Japanese -> Hidemi Sugino -> Tokyo, Japan

Had to try out one of the most celebrated pastry chefs in Tokyo.

	Mariee – Berry with a green tea filling. A bitter liqueur cake on bottom. The bitter and sweet melded very well together.
	Exotique – A banana apricot filling with a chocolate bottom
	Merveille – We loved the soft spongy cake on the bottom yet didn’t detract from the rich strawberry taste. Agreable – Tasted like a grape, raspberry spread on the cake on the bottom.
	Arabique – A light chocolate with milky coffee taste. Loved the light nuts on top. Ambrosie – Had to get the cake he is famous for. A very mature taste with the light raspberry filling and a light chocolate cake with sweet pistachio

Decor: Ok so he is suppose to open up at ten. However I read that being a diva, he opens it later if he wants. Sure enough he decided to open at eleven the day we got there. We arrived at nine to start lining up so we ended up being 5th in line. At around eleven, the line was down the block. It was crazy. The cakes are in display up front and they look gorgeous. You order and they take the cakes to the back to be plated. They have to be eaten in the store and photographs are not allowed. It’s like the soup Nazi of cakes. The staff was friendly as it can be under that environment.

Overall Assessment: ($$$, 8/10) – The cakes are gorgeous. Also the cakes are all light and fluffy. They also are constructed well in terms of the proportion of cake, sauces, jellies, condiments, etc. However we have to take points off the whole attitude. That was a little off-putting. The whole opening whenever you want, bad form. I guess though if you’re that good, then you can do whatever you want.

Website: N/A
Location: 3-6-17, Chuo-ku
Reservation: N/A
Takeout: N/A
Hours: Tues – Sun; 1000 – 1900

 

Japanese -> Sushi Dai -> Tokyo, Japan

Only one way to experience sushi in Tokyo, at the Tsukiji fish markets.

	Tea – A good strong tea. I think the strongest that we had.
	Ginger – Loved how the pickling wasn’t too over the top. So it didn’t have that heavy sweet aftertaste to it.
	Fatty Tuna – So tender and so smooth, the tuna was just so perfect.
	Spanish Mackerel – Again cut well, mild mackerel aftertaste to it.
	Sea Bass – Very smooth, almost silky.
	Baby Snapper – Nice how they textured it by braiding it.
	Red Snapper – Loved how the mild onion add a crisp taste to the snapper.
	Sea Urchin – Sweet and very creamy.
	Sea Bream – Rather nondescript.
	Yellowtail – Again so smooth and the crunch of the vegetables added to the experience.
	Shellfish – So the chef serves it go and goes “Fresh shellfish, still alive.”  Sure it enough as soon as he set it down, the thing started to wiggle its way off the rice.  Very chewy yet retained a smooth texture.
	Tamago – Piping hot cube of egg, not too sweet, just a mild sweetening taste to it.
	Mackerel – So pretty, braiding the fish to achieve a sheen to it.   Stronger mackerel taste.
	Rolls – Crab and tuna rolls.  A disappointment in terms of the nigri is so much better; however, it still blows rolls here in the US out of the water. Nice crunch to the cucumber crab and a soft meld for the tuna.
	Horse Mackerel – My favorite nigri of the meal.  Very good flavoring fish cut very well.
	Baby Shrimp -A bit disappointing.  I was hopping it would be like a sweet shrimp but alas no such luck.  No sweet taste to it.
	Salmon Roe – The roe is so fresh and each egg packs such a wonderfully intense flavor.
	Eel – Mildly cooked and sauteed with just a very mild sauce.  The thing basically dissipates in your mouth it is so soft.
	Soup – A hearty miso soup but nothing great or terrible about it.

Decor: A simple sushi bar that seats 13 people. The line to this place was pretty long. I think we waited about 45 minutes as we were not too late. The line is a bit cramp as they try to squeeze as many people in the line as possible. The inside is a bit cramp as well so best if you leave any big items at home. The staff was great. The sushi chefs keep plopping food down and they even hammed it up for us when we took a picture at the end.

Overall Assessment: ($$, 9/10) – Some of the best sushi that we had. Well worth the wait. You really can’t get fish any fresher as the fish market is right there. We ended up getting a large meal and a small meal. Good variety and we both left full. Great service as well.

Website: N/A
Location: Chuo-ku, Tsukiji 5-2-1, Area 6
Reservation: N/A
Takeout: N/A
Hours: Mon – Thurs; 0500 – 1400

 

Japanese -> Toki no Ma -> Tokyo, Japan

Wanted to go and try out some horse sashimi.

	Sake – Lighter sake sweet. One thing I did appreciate was that it was served on ice so the whole time, the sake was at a good temp.
	Starter (L-> R, Bonito mustard greens, Fish Cake and Root Vegetables) – The bonito and the mustard greens didn’t go together very well. The mild fish cake went well with a nice miso paste. The Root vegetable was very bitter and almost inedible in our opinion.
	Assorted Fish Cakes – The first one was a pasty cake shrimp and yuba very soft and flavorful. The second was a lotus root sandwich with a soft fish cake in between two very crunchy lotus roots. The last one was a vegetable fish cake that had nice chunks of garlic and herbs. Served with a daikon radish puree and ginger.
	Foie Gras Egg Soup – Such a complex soup. Very rich and hearty. Mushroom and egg with a mild rich fattening foie gras taste. Wife really enjoyed this one.
	Horse Sashimi – Horse sashimi is very fatty and had a smooth taste. The white one in teh center I think is cartilage. Two chewy and stringy to my liking. Assorted dipping sauces. First one is a spicy ginger that leaves a lingering aftertaste. The second is a yuzu blend that packs a punch on spice, and nice yuzu flavor throughout. The third is a garlic that was a bit underwhelming with the horse. The last is pepper that was straight up spicy. I think my favorite was the yuzu blend.

Decor: White and glass pretty much accentuate the place here. Service was rather lackluster, reminded us of the terrible American service. I think the language barrier really scared away our waiter. They had a menu in English yet I think it was a bit on the confusing side, so we tried to get some explanation from the waiter and that turned up goose egg.

Overall Assessment: ($$, 6/10) – Hmm, the food was good. We really enjoyed the fish cake and the foie gras soup. It was nice to try out things that one wouldn’t be able to experience here in the States. However the lack of service really put a crimp on the dining experience. Everything is price reasonably well too.

Website: http://r.gnavi.co.jp/tokinoma/
Location: 2-3-14, 2F Ebisu, Shibuya-ku
Reservation: N/A
Takeout: N/A
Hours: Mon – Sat; 1630 – 0500, Sun; 1630 – 2330

 

French -> Quintessence -> Tokyo, Japan

I called every day for 2 weeks straight, almost 2 months before going to Japan to book this place. By far the hardest reservation I’ve ever had to make.

	Bread – Bread is rye with crisp exterior from Maison Kayser with wheat very hearty with subtle rye overtones. Odd how they don’t make their own bread.
	-   Soupe de Patate Douce (Roasted Sweet Potato Soup) – Sweet potato consume has nice depth with the salty yet sweet potato flavor without it being overly sweet. Great aroma. Nice piping hot milky aftertaste. The potato pie is sandy and sticky love the sea salt and walnut oil taste. A very mature selection.
	Assaisonement (Goat Milk Bavarois with Chef’s Favorite Olive Oil) – Goat cheese with olive oil, Macadamia nuts and yuzu. We loved how the olive oil and the salt combining with the extra soft and creamy cheese to achieve a slightly mild sour taste that is the only hint that this a cheese. Otherwise you would think it was a very velvety yogurt. Very high quality olive oil as well.
	Far Breton (Far Breton) – Shellfish, Buckwheat, and layer of custard. Shellfish lightly cook, herb taste like a cucumber/dill. Bottom layer a bit grainy. Left to right goes from sweet to salty like going from a light dessert to a pie crust. Very innovative to take a dessert dish and make it into an appetizer. The most complex dish I’ve ever had. Mind boggling how the chef got the crust to change from sweet to salty.
	Cusisson Nacree (Roasted Sea Bream) – Sea bream mixed with hazelnut and cabbage. The sauce is a garlic, grape juice, anchovy mixture. Loved the crunchy skin. Very aromatic by itself, however when you add the garlic anchovy crunchy hazelnut, it takes it to another level. The saltiness of the anchovy mixes well with the biting garlic and the slightly acidic grape juice. Weird how there is a fish aftertaste that lingers in your mouth, yet it is very pleasant.
	Porc Roti (3 Hours Roasted Pork) – Pork with chili soft pork. Very juicy. Waiter describes cooking method where they cook for 1 min cool for 5, repeat 20 times. That is how they retained the juiciness of the pork. Nice citrus sauce and herb sauce that still allows the pork to really shine through.
	Creme au Coco (Coco Cream with Pistachio Oil and Espresso) – Bitter coffee oil with fragrant pistachio oil. A nice soft and creamy coconut custard. My only complaint as evidenced by the pictures is that after mixing everything, the dessert does not look very appetizing.
	Glace Meringue (Meringue Ice Cream) – Meringue than grounded into powder. Powder than made into and ice cream. We must say it tastes like a meringue turned into an ice cream. I absolutely loved the salty layer washed over it, really accentuates the salty sweet balance.
	Herbal Tea – Nice traditional tea, with a hint of aroma to it
	Coffee – Strong coffee like a square kick in the pants. Bitter like other Japanese coffee.

Decor: Somehow we got seated in a private room. The restaurant is tastefully decorated in black and white. Very modern without it being too sterile. Loved our wait staff. They were warm and explain how each dish was prepared almost to a fault. Our guys spoke pretty good English. The wife loved the blank canvas menu. Nice touch for her. As stated in the beginning, reservations are a royal pain in the butt. Most times the line is busy.  Also the place is kinda located in the middle of nowhere. Also kinda cool check out the bathrooms. That toilet has the most buttons I’ve ever seen.

Overall Assessment: ($$$$$, 10/10) – We would gladly come here again in a heart beat. This is definitely more of my place than the wife’s with the salt/sweet contrast on each plate. Also we loved how the portions were fairly large, yet one always wanted more at the end. We met the chef at the end. Cute how he needed a translator. Wife commented on how young he was. Loved how the chef set out to do a seasonal menu and he basically knocked it out of the park. The ingredients reminded us of fall and most importantly they were prepared well. We also liked how most of the dishes were innovative yet you could see that they were refined over time. Also interesting to see a real fusion of Japanese and French cuisine as well.

Website: http://www.quintessence.jp/
Location: 5-407 Shiroｋaneｄai, Minato-Ku, 108-0071
Reservation: 03-5791-3715, Line is only open from 0930 – 1100, 1530 – 1700
Takeout: N/A
Hours: Mon – Sat; 1200 – 1500, 1830 – 2300

 

Japanese -> Seigetsu -> Tokyo, Japan

We were told this place had some good chicken worth exploring.

	Pickled Vegetables – Pickled vegetables some of the best pickled vegetables we’ve had so far, not too sour or sweet. Though it does have a slightly bitter taste.
	Fish Cake – Nice chew to the mochi, good to add a different texture. The sweet mochi goes well with very mild fish taste.
	Grilled Mushrooms – Such a nice aroma to them. We loved how it was served stewing in its own sauces. Nice hearty and earthy taste to it. Cooked tender and perfectly.
	Sake – Sweet sake. Smells like plum and has a nice mild sweet taste slight with a very smooth taste.
	Chicken with Basil – Chicken was so succulent. There was a nice hint of basil in the aftertaste. We really liked how the skin really soaked in the flavor.
	Soy Sauce Chicken – Light soy sauce taste. We liked how the soy didn’t overpower the chicken, could still taste the chicken. Though we didn’t think it was possible, this chicken was more juicy than previous batch.
	Eel Claypot – A nice hearty feel to the bowl. the eel was cooked very softly and the eel juices really were able to seep into the rice, which made for a hearty dish. Pickled Vegetables – Vegetables were kinda spicy, mild sour taste and citrus as well.
	Miso Soup – Soup was very mild and subtle, nice thin smooth seaweed.

Decor: As soon as one walked in, there is a nice smokey aroma to the place. We liked how the place was divided up so that one could see the cooking action while retaining a private feel. Nice wooden tables and booths with bamboo reeds as curtains. The staff was friendly. There is a smaller version of the complete menu in English. Our waiter had limited English skills yet he explained things to best of his abilities of things not on that menu which was enough for us to get by.

Overall Assessment: ($$, 5/10) – Very casual atmosphere. Very good chicken. Had a homey and warm feel to the restaurant. Did love the aroma of the restaurant and the great staff.  They did have a variety of other things  on the menu other than chickenwhich were executed fairly well.Well worth exploring.

Website: http://www.teshigotoya.net/
Location: 6-77, 2F Kagurazaka,Shinjuku-ku, 162-0825 Kamiya Bldg 2F
Reservation: N/A
Takeout: N/A
Hours: Mon – Thurs; 1700 – 2300, Fri; 1700 – 2300, Sat; 1700 – 2300, Sun; 1700 – 2300