I enjoyed the taste of Kyoto in the summer at Mizukōan. In this season, it's all about sweetfish. I had Kyoto's sweetfish grilled with salt and sweetfish rice by Kiyotakigawa. The sweetfish rice was absolutely delicious, it was the best I've ever had! In addition, I also had a dish of conger eel and Kamo eggplant, striped horse mackerel sushi, a beautiful array of dishes, and unlimited servings of sweetfish rice as the finale. I was completely satisfied after the meal. I think it's an excellent restaurant that provides the best taste and beauty of seasonal ingredients. I look forward to visiting each season, from spring to winter. Currently, they operate in a single room in an apartment, but they plan to close and relocate in the fall. It seems they will open a shop with an atmosphere of live entertainment at the counter seats. I'm excited for the new Mizukōan!

The Japanese restaurant that operated in a room of an apartment building served incredibly delicious meals, making it hard to believe it was just a room. The tasting course was exciting and the final dish was unbelievably delicious. Currently, the restaurant is closed for relocation preparations.

✔️Beautifully presented meals that evoke the seasons ✔️Generous portions with plenty of luxurious ingredients ✔️The appetizer platter at the restaurant where the reviewer ate was especially stunning and elevated their excitement level. There were so many side dishes that they could go back for seconds multiple times, so it's recommended to go on an empty stomach. The prices for alcohol were more reasonable than expected, giving a sense of relief (beer around 900 yen per bottle, wine around 3,000 yen per glass). There was also a wide variety of bottled wines and sake available. The restaurant is preparing to move, and it will temporarily close in September. They are aiming to reopen at a new location at the beginning of next year. The place also offers tea ceremony and calligraphy classes, which piqued the reviewer's interest. The wet chopsticks served just before guests arrive symbolize the spirit of hospitality, preventing the smell of chopsticks from transferring to the food, and signifying a purifying ritual. The meal included preparations made with meticulous care, such as the use of Uji tea, dishes featuring ingredients like conger eel, buckwheat noodles, wood ear mushrooms, spring water plants, okra sauce, myoga, sudachi, and more. The reviewer enjoyed the moist texture of squid from the Goto Islands alongside karasumi (salted mullet roe). They also found the flavors of grilled ayu and goya pickled in sweet vinegar very delicious. The reviewer praised the dishes like grilled ayu, corn tempura, pumpkin, and a finale of peach from the mountains. Each dish was carefully presented and explained, making for a visually stunning dining experience. The review highlighted the beautiful presentation of dishes like conger eel and shiitake mushroom rice, pickled vegetables, and blueberry served with jellied plum wine. The variety of flavors and textures in the meal provided a satisfying dining experience.

Due to various circumstances, relocation is planned. 00. Cold brewed green tea 01. Hamo Soba (eel soup, soba noodles, okra, myoga, wood ear mushrooms, vinegar citrus infusion) 02-1. Sashimi (Queen clam, Goto Islands sea bream) 02-2. Queen clam mantle with liver 03. Soup (Rosy seabass in broth, fried Kamo eggplant, pounded arrowroot starch, green beans, plum dressing, yuzu) 04. Hand-rolled seaweed rolls (Hokkaido spot prawns in kelp, Hokkaido sea urchin, seaweed, shiso leaves, yolk with mustard soy sauce) 05. Seared Striped jack sushi roll (Striped jack marinated in vinegar for one week, sesame rice, shiso leaves, pickled ginger, freshly grated real wasabi, seaweed) 06. Grilled ayu from Kiyotaki River in Arashiyama, pickled Goya in sweet vinegar dressing, sesame dressing with green tea vinegar 07. Crushed Manjushage pepper (deep-fried Manjushage pepper mixed with broth, black pepper, grilled eggplant) 08-1. Abalone liver hot pot (soft-boiled Boso black abalone, liver sauce) 08-2. Steamed rice with Hokkaido purple sea urchin (mixed with leftover abalone liver sauce) 09. Grilled natural sea eel from Omura Bay in Nagasaki, fresh burdock tempura 10. Ya-tsun (side dishes) 10-1. Yuba with eel 10-2. Beef cheek in Sansho pepper broth ... (content continues)

Is there a restaurant here? Located on the 13th floor of a large apartment building, Waterkoan is a highly anticipated independent restaurant run by a head chef who trained for 10 years at the Michelin 3-star Arashiyama Yoshitoyo. Initially the address and phone number were kept private, but now you can make reservations for omakase. The dishes are creative and showcase seasonal ingredients. The portion sizes are quite generous, so you might want to adjust accordingly. The final course, rice, is especially delicious, so make sure to save room for it. The interior design is impressive, considering the renovation work needed for a residential building. I heard they will be relocating in the fall, so I look forward to visiting their new location. Thank you for the meal.

We went with a customer to a room in an apartment. You can hardly tell from the outside. We ate without any information about the owner. They explain each dish, including the ingredients and the quality of the alcohol, in detail. Somehow, when we receive this information, the food tastes even better. Are we being brainwashed (lol)? However, every dish is truly beautiful and delicious. Later, we found out that the owner is a chef following the traditions of Kichō. Their profile is quite interesting. It's not easy to find a restaurant like this for private dining, so I will bring more customers next time.

I visited Suikoan for a regular visit in March 2022. The seasonal ingredients and the presentation of a banquet in the form of Hassun captured the essence of early spring at Suikoan. I thoroughly enjoyed the experience and look forward to my next visit. Reservation: - This time: Reserved during a previous visit - Next time: Possible to reserve on the day of visit Cost: Approximately 55,000 yen *Includes tax, course meal, and drinks (glass of champagne + 1 cup of sake) Dishes I enjoyed: First Course: - Highlights included Karasumi Mochi and Haruna vegetable salad with sesame vinegar dressing. - Thin fish marinated in kelp with sea cucumber intestines and ginger. Fugu Course: - Fugu sashimi with grated yuzu rind, white flesh, and soft roe. - Fugu grilled with ankimo liver sauce. Soup Course: Clam miso soup with clam meat, semi-cooked batako, fresh wood buds, and Wakame from Naruto. Sushi Course: - Steamed blackthroat seaperch sushi with grated wasabi and seaweed. - Nagoya Tarako from Toyohashi and Katsuo Konbu-seared tuna. Tempura Course: - Fresh bamboo shoot tempura in kelp soy sauce and wood bud sauce. Charcoal Grill Course: - Grilled red-fleshed shrimp with shrimp miso and wasabi flower. Dessert Course: - Triple citrus fruit dessert with blancmange and citrus fruit sauce. - Nanohana (rapeseed flower) sweet potato dessert with pea paste and kimi paste. Rice Dishes: - Karasumi rice using Kitaebana rice with Karasumi flavor. - White fish and bamboo shoot rice with fish cake, bamboo shoot, wood buds, and scrambled egg. Miscellaneous: - Fugu porridge with deep-fried fugu roe tempura. With accompaniments such as yam and herring roe, smoked dried herring, silk-woven sansho pepper, Matsumae pickled salmon roe, marinated tuna, nori seaweed, cherry shrimp, and Ikkyu-ji style natto. Those were the dishes I had at Suikoan. Thank you for reading and feel free to follow me on Instagram for more reviews.

Daisho Ishida, who resides just a few minutes' walk from Keio University in Minato-ku, Tokyo, has a private dining room at his home that rivals even the tea house of Sen no Rikyu. This exclusive dining experience offers the highest level of Japanese cuisine, with only one group accommodated per day. Ishida, a native of Minato-ku, graduated from a prestigious private high school and trained at the Michelin three-star Kichisen in Kyoto at a young age. His dedication to showcasing Japanese cuisine to the world is evident in his meticulous attention to detail and warm hospitality. The menu features exquisite dishes such as fresh bamboo shoots, sea bream sashimi, simmered dish with wild vegetable, and savory rice ball with mackerel. The dining experience culminates with a stunning eight courses and a luxurious tea ceremony room adjacent to the dining area. Ishida's passion for Japanese culinary traditions and his unwavering commitment to excellence make this dining experience truly exceptional.

Seeking the finest crab, I visited a renowned restaurant for its renowned "Maigo" crab (a male snow crab caught at the Maiga fishing port in Kyoto Tanba City). Known for its exceptional quality due to the environment of the fishing grounds and the freshness from same-day fishing, Maigo crab is considered a top-tier brand among snow crabs. Despite the high price of 60,000 to 80,000 yen per crab when purchased online, I decided to splurge on this premium delicacy. The restaurant also offered "Taiza crab" with a green tag, and "Tora crab" with a black tag, indicating its origin as a brand product and an elite selection by Marunaka Suisan, a seafood wholesaler boasting a 100-year history in Kyoto Tanba City. The omakase course included a selection of Japanese sake, with notable offerings such as "Mizukoshi" Junmai Daiginjo from Gifu, "Yamakawa Mitsuo" from Yamagata, "Aoku" from Kyoto, "Sousyu Muroka Namagenshu" from Ishikawa, and "Sawayamatsumoto Shohari" from Kyoto. The intricate course comprised of various dishes, starting with a Plum Kelp Tea and featuring delicacies such as sea bream sushi with liver sauce, simmered black beans, fried homemade botargo, inari sushi with sesame seeds, and rapeseed mustard dressed nanohana. Highlights of the course included a simmered dish of spiny lobster and mochi, a sashimi platter with fugu, and grilled and fried crab served with a variety of sauces. Additionally, there was a grilled mackerel sushi from Hokkaido, grilled fugu shirako with crab miso soup, and a kaiseki course incorporating dishes like thick Japanese-style omelet, sake-simmered shrimp, and beef cheek red miso stew. The meal ended with a crab soup, fugu rice cooked in fugu broth with various toppings, crab porridge, and a selection of white rice accompaniments like smoked herring roe with grated taro potato, simmered black beef, and traditional Japanese toppings. The variety and quality of the dishes, along with the exquisite presentation, made the dining experience unforgettable.

The Matsunodo crab from Kyotango and the tiger puffer from Oita Usuki were the first time I tried Matsunodo crab (taiza crab) claws shining gold, still alive sometimes moving. The snow crab landed at the Kyotango fishing port is called Matsunodo crab, with a green tag attached. The tiger puffer from Usuki in Oita Prefecture has a black tag. The shell of the legs is transparent. The natural tiger puffer from Usuki City, Oita Prefecture is served as deep-fried and grilled in miso paste, and also in a clay pot with puffer rice. "Risshun daikichi" (a phrase used for praying for good luck at the beginning of spring) is written on the menu to symbolize good luck and ward off evil.

A room where a golden folding screen and tea utensils are elegantly arranged, combining elegance and simplicity. You can see the city night view through the window, and on the opposite side, you can watch the cooking process over the counter. It's a space that combines the best of a private room restaurant, a counter-style restaurant, and a restaurant with a night view. Japan seems to have surprisingly few restaurants serving Japanese cuisine with a view of the night skyline. The main ingredients of the day are snow crab and blowfish. Each part of the ingredients is prepared using different cooking methods to bring out various flavors. The grilled crab is carefully steamed and then smoked with oil infused with crab aroma to give it a subtle fragrance without burning. Alongside these delicate preparations, there are dishes that overwhelm you with their intense umami. For example, boiling blowfish milt in crab miso, or covering rice with a large amount of karasumi (bottarga). The presentation includes flower arrangements and seasonal decorations in the appetizers and appetizer platter, adding a festive and special touch. On the other hand, there are straightforward dishes like rice topped with eight types of furikake or side dishes that appeal directly to your appetite. Despite the diversity in space, cuisine, and presentation, there is a strange sense of unity in this world. Whether it's the chef's sense or the breadth of experience, it's a mysterious feeling to be transported to a world like Sui-Kou'an despite being in a city apartment. I wonder which seasonal ingredient and course I should try next in this special world. (Omakase Course) Plum Tea Appetizer: Karasumi radish, simmered beans, inari tofu, rapeseed with mustard and miso Dried sardine soup: Red snow crab shinjo soup Tofu dish: Blowfish kombu-zuke, monkfish liver, grated scallion, spicy yuzu sauce Snow crab: Grilled crab, lightly battered mackerel sushi, grated wasabi Blowfish blowfish and crab miso rice Steamed crab and sea urchin gluten cake Blowfish: Yuzu miso grilled, sansho pepper tempura, skin soup Appetizer platter: Steamed yuba and fuki shoot bean paste, beef stewed with taro, clam nuity, shrimp, kumquat cheese rice: Karasumi rice, blowfish rice, steamed white rice Side dishes: Grated yam and pickled herring, beef stewed in dashi, shredded tuna with mountain pepper, salmon roe and shirako Matsukawa-zuke with ikura and kazunoko, chopped nori seaweed, sakura shrimp furikake, Ikkyu-ji natto, raw egg yolk Dessert: Blancmange, kumquat jelly, nightingale rice cake Matcha

Today, for dinner in Tokyo, I visited Mizukohan in the top floor of a condominium in Minato Ward to enjoy a course meal featuring Matsuba crab (*^o^*). Initially starting as a membership system with a non-disclosed address and phone number, the layout of the restaurant emphasizes the live experience of grilling Matsuba crab and other dishes on charcoal between the kitchen and the customers. In winter, Matsuba crabs, snow crabs, and pufferfish are served, while in summer, conger eel, and in autumn, matsutake mushrooms, allowing guests to enjoy seasonal ingredients throughout the year. The closing rice dish features various options such as rice with the strong-flavored "dragon's eye," simmered Tang-e ba-na, seasonal mixed rice, porridge, as well as toppings like grated yam and dried whitebait, offering a delightful variety to accompany the white rice. The charm lies in the splendid handling of seasonal ingredients, gentle seasoning, meticulous preparation, and attentive customer service, resulting in a high level of satisfaction (*^o^*). Today's menu: 108,800 yen for two people, Omakase course 44,000 yen.

I was deeply moved when I was invited to a private reservation-only event in the past, but I couldn't get a reservation at all. However, it appeared on OMAKASE! It used to be completely undisclosed, but now even Pampy can make reservations. The room used to be reserved for six people, but I wondered what the seating arrangement was like. It turns out, there is a large table with a partition screen in the middle, and each group sits next to each other. This way you can experience the feeling of a private room. This time was during winter, but it gave a sense of the end of autumn, and was filled with items related to seasonal traditions. As always, I was deeply impressed. It is rare in the country to receive such high-quality food from a large Japanese restaurant with many apprentices where the master likely handles the cooking, preparation, and presentation. Although OMAKASE is not impossible to get, I left fully satisfied and happy, ready to make a reservation for the next time. The only reason I rated it -0.1 compared to last time was because I had gone around the alcohol ( ,,･ิω･ิ,,) laugh If you like Japanese food, I definitely recommend going there!

It was absolutely amazing. Every dish was outstanding! The head chef's gentle demeanor and explanations of the dishes were excellent. The service from the apprentices was also top-notch. My wife eats a little, so when we asked, they adjusted the portion perfectly for her. It's like entering a realm of the divine. Here is today's menu, but I remember it vaguely (laughs). (Appetizer) Roasted chestnuts, wheat gluten, shimeji mushrooms, walnut sesame, lily root soup, foie gras (Soup) Red snow crab and turnip chawanmushi (Sashimi) Oma's fatty tuna back, Setouchi red snapper, mantis shrimp with egg yolk, pickled chrysanthemum vinegar (Grilled dish) Grilled hairy crab, boiled hairy crab with caviar (Fried dish) Prawn yam, ginkgo nut mochi, oyster (Another grilled dish) Seared mackerel sushi. Wrapped in nori seaweed with sesame and shiso on the sushi rice, thinly sliced wasabi (Another grilled dish) Grilled hairy crab miso and body with tofu, topped with sea urchin (Another grilled dish) Grilled saury in cotton (Appetizer) - Split sansho pepper, white miso salad with chrysanthemum and persimmon, anago eel, snow crab and bonito sake-marinated, sweet potato sweet potato with mustard seeds, pickled red miso beef tongue, yuzu spicy miso, iwashi sashimi in sansho broth, deep-fried shrimp heads, roasted garlic chips Rice ① - Rice with karasumi (bottarga) and salmon roe Rice ② - Rice cooked with 5 types of mushrooms topped with grilled belly, salmon roe, water dropwort, and yuzu Rice ③ - Various side dishes served with white rice, such as nametake mushrooms, simmered beef, shredded mountain pepper, pickled tuna, soy sauce-marinated salmon roe, chopped nori seaweed, cherry shrimp tea-soaked rice cracker, Ikkyuji natto Dessert - Edo persimmon blancmange, wild boar mochi At 9 pm on November 19th, during the hour of the boar, day of the boar, and month of the boar, eating this meal is said to bring about good health. Photos are only representative. It was incredibly wonderful.

Today's special ingredient is bamboo shoots from Kyoto Yamashiro. They are steamed in their own moisture without boiling. - Night Sakura flower viewing with Noto white sake - Vinegared dish of spring vegetables: Nanohana, koshiabura, fuki, kogomi, served with rehydrated wheat gluten - Fried white fish with tangy sauce - Tempura of fuki buds with cherry blossom salt - Sashimi of natural Sakura sea bream from Awaji, marinated in kombu for half a day - Red clam from Awaji served with its liver, lightly cooked with soy sauce - Simmered dish of parsley roots and kudzu paste - Hand-rolled sea urchin with mountain yam and wasabi - Grilled bamboo shoots with sansho salt, served with fried kombu soy sauce - Grilled bamboo shoots with meat sauce glaze, beef marinated in sauce, and pickled wasabi - Smooth and creamy soup of ground bamboo shoots and sake-steamed clams - Duck and cherry blossom pepper from Kyoto, served with white spring onion - Various dishes including octopus, shark fin, thick grilled chicken egg, sea bream, and taro stem and firefly squid - Seared mackerel sushi with shiso leaf and pickled ginger - Simmered dishes - Bamboo shoot rice with grilled firefly squid and wood sorrel - Accompaniments for rice like soy sauce marinated salmon roe, herring roe, shaved bonito, beef sukiyaki, grated yam, raw egg yolk, pickled herring, dried sakura shrimp - Grilled bamboo shoot rice - Rice with scrambled egg - Strawberry blancmange with homemade jam and fuki bud jam with mint - Grilled cherry blossom mochi with red bean paste and salted cherry blossoms in the style of Chomeiji temple - Homemade walnut confectionery with wasanbon sugar and cherry blossom flavor - Matcha green tea

The restaurant, originally referral only, was recommended by a friend despite frequent cancellations. Although it’s on the pricier side, the authentic Japanese cuisine they offer is incredibly delicious. If you’re going to spend money on a reservation, make it count by visiting this place at least once. It will surely satisfy both your taste buds and your appetite.

It was so wonderful that it made me cry. I was invited by a regular customer to a completely member-only store with a non-disclosed address! Have there been many of these types of places lately? I get all antsy thinking about it being non-disclosed, so I wish they wouldn't publicize it! But now they offer an omakase option as well! This was my first time experiencing a place like this, and I am truly grateful for the invitation. The store is located in a regular apartment building. You ring the doorbell, take off your shoes, and enter. I wore my favorite JIMMY CHOO shoes, only to have to take them off! The owner renovated his family's home into the restaurant! Wait, is his mother around here somewhere?! He sometimes pops out from behind a door nearby, haha... How much of this is true?! The 42-year-old owner, who trained at a famous restaurant in Kyoto, has a kind aura. He has studied tea ceremony, calligraphy, and flower arrangement to the point where he can also teach them! "I felt like I needed to learn about Japan to truly understand it," he said. To think he could excel in all of these areas is truly amazing! Currently, I saw at least four apprentices, but he used to run the place all by himself. That is amazing! The extremely rare dining experience for only six guests begins. The sliding door in front of my seat opened to reveal a counter seat! It was so lovely! The meal was themed around Tanabata, the Star Festival. I learned so much from it! I was impressed by how well he has studied Japanese culture. Kaji leaves were used before modern wishes, but it was said that using dew on lotus leaf will make wishes come true. There was a large lotus leaf. When I got home and watched "Princess Mononoke", I saw lotus leaves in Eboshi's field! This size and shape must be it! It was so high-quality... The final rice dish was the ultimate. It was better than any other shime gohan I have had before. Getting a reservation might not be easy, but I definitely want to go back! It was a time filled with pure amazement and joy. Thank you for the meal ♡♡♡

Usually, they hold tea ceremonies once a day, twice a year during Chinese New Year and summer for about a week. When all the guests have gathered, they first move from the waiting room to the tea room. The master prepares matcha and explains the concept of tea utensils and sweets while guests enjoy the tea and sweets. After a short break, they move to the dining room where a shining dish inspired by Tanabata awaits. Now it's time for the main meal. The tea sweets were made with an image of the Olympic rings, so can you spot the subtle differences? In this season, you might not expect (even though you're not tired of it) to see ayu served at a Japanese restaurant. Here, it's not just charcoal-grilled, but deep-fried after grilling, enhancing the refreshing aroma of the ayu. The presentation is beautiful, and of course, it tastes pretty good. Highly recommended for those who want to savor the ceremonial atmosphere.

Tonight, I went to this restaurant. This is a place that only accepts reservations and does not publicly reveal its address. I was invited by a fellow reviewer, so I want to thank them. It is about a 5-minute walk from Mita Station. Even first-time visitors can make a reservation for an omakase course. The head chef here is Chiryu Ishida, who used to be the deputy head chef at Arashiyama Kicho. I ordered Antipodes sparkling water from New Zealand for 1,100 yen as my drink. The course meal cost 38,500 yen. The dishes included in the course were: - Clear stream natural Wakaayu with botan shrimp and caviar soy sauce - Sazae seaweed and fuki in light vinegar rice oil - Kuro Wagyu sirloin with mountain pepper - Hachisu cucumber and tomato in sweet vinegar - Fresh ginger and scallion - Ayu salt-grilled - White asparagus jelly - Snap pea Kyoto pickle - Glass container with thin peas - Thick omelet - Ginger grilled Satsukimasu - Green pea simmered beans in a cup of iris - Thick grilled matsutake with almonds on top - Eel rolled with burdock - Amago Nanban-zuke - Botan shrimp head tempura - New potatoes fried with sprouted miso - Striped jack bar sushi with sesame and wasabi - Baked flower rice - Saucy and rich grilled Satsukimasu - New ginger - Asparagus - Bonito flakes - Beef shredded with soy sauce - Matsumae-style salmon roe - Kazunoko - Tororo potato - Hickory seaweed - Natto with egg - Karaage rice - Karasumi rice - Ryu no Me (dragon's eye) - Large-grained Hida Gifu rice - Ice cream with butterbur sprout and strawberry jam - Cherry - Moving to the tea room for matcha and various sweets Total bill including service charge: 41,500 yen. Thank you for the meal.

There is a restaurant on the top floor of a mansion in Minato-ku, with the address undisclosed, by complete introduction only and limited to one group per day. When you take the elevator and open the door, you will find a traditional Japanese space that feels like a different world in a good way. The food is not only beautiful but also incredibly delicious, leaving you completely satisfied. In particular, the scallop soup served in a bowl was amazing, making me want to revisit the place. The final dish, using dragon eye, was so delicious that I ended up eating a total of 13 servings. The food, service, and atmosphere were all perfect, making it an extraordinary restaurant.

Waterkouan located on the 13th floor of a building in Mita. As you enter the room, you are enveloped in a calm and soothing atmosphere that makes you forget you are in the heart of the city. With one private room and two table seats, each offering plenty of personal space, you can enjoy your meal in a relaxed manner. Each dish is meticulously prepared, allowing you to fully appreciate the aroma and flavors of the ingredients, as well as the harmonious combination of flavors that create a vibrant dining experience. The balanced and robust flavors linger in your mouth with each bite. The rice dishes, starting with the beautifully presented dragon's eye simmered rice, followed by clay pot rice, karasumi rice, and the option to enjoy eight different rice accompaniments in an unlimited loop, leave you feeling satisfied and full after six servings. Finally, dessert is served to complete the meal. This restaurant perfectly matched my taste preferences and left me feeling completely satisfied. I look forward to my next visit! Reservation: Booked through omakase booking site Cost: Approximately 50,000 yen per person including course menu and drinks (1 glass of champagne + 1 cup of sake) Food received: - Appetizer - Sashimi: Sea bream and Botan shrimp - Soup - Bonito - Lobster and sea urchin sushi roll - Grilled dish: Young sweetfish - Palate cleanser - Meat dish - Appetizer platter - Rice dishes (multiple varieties) - Dessert: Fuki bud ice cream, Kuzumochi Detailed descriptions of each dish are provided, including ingredient lists and flavor profiles.