"Ginza Shimoiji" opened in 2017 and is positioned along Chuo Street, the opulent main road running through Ginza. Its location is ideal for ease of access, and lying in fairly close proximity to Ginza Station and Shimbashi Station. The lively exterior betrays the serene, refined atmosphere that greets guests as they enter this basement restaurant.
The owner-chef, Satoshi Shimoji, was the head chef at "Kawashōsōen," the long-established traditional Japanese restaurant in Ginza that has now closed down. The restaurant's take on Japanese cuisine, which borrows from tradition while incorporating modernity to create a new, evolved style, is painstaking in the time and hard work it puts into its ingredient selection, and the carefully prepared dishes expertly bring out the flavors of its seasonal ingredients to delight the palates of the restaurant's guests. The tableware used to set off the cuisine was handed down from "Kawashōsōen".
The course-style kaiseki cuisine begins with an appetizer known as Sakizuke, which is gradually followed by sashimi, o-wan (a soup or broth served in a bowl), and a host of other dishes, arriving one-by-one. The o-wan dish, known as the flower of Japanese cuisine, uses a stock prepared with gently aromatic shaved bonito and Rausu kombu seaweed to bring out the flavors of the seasonal ingredients served in the soup. Halfway through the dinner comes the grilled Hassun course, which presents a rich and colorful selection of dishes using seasonal ingredients, and the relaxed atmosphere keeps both the sake and the conversation flowing. The kaiseki cuisine is rounded off with a bowl of Koshihikari rice sourced from the city of Uonuma, cooked in a traditional earthenware pot. Decadent hospitality is provided right up until the very end of the kaiseki cuisine, as the rice is served sometimes with an ideal accompaniment, such as Sukiyaki made with wagyu Ozaki beef from Miyazaki Prefecture, or prepared as a mixed rice dish using seasonal ingredients. The restaurant keeps around 10 to 15 varieties of sake to pair with its menu, and seasonal types of sake such as Natsuzake (summer sake), Hiyaoroshi (low-pasteurized) sake in the autumn, and un-aged Shiboritate sake in the winter create an exquisite, delectable marriage with the restaurant's cuisine.
"Ginza Shimoiji" provides semi-private counter seating for 4 persons, separated by Kumiko woodwork screens, and 3 fully private rooms for 4, 6, and 8 persons respectively. All of the private seating is provided in the Hori-kotatsu style (tatami seating with a sunken area beneath the table for legroom), allowing guests from overseas and others who would have difficulty sitting in the traditional style to relax and enjoy the meal with peace of mind. The traditional Japanese restaurant flavors of "Ginza Shimoji," and the hospitality provided by its unobtrusive serving style, promise success in entertaining important guests or enjoying a kaiseki experience with a treasured loved one.
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*The availability of this webpage does not guarantee that the restaurant presented provides services in English unless otherwise stated. Please be aware that English services may also depend on staff availability at the restaurant.
【Access】
A 5-minute walk from Ginza Station, Exit A2(Tokyo Metro Marunouchi Line)
A 5-minute walk from Ginza Station, Exit A2(Tokyo Metro Hibiya Line)
A 7-minute walk from Shinbashi Station, Exit Ginza(Toei Asakusa Line)
