I've been busy with family matters for the past two months, but things have finally settled down. I decided to treat myself to a quiet and delicious meal here. A few years ago, I heard that Myrebi-sama visited this place and had a great experience, so I was looking forward to it. The restaurant is located on the first floor of a building, and as soon as I arrived, I saw the noren curtain being put out. I was guided to the counter. I started with a draft beer. Here are the dishes I had: - Appetizer: Scallop and Hokkigai with Wood Sorrel and Tosazu Jelly, a refreshing dish with scallops from Nemuro, and Hokkigai from Oshamanbe, garnished with butterbur sprouts. - Tempura: Whitefish and Tarano-mi from Hyogo Funae, freshly fried and sprinkled with pepper and shiso leaves. The chewy texture of the Tarano-mi is delightful. - Soup: Clam and Butterbur, with large clams cut into three pieces and shredded butterbur providing a crunchy texture. - Sashimi 1: Menkue from Chiba, lightly seared and served with vinegar dressing, the chef's recent favorite ingredient. - Sashimi 2: Meji Maguro from Ishikawa, straw-grilled and served with Otoro, Chutoro, and Akami, each with different flavors, accompanied by salt, wasabi, soy sauce, and homemade onion vinegar. - Palate Cleanser: Fugu Shirako Zosui, where fugu shirako is steamed and strained, served with creamy milk risotto-like dish, topped generously with caviar and drizzled with olive oil. - Grilled Dish: Nodoguro from Yamaguchi, incredibly fatty and dripping, served with a mix of wasabi and Tosazu. - Steamed Dish: Asparagus Somen from Saga, finely sliced white asparagus resembling somen noodles, allowing you to taste the tips and thick stalks, served with Fukui abalone. - Fried Dish: Matsubakani Junsu, large taro stuffed with Matsuba crab, coated with domyoji flour, served with cold sauce and garnished with Hamafu windbreak. - Main Dish: Jūwari Soba, a choice of four styles, including seiro, kake, gomadare, and oyster and mitsuba dipping soba. You can choose a different type for seconds. I started with seiro and had gomadare for the refill. The soba was moist and smooth, very delicious. The gomadare was not as sweet as expected, providing a refreshing taste. - Dessert: Warabi Mochi, sprinkled with fragrant yellow powder, served with black honey to taste, and topped with hidden walnuts for a textured accent. While chatting with the chef, I enjoyed the essence of dining at the counter, observing the preparation of the dishes served that day. The chef generously shared the trial and error process leading to the dishes presented. The way the chef spoke to the apprentices was polite. I found the chef to be very humble and modest. The dedication of the staff was evident, making the experience delightful and heartwarming. I had a wonderful solo dining experience.

I visited Ita-san in Minami-Aoyama. I used a course menu on a weekday night. The first dish was eggplant with dashi, sweet and spicy prawns, topped with caviar. The saltiness and sweetness of the eggplant combined with the dashi, making it a luxurious and exquisite dish to start the course. The main course featured fish, with a large sweet prawn and sea bream sashimi. The grilled dishes included blackthroat seaperch, natural eel, and a dumpling of hairy crab, all of them luxurious. There wasn't a single dish that was subpar, everything was delicious. The price was on the higher side due to the quality of ingredients, but the taste was undeniably fantastic. Thank you for the wonderful meal!

Visited "Ichita" located about a 5-minute walk from Gaienmae Station. The bill was around 77,000 yen for 2 people. Reserved a private room. The private room was spacious and clean for 2 people, with a sudare window on the entrance shoji that allowed the staff to monitor the dining pace from outside. Hoping to experience the live cooking atmosphere at the counter next time. Ordered the 33,000 yen course. - Caviar, Kagoshima shrimp, Kyoto Kamo eggplant, mini okra - Awaji sea eel with seaweed sauce and plum - Hokkaido hairy crab shinjo soup with winter melon - Shimane bonito and Nagasaki squid sashimi - Eel with white grilled caviar and tare sauce - Cutlass fish with yuzu - Red sea urchin chilled chawanmushi with shijimi clam broth - Hokkaido golden threadfin bream with Awaji Island onions - Choice of soba: sesame sauce, Kyoto leek, or warm ayu fish - Grape with white wine jelly The soba finale offers a choice of 5 types: Mori soba, sesame sauce soba, Kyoto leek soba, warm ayu fish soba, and kake soba. - Caviar, Kagoshima shrimp, Kyoto Kamo eggplant, mini okra: Well-balanced with a hint of acidity, delicious - Awaji sea eel with seaweed sauce and plum: Fluffy and very delicious - Hokkaido hairy crab shinjo soup with winter melon: Luxurious taste with plenty of hairy crab - Shimane bonito and Nagasaki squid sashimi: Beautifully presented with a slightly seared bonito that is delicious - Eel with white grilled caviar and tare sauce: Crispy and delicious, pairs well with caviar - Cutlass fish with yuzu: The salt-grilled cutlass fish has a savory taste that complements the broth perfectly - Red sea urchin chilled chawanmushi with shijimi clam broth: The flavors of sea urchin and clam broth blend well - Hokkaido golden threadfin bream with Awaji Island onions: Fluffy and delicious - Choice of soba: Sesame sauce soba - Hand-cut soba with a visually appealing Kyoto leek topping, a comforting end - Warm ayu fish soba: Small ayu fish evokes the seasonal feel - Grape with white wine jelly: The white wine jelly complements the grapes well. The attentive service, with the head chef coming to bid farewell outside after payment, was appreciated. The clean restroom was also a plus. A great restaurant worth visiting again. Thank you for the meal.

Ichita-san is located a little deeper in Aoyama. I really enjoyed all the dishes as they were very delicious and beautifully presented. The sea urchin chawanmushi was served cold and was very tasty and refreshing. They offer two types of eel: shiroyaki and kabayaki. For the final dish, soba noodles, you can choose from 5 different types. I ordered the seiro soba and also tried the kakesoba. Everything was of very high quality, and I had a great time.

All the dishes were not too flashy, yet satisfyingly delicious. In particular, the grilled eel with caviar and the teriyaki eel were even better than the eel specialty restaurant I visited before! Also, the pike conger eel topped with plum was exquisite! It was my first time trying pike conger eel with such skillful deboning. Overall, it was a meal that truly showcased the excellence of traditional Japanese cuisine!

I visited OMAKASE for the first time by making a reservation, as it is right next to the sauna I often go to. In a word, it's perfect. Especially the broth. Among the top 100 Japanese restaurants I visited this year, it's the best. The sesame sauce for the closing soba noodles is also exquisite. The level of service is also high. Despite my initially reserved demeanor, they boldly engaged in conversation with me, which was delightful. Thank you for the wonderful meal. While it seems flawless, I also have a desire for them to be a bit more adventurous (like XTC's later period).

The spring menu is at its best season. It includes various dishes such as steamed hairy crab with caviar, young ayu fish with taro sprouts, salt dashi soup, red squid with wakame seaweed, grilled eel, and more. Everything is excellent! The steamed bear-shaped soba noodles are especially outstanding, I couldn't help but get seconds!

I visited the restaurant for dinner early on and the seats were quickly filled up, becoming fully booked. While the satisfaction level of the food was good, it felt a bit rushed. The dishes had a gentle flavor and the last soba dish had a strong taste, so I think the overall satisfaction with the food is high! I visited both the counter and private room, but considering the speed of the food service, I recommend sitting at the counter!

Located in Gaienmae, the Japanese restaurant "Minamiaoyama Ichita" is run by Chef Taichi Sato. After graduating from culinary school, he worked in the Chinese cuisine department of a luxury hotel. Seeking to broaden his horizons, he studied abroad in New Zealand for a year. Deeply appreciating the beauty of Japan, he turned his focus to Japanese cuisine. After training at a traditional ryotei in Hokkaido and then moving to Tokyo, he honed his skills at "Ogikubo Yabe," a sister restaurant of "Ginza Yabe" in Shinjuku. At the young age of 29, he became the head chef and kitchen manager. In September 2014, he finally opened his own restaurant. Within just one year of opening, he earned a Michelin star. Chef Sato values the concept of "ichi-go ichi-e," cherishing encounters with seasonal ingredients and striving to provide exceptional culinary experiences for his guests. The menu is an omakase course featuring dishes like simmered abalone and flatfish, tempura of taro sprouts and white fish, and a savory fugu milt porridge. The meal concludes with a delightful custard pudding dessert.

This is a lovely Japanese restaurant tucked away in a corner of Aoyama. As the opening time approached, a vibrant purple Fuji mountain noren curtain was hung up. ◇ Drinks: Ginger ale x 2 ◇ Appetizers: Hokkigai, flat shellfish, Tosazu jelly The superbly cooked dishes that prioritize texture were impressive. The lightly boiled urui and fuki were also excellent. ◇ Appetizer: Tempura of white fish and taranome We enjoy it with plum meat broth and salt, where the light and round acidity of the plum meat and a small amount of sugar-enhanced salt complement the crispy tempura. ◇ Sashimi: Meji tuna, red clam The tuna was fatty, and the red clam was thick and plump, both delicious. ◇ Rice dish: Fugu porridge with shirako The strained shirako gives a creamy and delicious taste, complemented by the salty caviar on top, adding a Western touch. ◇ Grilled nodoguro with black salt The fatty nodoguro made me exclaim, "Wow! Delicious!" without thinking! ◇ Strong side dish: White asparagus and abalone The finely sliced white asparagus and steamed abalone with liver sauce are served in a Bacara vessel, exuding elegance that matches the luxurious taste. ◇ Side dish: Matsuba crab and udo The udo and matsuba crab were coated with Daiginjo flour, resulting in a firmer coating than potato starch, which I preferred. The udo adds a touch of spring. ◇ Soba: Assorted soba I chose a light seiro soba since I was full. If you have room, the sesame sauce or warm clam soba are also appealing. ◇ Dessert: Pudding type The soft pudding with caramel sauce has a bitter taste, appealing to adults. It was a spring-like menu with various seasonal shellfish. The owner explained various things, making the dining experience enjoyable. Also, the way the owner's apprentices were treated kindly made me feel at ease. The pleasant voice when serving the dishes, the proper and delicious restaurant, not only left a good taste in my mouth but also resonated with my heart.

Located in Minami Aoyama, Tokyo, Ichitai is a renowned Japanese restaurant. I visited on a Friday night at 8 p.m. with a reservation for one person. The counter setting is enhanced by the Japanese paintings by Yukitai Komura, giving off an elegant vibe. The friendly and lively owner engages in enjoyable conversations, adding to the lively atmosphere. The restaurant's name is the owner's real name spelled backward, making it a memorable choice. The traditional Japanese dishes carry the owner's energetic spirit. The flavors are rich yet distinct, likely appealing to younger diners as well. The meal ended with soba noodles, a satisfying yet light choice. The wide selection of sake was thoroughly enjoyed, leaving me deeply impressed. Thank you for the wonderful meal.

I made a reservation through a booking website and visited the restaurant. It was located in a stylish building in Minami Aoyama. The food was made with high-quality ingredients and thoughtfully prepared. While they didn't provide much explanation, the various dishes showed a deep commitment to quality, making it a place for those who appreciate refined Japanese cuisine. The only downside was that they didn't have my favorite drink, which was a bit disappointing.

The restaurant had private tables as well as counter seats where you could watch the chefs preparing the dishes. We were seated at the counter seats. Every dish had a sense of the season, and the spring-themed course was delightful with its fragrant flavors. Everything was delicious until the end. It was a wonderfully hospitable Japanese restaurant with great food. It was very delicious. Thank you for the meal.

I used it for a business dinner, and as expected, the taste was extremely delicious. The umami of the shellfish was brought out well, and the tempura was lightly fried. Noteworthy was the nodoguro, the grilling technique was excellent, it was plump and cooked through perfectly. Each dish was of high quality and consistently delicious. It was a relaxing dining experience, and the private rooms were nice.

Located about a 6-minute walk from Gaienmae Station. I've visited a few times a year, and it's been 5 years now. They serve course meals using seasonal ingredients that allow you to feel the season. Every time I come, whatever I eat is truly exquisite. Personally, I love the winter menu the most. On this day, I visited with 5 people. We opened 4 bottles and had an 11-course chef's choice menu. The crab soup, mackerel sushi, simmered shirako, and roasted duck were all impressive. And the highlight was definitely the hand-made soba noodles for the finale. You can choose from steamed, cold, sesame sauce, or oyster toppings. I always go for the steamed soba. It's rare to find a Japanese restaurant that serves soba noodles of this quality, even though they're not a soba specialty store. It's a top-notch restaurant that impresses me every time I visit. It's my favorite spot! ◎

Each dish was delicious and amazing~ The handmade soba noodles were also delicious~!!! I want to go back again if I can get a reservation! They have won the 'Michelin Guide Tokyo 2022 One Star' and 'The Tabelog Award 2022 Bronze'. The menu includes seasonal ingredients for their chef's choice course. Prices start from ¥30,000, excluding consumption tax and a service charge (10% of the meal cost). Handmade soba noodles will be served as the final dish. Please inform them if you have any food preferences, allergies, etc. Reservations are accepted from 10:00 AM to 3:00 PM at the contact information below. Thank you for your understanding and cooperation. TEL. 03-6455-4023 Address: AOYAMA346 101, 3-4-6 Minamiaoyama, Minato-ku, Tokyo. Business hours: 17:00-22:30 (last entry at 20:30). Closed on Sundays and public holidays.

On a weekday at 7:00 PM, I visited this restaurant for the first time and ordered the course meal with a prior reservation. I started with beer, then switched to sweet potato shochu with soda and Japanese sake. The opening dishes were deep-fried crab and caviar blowfish, followed by soup with golden eye snapper and tuna sashimi, foie gras rice, grilled alfonsino, steamed prawn, milt with miso, and finished with cold and hot soba noodles. Everything was delicious. I cannot describe the flavors adequately... Anyway, it was delicious. A very satisfying dinner.

At first glance, the prices may give you pause, but seriously, even the soba at the end was delicious! Letting the saury sit for three days and eating it with seaweed vinegar was refreshing. The matsutake tempura, mixed with dashi and Worcestershire sauce, might be a bit divisive since they use the whole mushroom. The chrysanthemum-filled soup with crab and yam was packed with plenty of meat. The sashimi included amberjack, flounder, scallops, and salmon roe, a small dish that paired well with the seafood. And then there's the specialty inherited from the sanma fishing experience, which was so delicious! Even the fish fins were tasty! The red snapper cooked with seaweed on top, along with turnips and yams, was also delicious. And the soba! The aroma was so good that I had to ask about its origin. The seasoning was just right, the soba was delicious, and I want to come back again, but it's not something I can do often.

I interviewed "Ichita," who has won the "Michelin Guide Tokyo 2022 One Star" and "The Tabelog Award 2022 Bronze." The restaurant is located in Minato-ku, Tokyo. It is on the first floor of a building called "AOYAMA346," about a 5-minute walk from Gaienmae Station on the Tokyo Metro Ginza Line. The exterior looks ordinary, but once inside, a modern Japanese space spreads out. There are counter seats and private rooms, so you can enjoy the food regardless of the number of people or purpose. The dishes we had this time were as follows: Hokkaido hairy crab and chrysanthemum with chrysanthemum sauce, Matsutake mushroom and conger eel fry, Conger eel and Matsutake mushroom soup, Fugu sashimi with ponzu jelly, Grilled ayu, New salmon roe steamed egg custard, Grilled kue fish and maitake mushrooms with seaweed sauce, Steamed dishes, and Japanese chestnut bavarois. The photos show that the dishes were not extravagant, but rather straightforward and honest. The dishes were served one after another, and the staff's service was also impressive. A personal impression... The "Matsutake mushroom and conger eel fry" dish allows you to enjoy summer and autumn ingredients on one plate. If the timing is slightly off, you can only enjoy one of them. First, I tried the "Matsutake mushroom" on top. It has a crispy texture, followed by a unique aroma spreading in the mouth. Perhaps due to being fried, it gives a light impression. Then, the juices spread out. Next is the "conger eel." It is thick and tender, with a refined taste. The "New salmon roe steamed egg custard" has a gentle flavor of egg dashi that pairs well with the saltiness of the salmon roe on top. Thank you for the meal. I would like to visit again when the seasons change.

Visited for the first time on September 8, 2022, continuing the birthday celebration series. On this day, I visited with the members of the monthly dining group, also known as the "3-person gathering." We were treated to a feast. Thank you, Mr. OO. This place is quite famous. The finale is soba, or rather, it seems to be a soba restaurant. I think this is what the owner said, so there should be no mistake. But if that's the case, the soba course becomes intense. Truly amazing. The service is also excellent. It makes the dining experience enjoyable. They have a wide selection of sake. Here's what we had. The appetizer was a luxurious combination of Mirugai (geoduck clam), Ishigaki-gai (giant clam), caviar, and ginkgo nuts. The Mirugai was incredibly delicious. The deep-fried sea bream with matsutake mushrooms is also a luxurious dish. The matsutake season has begun. The soup contained hairy crab meat and winter melon. We enjoyed the red squid somen with egg yolk. The texture is great, right? The sashimi was bonito from Sajima. It was delicious. The conger eel sushi was outstanding. I wanted seconds. Grilled Alfonsino with matsutake mushrooms. The Alfonsino was dangerously delicious. Steamed egg custard with new salmon roe. This was unbelievably delicious, almost unfair. Unagi (eel) and duck eggplant stew. Up to this point was the soba appetizer served in a sieve. The soba was carefully made by the owner. It had a nice aroma. The dipping sauce was also excellent. We then had plain soba, without any additional toppings. We purely enjoyed the soba. The soba broth was also amazing. This is what soba broth should be. When you put it in the dipping sauce, you can truly drink as many cups as you want. The dessert was a Japanese chestnut Bavarian cream. It was flawless until the end. Truly wonderful. The bill came to 44,000 yen per person, including tax. It's delicious, but it's not a price range that can be frequented easily. There's no other place that makes me as happy as being treated to such a feast. Thank you very much. It was a wonderful treat.

When asked which Japanese restaurant I like, I always mention three places, and one of them is Ginza Yabe. I love the atmosphere of Mr. Yabe's cooking, and the restaurants run by his disciples have a similar vibe. Ichita, who trained under Mr. Yabe, now has his own place in Shinjuku. He serves carefully crafted dishes in elegant tableware. In this season, they might be serving Mr. Yabe's signature saury dish, but when I asked, it was still too early, so I had the eel rice bowl for dessert. Another characteristic of the Yabe group is that they also serve soba noodles. For me, it's one of those places where I can relax and unwind.