""Akiyama"" opened in 2018 near 'Kitasato Hospital' in the Shirokane-takanawa area of Tokyo’s Minato Ward. Running by the owner-chef Hideto Akiyama, who found himself getting more and more interested in fish after working at an izakaya, a type of Japanese-style pub, that centered its menu on fish and other seafood. From there, he went on to spend 5 years training at “Sushi Shin,” a world gourmet guide award restaurant in Nishi-Azabu, Tokyo, neighborhood. After working with fine-quality fish and polishing up his culinary skills, he decided to push his skillset even further by spending 4 years building up experience and diving deeper into Japanese-style cooking at a world gourmet guide award Japanese cuisine restaurant called “Higuchi,” located in the Jingumae area of Tokyo.
When the Chef Akiyama decided to open up a place of his own, he knew he wanted to have a small eatery that was not like a typical sushi restaurant or classic Japanese-style restaurant that served Kaiseki cuisine and the like. Chef Akiyama says that “My goal was to start a restaurant where guests could casually stop by on the regular and enjoy delicious food in an easygoing atmosphere. I wanted to offer great food and drinks without tying myself down to one particular style of cooking.” He travels to Tsukiji fish market each day to pick up fresh, seasonal ingredients for his omakase (chef’s choice) courses. He mainly centers on seafood for these courses and puts together sashimi and flame-broiled dishes, as well as boiled foods and seasonal vegetables. Each dish in this special course meal is served one by one in small portion sizes. When it comes to Oshinogi dishes, which are small appetizers served during a course meal, he puts together a changing selection of seasonal specials, including sushi rolls, hand-rolled sushi, pressed sushi sticks, and bamboo leaf rice cakes. Each course is finished off with handmade soba, freshly cooked rice, and other exquisite ingredients. The food here is simply wholesome and profoundly delicious, without the slightest bit of ostentatiousness. Guests will also be happy to find that the size of each meal is tailored to their appetite. And for drinks, they offer a seasonal variety of specially selected Japanese sake to pair with each meal.
Inside guests will find a stylish dining space with a mortar counter and vivid indigo blue walls with Japanese paper. Dishware includes items from the Edo and Heian periods decorated with calligraphy and more, which adds to an already chic dining experience. As for seating, there are only 7 seats at the counter. ""Akiyama"" welcomes guests with friendly banter and an immersive dining space where friends and couples, as well as guests dining alone and travelers from abroad, can all enjoy their meal together.
※ Awarded 1 star on world-renowned gourmet guide Tokyo 2023
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* The availability of an English version of this page does not guarantee that the restaurant can provide services in English unless otherwise stated. Please be aware that, even if stated, there may still be days when English speaking staff are unavailable.
【Access】
■A 10-minute walk from Shirokane-takanawa Station(Tokyo Metro Nambu Line)
