After leaving work at the regular time on Friday, I avoided the intense heat of the evening by taking the subway and Tokyo Metropolitan Bus to Nekozu. I visited a highly recommended restaurant with my drinking buddies for the first time. We reserved the "Seasonal Pairing Course," which pairs different types of sake with each dish of Japanese cuisine. We informed them on the day that both my companions and I enjoy warm sake, and asked if they could make adjustments accordingly. The dishes were all made with seasonal ingredients, such as sweet shrimp and squid with vinegar, a salad with edamame, sashimi, turtle soup, and chilled beef shabu-shabu, followed by a clay pot rice dish with conger eel and burdock. The sake included cold sake like Hidaka Junmai Ginjo and Sawayoi Junmai Ginjo made from Yamada Nishiki rice polished to 60%, as well as hot sake like Asahikiku Namazake Junmai and Izumi Hashi Namazake Junmai. Towards the end, we enjoyed cold sake like Tateyamagawa Muga and Sawanoi Junmai Namazake, then switched back to hot sake with Izumibashi Namazake Junmai, Suiryu Namazake Junmai, and Benten Musume Namazake Junmai brewed in 2017. The beautiful serving dishes added to the experience, and we spent nearly three hours leisurely enjoying the meal. Even after adding an extra bottle of sake, the total bill of 14,350 yen was quite a bargain. It was a delicious and enjoyable time at Nekozu's Wokotete, with Japanese cuisine and a wide selection of sake to choose from.

We were looking forward to dining at "O Koto Te" with three people. The head chef, who has an impressive background in Japanese cuisine, served us dishes that were beautifully presented and surprisingly delicious. Each dish that came out in beautiful dishes was not only visually stunning but also so delicious that we wanted seconds of everything. The Japanese sake pairing that accompanied the dishes was also excellent. They even asked for our preferences and brought out a sake that suited our tastes. The chic interior of the restaurant was so relaxing that you wouldn't even realize it was a Japanese restaurant at first glance. The service from the head chef and the young female owner was delightful and made us feel relaxed. We will definitely be back. Thank you for the wonderful meal.

Partner and I had our first kappo and small dishes restaurant date at this restaurant. https://wokotote-nezu.studio.site/page https://www.instagram.com/nezu_wokotote/ This is a new restaurant that opened on November 28, 2022. It is a lovely Japanese cuisine restaurant run by a couple. We chose the seasonal omakase pairing course for 13,750 yen (tax included). 7 cups of sake are served. They also offer short courses and a la carte options. Today's menu includes: - Scallop and strawberry caprese - Firefly squid and ark shell with vinegar miso jelly - Sea bream and sesame tofu soup - Skipjack tuna tataki with firefly squid and suzuka - Mackerel sushi and burdock root kimpira - Fujinosuke salmon with cauliflower puree, and more - Grilled duck breast with walnut sauce - Akita Inaniwa udon with chicken and bonito double soup The freshness of the ingredients is outstanding, and the sauces are excellent! The sake pairing was also amazing! We will definitely make another reservation. Thank you for the delicious meal!

This is a hidden gem of a Japanese restaurant in Nezu, Bunkyo-ku. The interior is chic and stylish, with carefully selected materials creating a lovely atmosphere. It's a great place for a date or entertaining guests. The dishes are served on plates imported from Europe and with beautiful tableware. The monthly course menu is regularly updated to keep regulars interested. You can also enjoy wine or sake pairings, and the cheerful conversations with the owner and his wife add to the experience. They mentioned they don't want to compromise on service quality despite being busy, which was impressive. We opted for the 3-course short course and each dish was well-seasoned and delicious. Overall, I would rate the restaurant a 4.3 considering the ambiance, tableware, food, and interactions with the owners. I believe it's better to dine at "Okotete" than spend 30,000 yen at another restaurant for Japanese cuisine. Some people might give high ratings to expensive restaurants using premium ingredients, but I believe the ability to impress customers with ordinary ingredients is more commendable. I also think assigning individual scores to each dish is pointless, so I focus on the overall impression and value for money when rating a restaurant.

Yuuji Iijima, who honed his skills at Toranomon Aoyagi, La Bombance, and Nogizaka Shin, opened a new restaurant on November 28, 2022. The restaurant offers a seasonal omakase pairing course for 13,750 yen, with a stay time of about 2 hours and 20 minutes. The restaurant has a relaxed atmosphere with a kitchen counter seating for 5 and two tables for 4 at the back. I reserved the pairing course which includes the 9,350 yen omakase course and a 4,400 yen sake pairing. Overall, the chef's skills are rated above 3.5. The combination of ingredients is interesting, and the use of charcoal for cooking is skillful. However, for a 9,350 yen course in Tokyo, the quality of ingredients is lacking. The second half of the course was disappointing, especially the black wagyu sirloin. Compared to the top-class wagyu served at a restaurant in Kagurazaka that costs over 70,000 yen, the meat at this restaurant was inferior in terms of aroma and texture. The omakase pairing course included the following dishes and sake pairings: 1. Tsubugai 2. Sesame tofu 3. Sea bream 4. Sawara red clam 5. Yellowtail 6. Anago 7. Beef Sake Pairings: 1. Tayu Junmai Ginjo 2. RieStyle Yamahai Junmai 3. Ishizuchi Junmai Ginjo 4. Isojiman Junmai Ginjo 5. Soma no Umi Junmai Ginjo 6. Fusouzuru Junmai Ginjo 7. Houkou Junmai The 9,350 yen omakase course included: 1. Tsubugai, Yaikon, and Mikan with salt ponzu jelly 2. Grilled sesame tofu with sea urchin, fried rice, and sesame sauce 3. Sea bream noodles 4. Sawara straw-grilled, red clam sashimi, and seaweed 5. Grilled yellowtail with mountain pepper sauce, salmon roe, seri, wakame, red turnip, and lily root in honey 6. Taro and anago tororo sauce 7. Black wagyu sirloin and eggplant miso hot pot 8-1. Scallop, rapeseed flower, and sweet potato carrot mixed rice 8-2. Pickles (kombu, cucumber, kikyo) 8-3. Clear soup (nameko mushrooms and mitsuba) 8-4. Roasted green tea Individual dish reviews are as follows: [3.5] Tsubugai, Yaikon, and Mikan with salt ponzu jelly The acidity of the jelly was stronger than my preference, but the combination of the shellfish, yaikon, mikan, and jelly was interesting and indicative of the restaurant's direction. The Tayu sake pairing was served in 60ml (can be slightly increased, according to the server). [3.6] Grilled sesame tofu with sea urchin, fried rice, and sesame sauce This warm dish was a welcome change after the cold dish. The homemade sesame tofu was chewy, and the sea urchin, despite its appearance, added a nice touch. The sake pairing was served hot.

I was looking for a place to stop by after work and came across this restaurant that had just opened that day. Although the sign didn't indicate what type of restaurant it was, I found out that it offers a seasonal kaiseki course paired with Japanese sake, serving authentic Japanese cuisine. I made a reservation for three, including my wife who loves Japanese food and my colleague who enjoys delicious meals. When making the reservation, they asked about any food preferences or allergies, and since my wife is pregnant, I requested to avoid alcohol, caffeine, and raw foods. They accommodated her needs by adjusting the course menu and even provided a warm drink instead of cold water for her. The dishes were delicately seasoned and beautifully presented, with unique ingredient combinations that made each bite a delightful experience. They also paired each dish with the perfect Japanese sake, creating a harmonious marriage of flavors. Although we initially planned to stick to the course menu, we couldn't resist ordering a few a la carte dishes as well. The owners, a couple around my age, were friendly and engaging, making our dining experience even more enjoyable. I look forward to returning with my wife once she can enjoy sake again, to indulge in Japanese sake and cuisine together.