Before going to Sushi Kanesaka, I was preparing to spend my evening in a formal environment with an austere sushi master leading the show. Instead, I found myself in a friendly and vibrant place where the chef Shinji Kanesaka san was chatting with his guests and obviously enjoying doing so.…

Some say that Sushi Mizutani is the best in Tokyo, while Hachiro Mizutani san is one of the best sushi masters in Japan. And if one can rate sushi places with stars that were first meant to rate French cuisine, Sushi Mizutani together with Sukiyabashi Jiro are the only sushi…

When I go to a new city, I always try to visit its market. Like this, you can approach the local culture a little bit better. A small photo “reportage” from this 400-year-old market…

Kaiseki – is a traditional Japanese multicourse meal that originates from tea drinking ceremonies in the 16th century. Kyoto and its region is the cradle of the Japanese culture as well as of kaiseki. Many say that multicourse small portions menus in the “Western” gastronomic restaurants are influenced by the…

When visiting the beautiful Kiyomizudera temple in Kyoto we passed by this small eatery serving soba and drinks. The soba (hot noodle soup) cost only 600 yens (around $6), but it was the best hot soba I have ever had… And the view and the surroundings were simply beyond any…

Jet lag on the first day in Tokyo was tough. At 4 am I still didn’t feel like sleeping, so being awake early in the morning was a great opportunity to visit the Tsukiji market. What I saw there was mindblowing, the most impressive market I have ever seen. Huge…

When I asked the concierge of our hotel to book the three times starred sushi place called Sukiyabashi Jiri for our first night in Tokyo, he immediately answered that foreigners can’t book in Sukiyabashi Jiro. For sure, I didn’t feel discriminated- I am prepared for the fact that the Japanese…