Eating is the Most Important Besides Sleeping,
Eats Out About 400 Times a Year:
@pateknautilus40’s Top 10 Restaurant Recommendations in Japan

I have been visiting “Iyuki”, the restaurant run by Chef Ueda, said to be among the top chefs from “Kyoaji”, in Higashi Ginza for over 10 years. Chef Kawada is one of Mr. Ueda’s disciples and trained under him for 13 years, before opening this long-awaited restaurant. At Iyuki, he has experience in all aspects of cooking, grilling, and sashimi. If you know Kyoaji well, you will know how difficult the training is.

The preparation is long, but all the dishes made by Chef Kawada, who is silent and serious, are beyond delicious. After all, there are more than 20 kinds of dishes served each time. Other than Iyuki, I don't know any other restaurant that serves so many kinds of dishes. Surprisingly, the chef prepares everything by himself. Also it’s difficult to express just how much the chef desires the customers to be happy and enjoy their food. It will be hard to make a reservation from now onwards, so I recommend you to visit early.

“Kioicho Mitani” is the sister restaurant of “Mitani” in Yotsuya. I myself have been visiting Mitani several times a year, for over 10 years. The manager of Kioicho Mitani, Mr. Takano, and Mr. Mitani have known each other since the “Sushi Rosan” era, and when he was asked to open this restaurant and manage it, he was also working at Mitani for a short time.

Also, if you say “Mitani”, you think of pairings that simply cannot be missed. In addition to sake, these pioneers serve champagne, wine, etc. in small quantities in pairings with the sushi. The true essence of the Mitani experience is the number of side dishes that go so perfectly with the alcohol. Everything is perfectly cooked or prepared for guests allowing them to taste a variety of truly delicious dishes at their absolute best, such as hammered fatty tuna with shark fin and sea urchin shabu-shabu. My favorite is “Sukeroku”, which wraps Toromaki and Kanpyomaki with sweet-boiled Aburaage in addition to the above mentioned side dishes. The sweet boiled Nanko-ume served as dessert is also not to be missed. It seems that making dinner reservations here is getting more and more difficult, but there seems to be some availability for lunch, so why don't you go and try the amazing pairings with side dishes that you can't experience at other sushi restaurants?

Speaking of “Sushi Sakai”, isn't this the hottest sushi restaurant in Fukuoka? It received 3 stars on the gourmet guide 2020, and although it was already popular, it has since became even more popular. I've been a customer since it had opened its original location in Akasaka, before it moved to Nishinakasu. It was a very small shop, but I remember that they were working hard with their apprentices. At that time, I received a greeting card for the relocation, and I was impressed by their extraordinary determination and consideration for their customers. I still clearly remember the greeting card which was on a 1-meter-long piece of paper which conveyed the chef’s decision to relocate and feelings for the customers. I was very impressed by the card, which was written as if it was in the Edo period. I'm afraid there aren't many of those commanders who have made it this far.

As for the food, there are no exceptions, everything is very delicious. The tuna is especially delicious because it is from “Yamayuki”. Also, the chef is particular about using fresh fish caught in Kyushu as much as possible. This makes customers visiting from other prefectures like us, very happy. The collaboration observed between the restaurant apprentices was smooth, and above all, it was wonderful that both regular customers and new customers were treated equally. The personality and ability of the chef are truly captured in Sushi Sakai. This is a restaurant that I would strongly recommend to visit when you go to Fukuoka.

“Nikusho Horikoshi” is located near Number 246 along Nisseki Dori. There is a sign at the entrance that says “I’ll serve you delicious meat”, allowing guests to immediately begin looking forward to it from their first step inside. The feature of this restaurant is that it is a Japanese and Western style meat kappo unlike a normal yakiniku restaurant. The restaurant only stocks meat that suits the owner's taste, from Japanese black beef to red beef. My favorite dish here is the filet bowl. A large and thick fillet with egg yolk truffle sauce is placed on top of the rice. It's incredible. In addition, the beef tongue of Japanese black beef has just the right thickness and is chewy and filling, and it's indescribably delicious, so you can't miss it.

Also, as I mentioned at the beginning, they not only serve marbled meats, but also red meat and rare parts, so it is truly irresistible for meat lovers. Every time a dish is served, there is an explanation which is fun to understand their endless obsession with meat. One of the other things I always look forward to is enjoying one of their variety of wonderful desserts. The selection changes every time which makes it exciting to see what is on the menu each time you visit the restaurant.

Reservation is required, but please try the owner's special grill once. Try the “I'll serve you delicious meat”. I would recommend that any meat lover should visit this restaurant.

“Sushi Ichikawa” is located near the Sannohashi intersection in Minamiazabu. It is also close to Shirokane Takanawa Station. The restaurant was originally opened in Ueno where there used to be a 3-star restaurant called, “Araki”, but it moved to its current location in 2017. Araki and the famous “Kikunoi” in Kyoto are the places where Chef Ichikawa was trained.

The restaurant’s tuna is carefully selected from “Yamayuki”, and is always perfect. Usually sushi restaurants serve only about 3 to 4 pieces of tuna, but here it is different. Lean tuna, medium-fatty tuna and fatty tuna are basically served in portions of 2 pieces each. This is great for tuna lovers. The red vinegared rice matches perfectly with the tuna, bringing out the taste even more. In addition, you should not miss the many side dishes that make use of the chef’s experience of Japanese cuisine. It's no surprise that Chef Ichikawa received 1 star. The restaurant is also open on Sundays, so please enjoy the tuna and meet the resident chef.

Located just a few minutes' walk from Kannai Station in Yokohama, “Nakajo”, originally called, “Sushi Kappo Kiyokawa” was located in Motomachi, Yokohama. It changed its name and moved to its current location in 2017. In addition to the counter seats, there is also a private room, allowing families with small children can visit.

The most distinguishing feature of this restaurant is that the owner is very particular that everything must be the best. For example, the tuna is the best available from “Yamayuki”, and the white tilefish and sea urchin are always the best of the day because Nakajo is one of the oldest customers of “Yamayuki”. In a sense, it means that you don't have to go all the way to a high-class sushi restaurant in Tokyo to enjoy the best seafood. I don't think there are any high-class sushi restaurants in Ginza that are so particular as Nakajo.

Listening to the stories directly from the chef is very enjoyable and makes it well worth a visit.

“Yakiniku Komiyama” is located near the Nishi-Azabu crossing. The owner, Hideki Komiyama, opened the shop after taking about three years out to recharge and refresh. The restaurant has a stylish counter as well as semi-private rooms. There are 2 ~ 3 seats at the counter, and you can enjoy conversation while watching the chef cook, or you can spend time in the private room if you want to have fun with your companions. Rather than being a traditional yakiniku restaurant, it is a stylish eatery that is popular among young people.

The basic menu is the omakase course where Mr. Komiyama, who is a meat expert, will take care of you, ensuring you can enjoy a pleasant and relaxing dining experience. The meat is delicious, but the spicy tsukemen that is served at the end of the meal is superb. It is of higher quality than what you will receive at many tsukemen restaurants. The restaurant opens until late at night, so why don't you pay it a visit?

Chef Ishizaki used to work at a steak restaurant, “Katogyu”, in Ginza. After he opened his restaurant, it soon received 1 star. The feature of this restaurant is the beautiful A5-grade marbled meat. The meat is cooked until it is crispy on the outside and juicy on the inside and is simply delicious. You should also not miss the restaurant’s wide repertoire of beef dishes. Other than the main steak, meat lovers cannot resist their homemade corned beef, hamburger steak, sukiyaki and menchi katsu.

The only disappointment is that I couldn’t eat all of the dishes I wanted to enjoy as I didn’t have enough space. The shaved ice served at the end is a fluffy delight that is like powder snow because the restaurant uses a real ice machine. Even though Chef Ishizaki looks a bit tough, he is actually very friendly so please come visit Ginza Ishizaki to enjoy its superb variety of meat dishes.

“Teppanyaki Akasaka” is located on the 37th floor of ANA Intercontinental Hotel Tokyo. When you step inside the restaurant, you will feel a sense of calm as the hustle and bustle outside is quickly forgotten. You can enjoy fresh seafood, vegetables and meat such as Kobe beef, Kuroge Wagyu, Ise lobster and abalone. Also, because it is a teppanyaki restaurant, you can enjoy dynamic cooking in front of your eyes. Especially, the best part of teppanyaki, when the cooking flames rise. The hotel service is excellent, ensuring you can have a very comfortable and stress-free dining experience.

The incredible view of Tokyo Tower and the surrounding skyscrapers and highways that you can see from the counter are both beautiful and breathtaking. There is no doubt that you will be dazzled while enjoying delicious food. This restaurant is well worth a visit and can be enjoyed by couples, families, friends or used as a perfect venue for business entertainment.

“Sumibi Yakiniku Fuchioka” is a restaurant independent from “Sumibi Yakiniku Nakahara”. The location is a few minutes’ walk from Kyodo Station. The restaurant uses only Kuroge Wagyu, the best breed of cow available, regardless of the production area. There are many restaurants that use a lot of wagyu, so I am happy to be able to eat the highest grade of beef here.

The restaurant cuts the meat by hand after taking your order. The beautifully cut sirloin is especially famous, and is arranged neatly in layers, so you can easily imagine how delicious it will taste before eating. There are many other must-have items from the menu that you should try including the filet, which can be ordered in a thick cut, the plump and delicious thick sliced tongue as well as both the fillet cutlet and minced cutlet sandwiches which are also irresistible. This casual restaurant has a counter and semi-private room where friends and family can enjoy a feast of delicious Japanese black beef. There is no doubt that you will return home feeling incredibly satisfied.