Located on the basement floor of a building facing the street. Two middle-aged men visited the restaurant. Inside, there were counter seats and table seats, and even though it was around 6 pm, there were already 3 groups of customers at the counter. The interior was calm and had an adult atmosphere. We were seated at a two-person table. We started with ordering draft beer. We were surprised by the beer that was served! For the first time in years, we saw the smooth and fine bubbles in the thin glass. It was impressive. We toasted and when we tried it, it was delicious. We enjoyed the cherry shrimp appetizer with it. Since there was no set course menu, we ordered a la carte. Looking at the menu, all the dishes looked tempting. We chose the seasonal "young bamboo shoot simmered," "boiled udo and garlic," and "grilled blowfish milt." After the delicious beer, we switched to sake. From the extensive menu, we chose the "Matsunosuke Junmai Daiginjo." Before we knew it, the restaurant was full with both counter and table seats occupied. With only the owner and a female staff member managing both cooking and serving, it was a bit challenging when the restaurant was full. But the food was delicious, so no complaints there. We also ordered "grilled blackthroat seaperch," "grilled premium beltfish," and "boiled wasabi flower." The beltfish was thick and surpassed typical izakaya dishes. The blackthroat seaperch was also rich in flavor and went well with the sake. We also had "Noguchi Naohiko Research Institute Junmai Unfiltered Namagenshu" and "Shirakiku Junmai Ginjo." We finished with a highball, stayed for about 3 hours, and left with a satisfied stomach.

I went to this restaurant based on the reviews from other customers, and it was truly a wonderful place with delicious food. Thank you very much. I went to another place for drinks afterwards and got a bit drunk, so I forgot about the prices and dishes, but I remember it was around 10,000 yen per person. The appetizer and sashimi platter were excellent. The other dishes that followed were also very delicious. I ended up having a few beers and some tasty sake because the food was so good. I was very satisfied. The restaurant is within a 3-minute walk from the nearest station, but it was a bit hard to find. I had to call the restaurant to get there. I remember there were 6 counter seats and 2 tables. I thought it was an izakaya, but it was actually a quiet Japanese restaurant or kaiseki place. They didn't offer courses, just a la carte, which was great because you can end your meal whenever you want based on your satisfaction (I don't like being stuck with a long and not tasty course). The restroom even had a nice smell. Amazing. I would recommend this place for enjoying delicious Japanese food in a calm atmosphere. Another great thing is that you can start drinking from 4 pm! The restaurant is non-smoking inside, but they have an ashtray outside.

Starting with a sweet corn potage, followed by a variety of seasonal delicacies, and finishing with delicious grilled rice balls and a dessert of white peaches, this restaurant offers a perfect lineup. The chef's passion for cooking is truly admirable. While it may seem a bit pricey, everyone will feel that it is worth the price once they taste the food.

I wouldn't have found this place without being shown. If you follow the map, you'll get there though. The atmosphere, glasses, and dishes are all cool. I was invited, and wow! It's impressive! The food was all delicious, and the portion size was just right. The photo is terrible. The abalone grilled in the style of a shore dish. The aroma and texture of the seaweed were amazing. The last clay pot rice was also delicious. I wonder how much it costs? I didn't ask. I'll ask next time. Well, the satisfaction level is still high.

Three of us, who are all from the same year at the company, made a reservation and visited the restaurant. Even though some of us have left the company after over 20 years, being in the same year group allows us to meet regardless of that. We have known each other since our younger and more spirited days, and it makes me realize that we are comrades and friends. The three of us, who have now become middle-aged, started with bottled beer. We used to go all out with karaoke when we first joined the company, but now we enjoy some sashimi with a drink. We then added some grilled bamboo shoots as a snack, focusing on the tender tips, which were delicious and made us savor the end of spring. At the same time, we began our journey with Japanese sake. I am not good with alcohol at all, but I love it, so I have been training myself to drink more. In the beginning, I would say, "Let's start with draft beer!" (In Kumamoto dialect, it's "Sashiyori draft beer!"). However, I would end up not being able to finish my drink and give it to someone else. If I tried to drink sake, I would end up getting drunk and falling asleep on the spot with my college seniors, or falling asleep in the restroom of a Japanese restaurant. Despite that, I have learned how to drink a decent amount of alcohol. If you are aware that you are weak with sake, choose junmai sake without hesitation. The brewing alcohol can enhance the aroma, but it is more suitable for those who can handle alcohol well. Also, ask for a glass of water when you order sake. If possible, without ice, and preferably in a pitcher with plenty of water. Drink plenty of water, taking a sip of sake followed by two sips of water. There is no need to feel embarrassed, so just do it as if you were tricked. As you continue to drink, you will find yourself drinking less water, so consciously keep drinking plenty of water. That's the method I believe in for enjoying sake. We also added simmered octopus and pickled radish to our order, and enjoyed three different types of sake. The selection of sake here had many of my favorites, so I poured plenty for my colleagues and savored the various flavors. Thank you for the meal, it was "Neyu Takemoto" restaurant. I'm sorry for being noisy and staying for so long! But I think we'll come back again without hesitation, so please forgive us!

Located a 3-minute walk from Negishi intersection, there is a izakaya where you go down to the basement to find the restaurant. The Japanese cuisine menu using seasonal ingredients all looks delicious, and there are so many options that you can't enjoy them all in just one visit. They also have a variety of drinks available. I would love to visit again. Thank you for the meal.

I came to Takemoto based on the reputation in the neighborhood. I had tried calling a few times before, but each time I was turned away due to being fully booked. Finally, I managed to visit today. It's not common for me to make a reservation two weeks in advance for an izakaya, so I always got rejected, but today I was lucky to secure a seat. Just a two-minute walk from the Neku Ichome intersection towards Ueno Sakuragi, I arrived at the restaurant. The store is located in the basement of the Nikko Palace. The room upstairs looks quite old, like a one-room apartment. I wonder if it's related to Nikko Real Estate or Nippon Steel & Sumikin, probably not (laughs). When I descended the stairs, I saw a noren hanging on the left and a large door. Upon opening the door, I saw a counter with seating for 7-8 people and five 2-seater tables lined up neatly at the back. The restaurant has a detailed and refined feel, more like a Japanese-style bar than an izakaya. Although I wanted to sit at the counter to see the chef in action, I had to settle for a table since the counter was reserved. The menu offers a variety of sake such as Juyondai, Tsuru Rei, Hakurakusei, Izumibashi, and Hoo no Mitama from various regions, as well as shochu like Sanyama, Nakanojo, Matsutake, Gyokuro, and Okinawan awamori, Mizusen. Beers available are Hakuhono Ka and Akahoshi, showing that they are very selective and particular. As it was my first visit, I decided to start with a sashimi platter and a few other dishes that caught my eye. The appetizers also look quite delicious, such as steamed clams with tofu, deep-fried fresh lotus root, minced tuna with Kujo green onions, and potato salad with new potatoes and summer truffles. I decided to enjoy some boiled peanuts with salt and potato salad with a bottle of Akahoshi. When I requested it from the veteran female server, I was pleasantly surprised to receive a complimentary dish of water shield and scallop sashimi. This is delightful. Water shield is a rare find in Tokyo at this time of year. The salted boiled peanuts were delicious, bringing out the sweetness of the peanuts with a slight saltiness. It's a soft, slightly sweet and salty snack that's different from peanuts. The potato salad had tartufo estivo mixed in, and the smoky aroma was quite strong. It's a mashed potato salad with no carrots, onions, cucumbers, or ham, but it's still quite good. The summer truffles add a nice touch. Satisfied with Akahoshi, I moved on to sake. I tried the Tenhoichi Akiaagari and then ordered a sashimi platter. The chef brought it out and explained each piece. The white fish included flounder, sea bream marinated in kelp, and red meat with mackerel and white sea urchin. The flounder was particularly delicious, with a refined sweetness and a unique aroma of white fish. The kelp salt was perfect with it. Both the flounder and the sea bream marinated in kelp were very tasty. The red meat, however, lacked flavor and was quite tough. The white sea urchin had a strong smell of alum and was hard to eat. The marinated mackerel was also too weakly marinated for my taste. To cleanse my palate from the disappointing sea urchin and mackerel, I ordered a hot cup of Izumibashi. I then received a delicious saury and grilled Manjusaka pepper to recover from the damage caused by the sea urchin and mackerel. The saury has been abundant this year, and you can find it everywhere from early September. The saury fillets had cuts in them, which might be to make them look neat when grilled or to make them easier to eat. The Manjusaka pepper was also grilled beautifully and had a solid umami flavor with bonito flakes. Although the Izumibashi listed on the menu was not available, I enjoyed it with the saury and Manjusaka pepper to recover from the disappointment of the sea urchin and mackerel.

When you descend the stairs, you enter a high-quality space with jazz playing in the background. The BGM was hard bop. The appetizers, snacks, sashimi, and meat dishes were all well thought out and served in tasteful dishes. The standard serving size for sake is an 8-shaku glass. It's best to stick to 8/10 of a cup. Drinking one cup at a time can lead to consuming too much. This amount is just right for trying out various types of sake.

On my second visit, the menu had changed to feature beautiful dishes full of summer coolness. The appetizer was a delightful dish with sparkling ikura. The dishes were visually stunning and delicious, and paired well with the tasty drinks.

Michelin 2019, a bib gourmand izakaya. Located near Nezu Station, quietly tucked away underground. Both the counter and table seats are always full. It's a popular spot. The recommended dishes are diverse. Let's order a wide variety. The assorted sashimi includes tuna (lean and medium fatty), shellfish (tairagai), sea urchin (2 types), white fish (ainame, etc.), shrimp, and more. All of them are of high quality. The grilled duck with man'yoji pepper was the highlight today. The juicy and crispy duck paired with fragrant peppers is exquisite. We also ordered pickled water eggplant and Taniyama ginger. Ah, delicious. The drinks are flowing. Shochu with soda goes well. There is also a wide variety of sake. We tried Edo Kaiko and Kanamaki. Phew, it's the best. Each dish is carefully presented and appetizing. We ordered rice balls as a finale, and no exaggeration, they were also exquisite. The seaweed, rice, saltiness, and fillings were all delicious. I think this is a top-notch restaurant where you wouldn't feel embarrassed to bring anyone. The taste and atmosphere will definitely lift your spirits. I definitely want to revisit soon. Thank you for the meal!

First of all, each of the appetizers is carefully crafted, with delicate flavors of seasonal ingredients spreading throughout the mouth. It's the perfect place to leisurely enjoy food and drinks. They have a wide selection of sake, allowing you to enjoy comparing different flavors. The simmered dish with tomatoes in early summer was delicious, with a gentle and refreshing taste.

I received an invitation from my former colleague, Ms. Y, for a long-awaited drinking party at Nezu. We headed to a Kappo restaurant located in the basement of a building a little way down Yanase Street towards Yanaka from Tokyo Metro Nezu Station. Nearby, there is also 76vin, produced by the cooking expert Yuki Hiranoyuki. This area is dotted with cool and delicious restaurants like stars in the sky. To celebrate our reunion, we started with a toast with Sapporo's Shirahonoka. It has a slight cloudiness due to leaving natural yeast, with a wonderful richness and lingering aftertaste. It was a perfect prologue to the feast of delicious food ahead. The appetizer served was pot-grilled Princess Sazae and Jun-sai. The Princess Sazae was perfectly cooked, easily sliding out even the liver. The Jun-sai had a smooth and enjoyable texture. With such appetizers, we were convinced that the food would be delicious without a doubt. Next, we ordered a sashimi assortment. They served two pieces each, with impeccable freshness and selection, making both of us exclaim "delicious" with full excitement. We then decided to try seasonal delicacies, steamed Princess Bamboo Shoots with skin and fried Conger Eel. When peeled, the Princess Bamboo Shoots emitted a pleasant aroma, with a mix of crunchy, crispy, and fluffy textures. The fried Conger Eel was crispy on the outside and fluffy and moist inside. Enjoying it hot, the deep flavor of the Conger Eel made us smile involuntarily. With this, we decided to go for sake, and the menu had a lineup of delicious-looking sake. Focusing on Junmai sake for the food pairing, we chose the following in order: Early Seaweed/ Miyake Hikouemon Sake Brewery [Mihama-cho, Fukui Prefecture], Harushika Extra Dry/ Harushika Sake Brewery [Fukuchi-cho, Nara City], and Taki Jiman/ Taki Jiman Sake Brewery [Akame-cho, Mie Prefecture]. These were all equally excellent dry sake for food pairing. Next, we enjoyed the seasonal Izumi Nasu. Its crispy texture and light salty dashi flavor were irresistible. We also ordered Lotus Root Tempura, which had a crispy texture and a delicious aroma from being fried. The accompanying Long Pepper Tempura was also in season and had a delightful fragrance. Despite feeling quite full, Ms. Y wanted to have Dashimaki Tamago as well. It was quite large, with a rich dashi flavor rolled in, fluffy and smooth. Ms. Y finished with a rice ball as the last dish. Despite her petite stature, she was an amazing eater and gourmet. I always respected her for that, and seeing her healthy appetite once again was truly impressive.

This is a restaurant located near Konan Station, underground on Gonden Street. The interior has a nice atmosphere with slightly dimmed lighting and an open kitchen with a counter. The menu features delicious seasonal dishes that use fresh ingredients, making it hard to choose. The dishes are updated daily, as indicated by the dates on the menu. The appetizers served before the meal are well-prepared, such as okra, octopus, scallops, and greens. The assorted sashimi is fresh and tasty, with 7-8 varieties included. There are also additional sashimi options not listed on the menu. The vegetable tempura is also quite good. They have a decent selection of sake and wine, with two types of white wine available by the glass. The chef seems to handle all the cooking alone, which makes the service quite busy. I would like to visit again.

Located near Nekozane Station, this chic and sophisticated sake bar is situated on the basement floor facing Gontobashi Street. The spacious open kitchen counter and bamboo-themed walls create an elegant adult atmosphere. The owner, Mr. Takemoto Katsuyoshi, honed his skills at the now-closed "Konakara," one of the "Big Four of Otsuka," before opening this establishment with his wife. They offer meticulously crafted dishes made with seasonal ingredients that pair perfectly with a wide selection of sake. The owner's sense of style shines through in both the food and the ambiance of the restaurant. A must-visit for sake enthusiasts. This restaurant has been gaining attention in the Nekozane area, with several new and delicious establishments opening up. It's no surprise that it was selected for the Michelin Bib Gourmand. The sashimi platter, asari clams with spring cabbage, duck breast with negi onions, and horse meat yukhoe were all delicious and paired perfectly with the sake. The highlight was the impressive rice ball served at the end. Thank you for the wonderful meal.

The first stop of the Negishi bar hopping group was at a place I had wanted to visit for a while. The atmosphere inside was great. I made sure not to get too loud as I got drunk and sat at the counter. The food was delicious, and they had a wide variety of Japanese sake. There's nothing more to say, it was an amazing time right from the start. I have actually been back several times since then, which is proof of how great it was.

I visited the restaurant with my wife after a long time. Although Nezu feels far away, it's actually quite close - only about 30 minutes from Nishi-Nippori on the Chiyoda Line. We started with a toast of "draft beer" after a little workout, which tasted delicious. The appetizers included stuffed meat with wheat gluten, konjac, burdock root, and were more winter-themed compared to the spring-themed ones we had last time. We then switched to sake, with my wife choosing "Kariho Junmai Muroka Nama Genshu" and me going for "Oku-Harima Junmai Ginjo," which turned out to be perfect when warmed up. The sashimi platter featured 9 different kinds of fish, each offering a unique taste experience. The kelp-wrapped live oysters were a standout item on the menu, followed by a unique potato salad made with shrimp potatoes. The boiled female snow crab left us speechless, while the blanched rapeseed blossoms surprised us with their delicate yet flavorful taste. As there was no whiskey available, I opted for Isami on the rocks. My wife enjoyed the Three Star Junmai Ginjo Muroka Nama Genshu Yamadanishiki. The silky smooth Ishikawa sweet potatoes were a delightful end to the meal, leaving us too full to try the delicious rice balls we had last time. We will definitely be back for more. Thank you.

I had a great time at a wonderful izakaya with a senior colleague I work with. As expected, the food was excellent. We decided to order a la carte instead of the course menu. My senior colleague seemed to enjoy it as well. We drank various types of sake, including Kaiun, Hayaseura Nigori, Futamata, Takasago, Daikan, Juyondai, and Gifu sake, totaling nine cups between the two of us. Some of the delicious dishes we had were dried yellowtail, garlic chives with sesame dressing, roasted duck, and onigiri.

I had a meeting at a nearby university until late. I arrived at the restaurant close to 9 o'clock. As expected, the Japanese sake was delicious, but I started with a large bottle of Sapporo Red Star for a toast. The appetizers were blowfish skin with wasabi stem, ponzu jelly, and shrimp. I immediately preferred the Japanese sake over beer. Next, I had minced tuna with Kujo green onions and potato salad with cheese. I switched to Japanese sake. The Eikun sake was good with a nice aroma. I also had mountain vegetable tempura and duck simmered in soy sauce. By this time, I was enjoying the Hiroshima Rain After the Moon sake with halibut sashimi. To finish, I had a rice ball with simmered clam topping. The restaurant had a stylish interior, resembling a gallery.

Sashimi, grilled dishes, fried dishes, and a photo of matsutake mushrooms. Also, a little bit of sea squirt and freshly picked ingredients.

A high-end Japanese restaurant located in the basement of a building in Motoazabu. The menu is priced somewhere between upscale Japanese cuisine and a slightly fancy izakaya. Instead of just a small appetizer, you can expect a proper starter dish. The sashimi selection includes seasonal items from all over Japan. Even simple dishes like potato salad are made with great attention to detail. The sake servings are on the smaller side as a nice touch. The interior design creates a quiet atmosphere perfect for mature men to have meaningful conversations.

Blog: Takenoto (Nezu) Theme: New roasted edamame / Dried throat blackthroat seaperch / Assorted sashimi / Whole roasted new bamboo shoots