I visited a Japanese restaurant located just a 3-minute walk from Iidabashi Station, tucked away in a side street off Kagurazaka. It is a restaurant belonging to the Ishikawa Group, known for its fine Japanese cuisine. Reservations were fully booked for the year-end period, so I made a reservation well in advance for this visit. What we had: - Course meal - Somen kabocha with caviar - Conger eel shinjo soup - Biwako cherry salmon - Water octopus with sea urchin soy sauce - Mochi rice with sweetfish - Soft-shelled turtle in Peking duck style - Rock oyster - Tiger white noodles - Awabi (abalone) cooked rice, pickles, miso soup - Coconut warabi mochi, coconut ice cream Everything was incredibly delicious! The refined, top-notch, and innovative Japanese cuisine offered here is truly exceptional. They continue to transform high-quality ingredients into dishes that are both unfamiliar yet somehow familiar. - Somen kabocha (golden thread squash) with caviar: The crispy kabocha noodles were delicious, especially when paired with caviar. The playful presentation with leaves hiding the dish added to the experience. - Conger eel shinjo soup: The conger eel shinjo, grilled over charcoal and sandwiched between bamboo leaves, had a wonderful smoky aroma. - Soft-shelled turtle in Peking duck style: The combination of soft-shelled turtle, cucumber, and sansho pepper was a perfect match. It was incredibly delicious. - The highlight was the awabi (abalone) cooked rice. Despite being quite full, I managed to have a taste and took the rest home as a souvenir, enjoying it the next day. - For dessert, we had coconut warabi mochi and coconut ice cream. They were both incredibly delicious. The addition of coconut ice cream to the already delightful warabi mochi was simply irresistible. Thank you for the wonderful meal!

I was lucky enough to be invited by an acquaintance and visited. Everything was delicate and elegant. Every dish was shockingly delicious. I have never encountered such a complete course before. I would like to try different dishes as well...

Seriously, everything was so delicious that it's hard to choose the best, but I loved the matsutake mushroom spring rolls, conger eel liver, sweetfish with mochi rice and miso, softshell turtle, and coconut dessert. The ingredients, broth, aroma, texture - everything is meticulously crafted. The beautiful dishes also make sense why it's so hard to get a reservation.

This is a review of a restaurant called Omiya. My wife has visited this place regularly and she loves it. I have been there too, but I only go if the bill is over 30,000 yen and if I'm invited. I prefer to pay for a meal that costs around 30,000 yen for two people rather than spending 60,000 yen on a meal. I can't really tell much difference in taste once the bill goes over 30,000 yen. Both a 30,000 yen wine and a 300,000 yen wine taste good to me. Some people are generous enough to treat everyone, including me and a girl, but I feel overwhelmed by such generosity. The Omiya restaurant serves delicious abalone sushi and the aroma of the broth makes it a delightful breakfast. It's impossible for the food to not be delicious. I can't forget the trauma of forgetting my wallet at Ramen Jiro after eating a croquette omelette. I will go back if someone I can't refuse invites me again. Until then, I look forward to it as it is a truly delicious restaurant. It has a three-star rating, so you can trust that it's a great place to dine. My wife insists that winter is the best time to enjoy delicious food. The restaurant is already fully booked for reservations next year.

After a half-year absence, I visited Kagurazaka's "Torashiro" restaurant. This time, with no standout seasonal ingredients in mind, I was able to enjoy a variety of new dishes that were introduced. For example, on a hot day, the refreshing and visually appealing loofah caviar jelly with sesame sauce was a perfect match. Another new dish was the rare preparation of conger eel, served on top of a dumpling. The aroma of the conger eel was wonderful, and it melted in the broth beautifully. The new dish of softshell turtle in Peking duck style was also interesting, with a new texture when wrapped with cucumber. Trying grilled sweetfish for the first time was also a treat, served with sweetfish miso and sticky rice, a perfect match for sake. Lastly, the clay pot rice was a favorite, with abalone, and I boldly requested a "regular portion." I enjoyed many delicious and creatively prepared new dishes this time! Thank you very much.

Today's meal at Torashiro was delicious as always. I enjoyed Ayu and fresh Suppon with silk gourd, conger eel, Biwa Lake trout, and oyster karaage. The rice was cooked with abalone, creating a moment of bliss. Thank you for the wonderful meal. #ThankYou #Kosuke Koizumi, chef #Gourmet #Kaiseki cuisine #Iidabashi #Michelin three-star #Featured in Omakase #JustBetweenUs #Staff enjoyed the meal #That's all from the kitchen.

Kohaku in Kagurazaka, it's been six months since my last visit. Started with a dish of crispy Kamo eggplant topped generously with caviar. The soup was made with grilled conger eel sandwiched in bamboo leaves, the aroma was amazing. The Biwa Lake cherry salmon with Kohaku's jelly was perfectly cooked. The water octopus was served with sea urchin soy sauce. Ayu fish with truffle cream sauce, perfectly fried and soaked in truffle sauce with mochi grains and red miso inside. Soft-shelled turtle wrapped in cucumber with Peking duck skin, seasoned with Sichuan pepper. The rock oyster was fried on the surface intentionally, also delicious. Finished with abalone broth noodles and abalone mixed rice. For dessert, coconut warabi mochi and coconut ice cream. It was a blissful experience. Looking forward to my next visit in six months. #MichelinThreeStars #Michelin #HardToBook #TabelogAward #Top100Restaurant

I had been looking forward to my first visit to the summer restaurant, Torashiro. The meal started with a coolly presented dish of duck and eggplant, topped generously with caviar. It was a luxurious dish that got me really excited. The summer specialty, "Ayudobon," featured hot fried sweetfish diving into a truffle cream sauce. It was truly exquisite! The snapping turtle prepared Beijing duck style was also a memorable dish. And the coconut mochi made in-house at Torashiro was delicious as well. Everything was top-notch! I was truly impressed by Chef Koizumi's surprising and delightful dishes, as well as the first-class service and hospitality. Thank you for a fantastic time. I look forward to coming back here for a long time to come.

It's a July night in 2023, and I've come to Kagurazaka. The main street is lively with lanterns hanging for the festival weekend. It feels like a familiar festival, but it's been years since I last attended. I've made my way to Torashiro-san, a place I haven't visited in two years since missing out on the summer menu last year. I'm excited. Sitting at the counter, I greeted Koizumi-san and the dishes started arriving. - Abalone with liver sauce and Tosazu jelly: A delicious combination of abalone and liver, with the crunchy texture of yellow chives adding an accent. - Ayu Dobon: Hot fried ayu fish jumping into truffle-infused white sauce, balancing the bitterness of innards with the aroma of truffle. - Scallop "jellyfish": A scallop dish with a concentrated sweet umami flavor from grilling with soy sauce. - Sashimi: Thinly sliced belt fish with wasabi, myoga, Torashiro jelly, and steamed sea urchin for a customizable experience. - Kamo eggplant: Eggplant cooked in dashi, fried, and grilled to a melt-in-your-mouth texture with a savory broth and fuki miso. - Corn: A transparent jelly with a sweet corn flavor served on lotus leaf and water shield. - White sweetfish: Charcoal-grilled white sweetfish with ginger paste, showcasing excellent cooking and a winter melon crunch. - Torashiro noodles: Luxurious noodles with truffle sauce and shaved truffles, exuding a wonderful aroma. - Mixed rice: Mud-splattered cuttlefish and plum mixed rice, with a strong presence of cuttlefish and a hint of plum acidity. - Dessert: Sherry wine cream with melon granite and black honey for a refreshing finish. - Warabi mochi: Coconut warabi mochi, a familiar treat. The beer and sake pairing included Summer Moon beer from Saga and Junmai Ginjo sake from Juyondai. The seasonal dishes were exquisite, whether layering premium ingredients or focusing on simplicity. With attentive and high-level service, Torashiro-san never fails to deliver a delightful dining experience. I look forward to my next visit. Thank you for the feast.

Visited "Kohaku" in Kagurazaka, a prestigious Japanese restaurant belonging to a Michelin three-star group. The seats at "Kohaku" are highly coveted, so I am looking forward to today's visit. I was invited to dine here, so I am grateful for the opportunity. Thank you. I have visited several restaurants within the group, including the flagship store. I love Kagurazaka, and "Kohaku" is truly the gem of the area. As you enter through the calm Kyoto-like entrance, you are greeted by a counter and table seats in a soothing atmosphere with indirect lighting. After the greetings, the course begins. Below are the dishes in order: - Abalone and Sudachi Jelly: Tender abalone with a tangy sudachi jelly. - Ayu Fritter and Truffle Gratin: Bitter ayu fritter with a hot truffle gratin. - Grilled Scallop Shinjo: Shinjo made with flavorful grilled scallop. - Beltfish Jelly: Beltfish served with a tangy jelly or uni sauce. - Kamo Eggplant Fritter: Crispy fried Kamo eggplant with a side of mala sauce. - Junsai and Corn Jelly (with Caviar): Sweet corn jelly with junsai and caviar. - White Sea Bream with Taro Stem Jelly: Taro stem jelly accompanying white sea bream. - Kohaku Noodles: Kohaku's signature noodles with plump oysters. - Tai Meshi: Red snapper rice cooked in an earthen pot, served with fresh seaweed. - Melon Ice: Melon ice with custard cream and black honey. - Coconut Mochi: Signature dessert of the Ishikawa group, chewy and delicious. As part of a prestigious group, the restaurant offered consistently refined Japanese cuisine with an elegant touch. The overall experience was sophisticated and the service was exceptional, leaving a lasting impression. The payment was made with a credit card. It was delicious. I will definitely come back. Thank you for the wonderful meal.

It was quite difficult to make a reservation at this popular restaurant. Luckily, there was a last-minute cancellation and I hurried to book a table. This restaurant is known as the top disciple of Ishikawa, offering innovative and beautifully presented dishes that are not only delicious but also visually stunning.

Visit date: Weekday Visit time: Around 8:00 PM Number of people waiting: None Wait time: None Taste: ★★★★★ Portion size: ★★★★★ Cost performance: ★★★★☆ Atmosphere: ★★★★★ Customer service: ★★★★★ Overall rating: ★★★★★ Impressions: This was my first visit to Kagurazaka's "Kohaku" after the pandemic, and I was really looking forward to it. I was invited by a friend, and they treated me to a birthday present. Thank you so much! From the appetizers to the dessert, the food was so delicious that I couldn't relax and let my guard down. I was completely focused on savoring the dishes and even forgot to chat with my friend. There were some menu items that brought back nostalgia from my previous visits before the pandemic, but there were also seasonal variations that kept things exciting. Everything from the design and decorations of the restaurant, to the dishes and glasses, and the customer service provided by the staff, everything was well thought out to ensure that guests can enjoy their food deliciously and joyfully. Truly a masterpiece! Chef Koizumi is like an artist! It's a difficult-to-reserve restaurant, so it's not easy to come back often, but I definitely want to come back again. Thank you for the feast! #Kohaku #Japanese cuisine #Washoku #Michelin #Ishikawa Group #Hidden gem in the alley #Kagurazaka gourmet #Iidabashi gourmet #Shinjuku ward gourmet #Tokyo gourmet #Top 100 restaurant #High-end restaurant #Difficult-to-reserve restaurant #A place where you can fully enjoy the depth of Japanese cuisine #A lineup of Japanese sake that you have never tasted #Food and art.

The second time, but the consistency of the taste is amazing. There is no variation, everything from saltiness, oiliness, richness of umami, texture, and aroma is almost perfect. This time, for some reason, there was a sense of discomfort with the volume and feeling of fullness. I think this can also be influenced by the individual's values in choosing this dish.

Abalone, yellow chives, liver, ponzu jelly "ayu (Shizuoka) dobon", truffle sauce ⭐️ Scallop with taro, sea bream, duck, eggplant, moist vegetables, corn agar, caviar Sashimi of red snapper, sea urchin, crab miso ⭐️ Tiger white noodles, fresh sea urchin, shrimp, shiso, rice Melon sherbet, brandy, black honey ⭐️ Coconut bracken mochi ⭐️ The hospitality is top-notch. And the level of innovation is very good, positioned above Ishikawa but below N.K. Very happy to be able to eat that coconut bracken mochi again that I had at Ishikawa. Would have preferred to sit at the counter next time, but seems like it's not possible before the end of the year. (sad)

Today, I went to Torashiro for lunch for the second time. The dishes included: abalone with ponzu jelly, liver sauce, and yellow chives; ayu fish with truffle sauce; grilled scallops with shiitake mushrooms; grilled swordfish with crab dashi soy sauce, crab roe, steamed sea urchin, and secret jelly; deep-fried eggplant in dashi broth; red-eyed junsa and corn agar with caviar; white sea bream with bamboo shoots and winter melon sauce; Torashiro noodles with sea urchin and yuzu; shrimp rice; white miso and junsa miso soup; melon sherbet with brandy sauce and black honey; and coconut warabi mochi. The course was perfect, with each dish being delicious. I will definitely visit again. Thank you for the meal.

I was invited to this long-awaited place and seated at a table where the course started. I spent about 2 hours there and enjoyed the following dishes that day: - Abalone with liver sauce and ponzu jelly: The tenderness of the abalone and the richness of the sauce left a lasting impression. - Fried ayu with truffle sauce: A special dish for the season, with a unique combination of flavors that was simply delicious. - Scallop and shirako soup: A simple yet flavorful dish that showcased the essence of the ingredients. - Grilled swordfish with snow crab broth and steamed purple sea urchin: A luxurious dish with a perfect balance of flavors. - Kamo eggplant simmered in dashi: The eggplant was tender and juicy, with a flavorful dashi broth. - Corn agar with red-eyed greens and caviar: An incredibly delicious dish with a perfect blend of sweetness, saltiness, and freshness. - White sea bream with winter melon sauce: A light and delicate dish with a refreshing winter melon sauce. - Tiger white noodles with sea urchin and yuzu: A simple yet delicious dish with the aroma of sea urchin and a hint of yuzu. - Shrimp rice and white miso soup with red-eyed greens: The best rice dish I've ever had, with a sweet white miso soup that was comforting. - Melon sherbet with black honey and brandy sauce: A delightful dessert with rich melon sherbet that paired perfectly with black honey and brandy sauce. - Coconut warabi mochi: A perfect ending to the meal, enjoyed with tea. The overall experience was fantastic, with excellent food and hospitality. I look forward to my next visit.

It's my regular visit to my favorite restaurant, Torashiro! As spring comes to an end and summer approaches, I was excited to try some summer dishes. Tonight's menu started with steamed abalone with chives and abalone liver sauce, topped with vinegar citrus jelly for a refreshing start. Then came the highlight of the summer season at Torashiro - ayu fish with truffle sauce. It was a delight to enjoy this seasonal dish after eagerly waiting for it since the end of May. The scallop sashimi, a specialty at Torashiro, featured succulent scallops that were truly satisfying. The swordfish with jelly and a luxurious blend of snow crab and crab miso was a decadent treat. The fried eggplant with miso sauce was perfectly crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, making it a delightful dish. The lotus leaf with water shield and corn jelly, topped with caviar, was a summer staple that never disappoints. The corn jelly had a delightful sweetness that complemented the dish beautifully. The white sweetfish was accompanied by steamed squid and winter melon jelly, offering a delicate balance of flavors. The Torashiro noodles, now a regular pre-dessert feature, were served with sea urchin this time, adding a luxurious touch to the meal. The shrimp and perilla rice, served with a piece sign by Chef Koizumi, was a delightful combination that was light and easy to enjoy. The melon and black honey sherbet was a refreshing and summery treat with a light and crisp texture. Finally, the coconut warabi mochi served with tea was a perfect finish to a wonderful evening. I had a great time and enjoyed the delicious food at Torashiro once again. Thank you for the wonderful meal!

I have been curious for a while and finally managed to get a seat through OMAKASE cancellation standby. I had high expectations and they were exceeded. It reminded me of Liberty Island, where each ingredient is treated with sincerity, resulting in impressive dishes. If I were a swordfish, I would definitely want to be prepared here. The presentation was beautiful and the taste made me smile. Thank you for the wonderful artistry, my stomach and heart are full. I look forward to visiting again.