Seven Days in Japan

Seven Days in Japan

If you’ve ever had the good fortune to visit Japan, you’ll doubtless have been left with the same wealth of feeling I have, as I write from my home in London. The chaotic modernity of Tokyo versus the historical richness of Kyoto, to the Idyllic countryside, kind gestures of the…

20
Jul
Japan: Tokyo
Yukari Sakamoto: The Secrets of Japanese Home Cooking

Yukari Sakamoto: The Secrets of Japanese Home Cooking

Luxeat Insider · 5th ED.

Yukari Sakamoto: The Secrets of Japanese Home Cooking

Luxeat Insider · 5th ED.

Author of Food, Sake, Tokyo, an exploration of Tokyo’s food scene, Yukari Sakamoto is on a mission to demystify Japanese cuisine. Trained at the French Culinary Institute and the American Sommelier Association, she also passed the rigorous exam to become a certified shochu adviser. She teaches classes on food, wine,…

13
Nov '20
Secret Tokyo

Secret Tokyo

Luxeat Insider · 5th ED.

Secret Tokyo

Luxeat Insider · 5th ED.

Dining out in Tokyo doesn’t always adhere to Western expectations. The customer is not always right and sometimes not always welcome. There are secret spots from the old-world kissaten coffee shops where you can still find people smoking, to restaurants with no-signage that operate on the second floor of a…

13
Nov '20
Ken’s Café Gâteau au Chocolat

Ken’s Café Gâteau au Chocolat

Ken’s Café Gâteau au Chocolat

Hidden in an ordinary residential street in Tokyo’ Shinjuku ward, Ken’s Cafémakes the most extraordinary gâteau au chocolat in Japan and the best-molten chocolate cake I’ve ever had. It is also the most difficult to get too. If you buy it directly from the shop where it’s made, the waiting…

8
Oct '20
Kimoto, Tokyo

Kimoto, Tokyo

Kimoto, Tokyo

Some highlights from Kimoto in Tokyo that relocated from Kobe in 2018 and is one of top kaiseki restaurants in Japan. Chef Yasuya Kimoto used to train at Sakurada in Kyoto along with Tadayoshi Matsukawa (who runs introduction only Matsukawa, thus similarities in styles..).

21
Jun '19
15 top sushi shops in Tokyo that don’t require introduction

15 top sushi shops in Tokyo that don’t require introduction

15 top sushi shops in Tokyo that don’t require introduction

Those who have ever tried to book Tokyo top sushi shops like Saito or Sugita, might know how difficult or even impossible to book them unless you are introduced by a regular. I asked Andrew Gyokudari, the man who has over 300 sushi meals per year to recommend top sushi…

7
Apr '19
Top 20 Ramen Shops in Tokyo

Top 20 Ramen Shops in Tokyo

Top 20 Ramen Shops in Tokyo

By John Hirai a.k.a. Tokyo Rocks on Tabelog (instagram.com/tokyorocks69)All images©John Hirai As most of you might know, ramen is originally from China. The first ramen shop opened 1910 in Tokyo and spread around all over Japan after World War II. Almost every region or city has their own style of…

22
Feb '19
Kouji Kimura: the genius of extreme fish aging

Kouji Kimura: the genius of extreme fish aging

Kouji Kimura: the genius of extreme fish aging

“As fresh as it can be” is one of the most common pre-conceptions about sushi. Sushi masters in Tokyo have the world’s greatest seafood market to buy their fish, but often, depending on the fish or seafood they would mature it before serving to their guests. Yet few of the…

23
Feb '18
Kawamura

Kawamura

Kawamura

Pictures from introduction only Kawamura steakhouse, which is known for one of the most difficult reservations in Tokyo. It was the season of Alba truffles in October, but we decided to go for the “student” menu, which still cost us around ¥100 000 per head without wine. Full review here.

23
Feb '18
Sushi Sugita

Sushi Sugita

Sushi Sugita

Images from my visit to Sushi Sugita last October. Some older articles I’ve written about Takaaki Sugita can be found here, here and here. He is a sushi master with a soul, who never ceases to evolve and is definitely my favourite.

17
Feb '18
The last king of tuna, Mr Yamaguchi

The last king of tuna, Mr Yamaguchi

The last king of tuna, Mr Yamaguchi

Many thanks to Mrs Mimi Kobayashi, my “fixer” and interpreter, who made this interview happen. Mimi-san can be your best guide in Tokyo! https://www.instagram.com/kobayashimimi2/ Yukitaka Yamaguchi is, without any doubts, a very important man at Tsukiji market and one of the most fascinating people I’ve ever met in Tokyo. If…

26
Nov '17