umami and a whiff of the sea. Of course, the other pieces too are marvelous; at my last visit, the abalone, cockle, whale, eel, and mantis shrimp were all quite exquisite.
What makes Nakajo’s sushi special is its utter lack of off-flavors; there really is nothing attributable that is distasteful, not even subtle hints, which makes it a great recommendation for even those that don’t take too well to seafood.

Another point worth mentioning is Nakajo’s merit of location; thanks to its being in Yokohama, it remains decently bookable in spite of the quality of its fare, unquestionable on par with even the most lauded of Tokyo counterparts. Definitely a can’t miss hidden gem worth a pilgrimage or multiple, especially for those that don’t mind a commute for a step up in flavor.

Step down under a nondescript building not far from upper-class Nishi-Azabu’s central crossing to find an elegant hall of contemporary design. Cool and masculine, it beckons guests to both table and counter seating; personally, the counter seats looking directly into the kitchen are by far the more exciting. Enjoy a live connection with the chefs, and wonder at the concoctions heading your way.

S’accapau’s head chef is one of unique upbringing; after an Italian training, he then headed to Germany to work a kitchen in his craft learnt. Although the pasta, a mainstay of his course, keeps the general circumference steady, the others tend to transcend borders, rounding up a genuinely international inventive menu reflecting the chef’s own fluidity. For a complete experience from plate to airs that pairs exciting culinary adventure and a mature-yet-casual environment, book a seat today!

A breathtaking French course anchored by superb seafood creations
Chef Aihara’s signature matured-seafood meets guests at every turn of Simplicite’s course; impressively however, it never gets old, nor does it get overwhelming. The subtle aromas are masterfully synthesized using a variety of ingredients and sauces, leaving only the flavorful notes whilst diminishing those less favorable. Such additions, although subservient to the main cast of seafood, are still quite remarkable standing alone; from Bordier seaweed butter to paper-thin sabres, each piece shines brightly given the right attention.

Even the course’s lone altercation from seafood, a main dish of duck, maintain Simplicite’s form via plenty of seafood infusions; the sauce, mainly comprised of broth taken from dried sardine and tuna flakes, is just one of such immersions. In total, the strength of the duck’s innate flavor pairs astonishingly well with the umami-laden seafood-based sauce, completing a symphony that leaves no doubt about its place in the seafood-centric menu.
For a restaurant of constant theme and transient content, taste the seasons in seafood at Daikanyama’s Simplicite.