I visited 【Teikoku Hotel Tora Kuro】, a Japanese restaurant in Tokyo with a rating of 3.83 on Tabelog (80 out of 100). The restaurant is located in the basement of Hibiya Imperial Hotel and has a spacious interior with counter seats, table seats, and private rooms. It is affiliated with the popular "Kagurazaka Ishikawa" group, and the owner, Masashi Takami, was previously the second in command at the renowned "Torashiro" as recognized by Michelin. The menu consists of seasonal Japanese cuisine served in an omakase course. The dishes included white asparagus, sesame tofu, smoked beltfish, monkfish liver, sashimi, grilled turtle, clams, shabu shabu, rice with squid, and assorted desserts. Each dish made with carefully selected seasonal ingredients was delicious and enjoyable. The restaurant is popular among Western guests at the Imperial Hotel, and it is definitely a great place to have a meal.

I had always wanted to visit Tora Kuro as it came highly recommended by my foodie friend. It is a dream collaboration between Ishikawa Group and the Imperial Hotel. This time, we enjoyed a meal featuring autumn ingredients. Everything I tried was incredibly delicious and I was truly impressed. The menu included: Matsutake mushroom chawanmushi, Grilled conger eel and burdock, Matsutake mushroom soup, Sweet shrimp and sea bream sashimi, Shiitake mushroom, abalone, and liver sauce, Mushroom Japanese risotto, Salmon roe and scallop mousse, Sukiyaki, Soft-shelled turtle rice, Grape sorbet, and Coconut bracken rice cake. I apologize for not remembering the full menu, but the dishes were delicate, beautiful, and bursting with flavor, using the freshest seasonal ingredients. I definitely want to visit this restaurant again!

After four months, I revisited the restaurant for the seventh time, drawn by the delicious food made by Manager Takami, his gentle personality, and the wonderful smiles from the team. I keep coming back because of the wonderful dishes such as abalone, sea urchin, conger eel, sea bream, sweetfish, conger eel, okra, and summer ingredients that start to signal the end of summer. The attentive and serious attitude towards each customer's preferences and cooking methods is truly commendable. Originally, the restaurant was planned to be closed due to the rebuilding of the Tower Building, but due to the achievement of being the first Michelin-starred restaurant at the Imperial Hotel, they will continue operating in the main building. Today's menu included steamed abalone with liver sauce, Hokkaido sea urchin, okra, clam broth jelly, corn fritter, conger eel with leek, Tokushima sea bream, shrimp, shrimp jelly, cucumber flower, Ayu grilled with sansho pepper, Higo Amakusa conger eel, plum dressing with seasonal vegetables, sesame oil, Kyoto Kamo eggplant with sesame tofu, soybean paste, caviar, Hukko Bay snow crab, Akita junsai, winter melon rice cake, Wagyu beef, temple chili pepper, sansho, clay pot rice, mango yuzu sake jelly, lemon coconut fern cake, and various drinks.

I enjoyed the best Japanese cuisine that lived up to its reputation. Today was my close friend's birthday celebration. We ordered a restaurant that we wanted to visit at least once in our lifetime and made sure to fulfill our wishes by having a special birthday party. My friend carefully chose this restaurant after much consideration, and we made a reservation for 3 people at 5 pm. I had a draft beer, while the other two went for the drink pairing. After my beer, I also decided to go for the drink pairing menu. The food was served in a course meal style. The best Japanese cuisine paired with great drinks, excellent hospitality, and a wonderful atmosphere. I have never had such a delightful day before. Thank you for the surprise cake as well. I will definitely come back. Thank you for the feast.

Visited "Teikoku Hotel Toraburaku" located in Hibiya. This is a famous Japanese restaurant that has also received three Michelin stars, collaborating with the renowned Teikoku Hotel. This time, I was invited by the client to express their satisfaction with the project. Thank you very much. Teikoku Hotel is one of my favorite hotels, with a serene atmosphere and classic Japanese service that represents the country. "Toraburaku" is located on the basement floor of the Tower Building at Teikoku Hotel. It is the first directly operated Japanese restaurant in the historic Teikoku Hotel. There are also other famous restaurants in the vicinity. Passing through the atmospheric door, I took a seat at the counter illuminated by lights. The chef greeted us politely, and the course began. Exciting, isn't it? Here is the course in order: - White asparagus suri nagashi - Smoked young ayu - Scallop from Niisho served in a bowl - Cherry salmon and sea urchin sashimi - Grilled bamboo shoot and blackthroat seaperch - Firefly squid and butterbur shoot steamed egg custard - Red beef roast beef - Softshell turtle and Japanese pepper soup - Cherry shrimp and boiled uisui rice - Ice cream inspired by cherry blossom mochi - White bracken mochi - Additional: Kuchiko and raw mullet roe In conclusion, it is a meticulously prepared kaiseki (traditional Japanese course meal). Each dish is authentic Japanese cuisine, with attention to detail from the soup stock to the main ingredients. The scallop from Niisho was sweet, and the red beef roast beef was rich in flavor. The coconut white bracken mochi dessert at the end was exceptional, balancing sweetness perfectly. The chef's service was excellent, and the sommelier, who used to work at Teikoku Hotel, was also outstanding. In a way, it was a good collaboration of two cultures coming together. The payment was made with a credit card. It was delicious. I will come back again. Thank you for the meal.

On this day, I visited this restaurant for a dinner party. It is a collaboration between the prestigious "Imperial Hotel," known as the hotel of hotels in Japan, and the up-and-coming "Ishikawa Group" which has been earning Michelin stars one after another. This restaurant has also received a Michelin star. We had a party with six people and were able to get a private room for six, so we decided to give it a try. It is located on B1F of the Tower of the Imperial Hotel, with a solemn and dignified entrance. Inside, there is a small inner garden with real goldfish swimming around. The restaurant has a lively atmosphere with a counter and table seating. Oh, I see a famous actor at the table next to us. The private room is a minimal space, which is nice. It's like a slightly Western-style tea room. This time, we opted for the course menu. We started with beer to wet our throats, and then we decided to go for a sake pairing, with 2 sets (1 set includes half a cup of 6 different types). We tried the following dishes: Grated white asparagus with soybean paste and sesame tofu - The combination of textures was exquisite. The slightly burnt grilled white asparagus, the smooth grated asparagus, the chewy sesame tofu, and the sticky soybean paste created a delightful mix of textures and flavors. Young ayu fish with broad bean mochi and karasumi - It looked beautiful and tasted delicious. Natural scallop stem with scallop roe - The unique combination of raw and steamed scallop created a special texture and umami flavor. Sashimi of cherry trout from Aomori and sea urchin from Ezo - Simply delicious. Grilled bamboo shoots from Kyoto and nodoguro fish from Tsushima in yuzu miso - The aroma of the bamboo shoots was amazing, while the nodoguro fish was tasty. Chawanmushi with firefly squid and fuki butterbur - A perfect dish for sake pairing. Kumamoto red beef - The roast beef-style dish cooked at a low temperature was served with kelp gelée, chopped kelp, yellow chive, and wild chive, which added unique textures and flavors. Soup with turtle, burdock, Allium victorialis, and sansho pepper - The highlight was the seasonal sansho pepper. Rice as the last dish with green peas, cherry shrimp, and sansho pepper - The combination was delicious, especially the final touch of enjoying the rice with only sansho pepper was delightful. Cherry blossom ice cream - A refreshing treat. White bracken rice cake with coconut - A delightful coconut dessert. Overall, the service, ambiance, and the dishes created by the 32-year-old chef, Takami, were exceptional with high-quality ingredients. Despite the high price, it was a restaurant that left no room for disappointment. I feel that it has room for further improvement and look forward to more from this place in the future. It was a very delicious experience! Thank you for the meal!

Ginza [Tora Kuro], as expected from the Ishikawa Group, fugu mochi rice porridge ❤️, grilled swordfish ❤️, carabinero shrimp miso shinjo ❤️❤️, the rich shrimp miso was impressive! Grilled softshell turtle ❤️❤️, the crispy chewy texture was irresistible! Scallop caviar ❤️, rice with pregnant spear squid, and for dessert, coconut warabi mochi was also incredibly delicious that I ended up finishing the souvenir that I got in just two days!! Everything was extremely delicious and impressive, especially the shinjo that made me exclaim in admiration!

Washoku, loved worldwide, where famous chefs from around the world learn its heart and techniques. A Japanese dining experience that welcomes VIPs from all over the world with the spirit of Japan. A new chapter in history starting from the Emperor Hotel Tora Kuro. Omakase course: 36,300 yen. Appetizer, fried dish, soup, sashimi, grilled dish, cold dish, simmered dish, rice dish, dessert. Unfortunately, I refrained from taking photos for the counter meal. Thank you, restaurant owner.

The Imperial Hotel branch of Ishikawa Group can be considered as a top-notch establishment. The hospitality and taste are truly impressive. At this level, it is rare to find a dish that is not delicious, so nitpicking is almost non-existent. However, if asked if there is something outstandingly exceptional, that might be a future challenge to consider. But overall, it is a great restaurant where you can enjoy delicious meals.

Today, I visited the famous Inaguro restaurant at the Imperial Hotel for dinner, which recently received a Michelin star. The Matsuba crab course I had was exquisite, starting with a crab cream croquette, followed by grilled crab, and finishing with a crab rice dish. The attention to detail and careful preparation of each dish made every bite delicious. The restaurant, run by the talented chef Hideki Ishikawa, never disappoints, and I found myself making a reservation for my next visit before leaving. The total cost for the meal was 127,650 yen for two people.

This is a Japanese restaurant that opened in November 2021 at the Imperial Hotel Tokyo Tower Building B1F in Uchisaiwaicho, Tokyo. It is a collaboration between the renowned Michelin 3-star restaurant "Kagurazaka Ishikawa" and the Imperial Hotel. Reservations are strictly by appointment only, and they accept bookings for one person and above. The restaurant mainly serves dinner, but they also offer lunch on Saturdays. It is located about a 5-minute walk from Hibiya Station. The interior offers counter seats, table seats, and private rooms. They only offer one course menu, which is an omakase course. The head chef worked as the second in command at "Torashiro," a restaurant that has earned 3 Michelin stars for 6 consecutive years. The cuisine includes traditional Japanese dishes as well as innovative creations using surprising ingredients. The attentive staff and delicious food offered a truly wonderful dining experience. This restaurant embodies the theme of "tradition and innovation" set by the Imperial Hotel. It is a fantastic dining establishment that earned a Michelin star within just one year of opening. Thank you very much for the delicious meal.

Hibiya Station Exit 13, just a 1-minute walk away! I revisited the Japanese restaurant [Torakuro] that opened last November on B1F of the Imperial Hotel. It's a collaboration between the Ishikawa Group, known for its Michelin 3-star restaurants such as "Ishikawa" and "Tora-shira," and the iconic Japanese hotel, the Imperial Hotel! The head chef is the up-and-coming Masashi Takami, who worked as the second in command at Tora-shira. You can enjoy modern Japanese cuisine that combines originality and tradition, typical of the Ishikawa group. The restaurant has a main counter seat, table seats, and private rooms, accommodating a total of 24 seats. The menu consists of a single course ranging from ¥33,000. Last time, it was early summer, a difficult season for ingredients, but this time it was October, with a rich variety of ingredients. I was looking forward to how they would approach this abundance of ingredients. Below is what I had and my impressions of the day. - Ise lobster from Mie Prefecture, jade eggplant, white miso, and dashi made from lobster shells freshly released on October 1 - Simmered conger eel and tempura of new burdock from Kyoto with kombu salt - Nagano-grown matsutake mushrooms, grated stewed noodles with ginkgo nuts - Sashimi of natural red sea bream from Awaji Island and Ezo Bafun sea urchin from the northern four islands of Hokkaido - New salmon roe, mousse of live scallops using shaved bonito and cream, soy sauce paste, and yuzu fragrance - Grilled red cow from Kumamoto, sauteed matsutake mushroom paste - Shark fin and chrysanthemum soaked in vinegar, shungiku, vinegar and sansho pepper - Steamed and chopped turnip with abalone - Rice with natural maiktake mushrooms - Chestnut ice cream with fig honey, walnut sauce and rice cake skin sprinkled on top - White warabi mochi made from palm tree Autumn at Torakuro was full throttle from the first course. Starting with the newly released Ise lobster as a greeting. The combination of white miso melted in dashi extracted from the shell was just perfect. And of course, the matsutake mushrooms typical of this season. The unique approach by the Ishikawa group offered various compositions that were enjoyable, such as entwining stewed noodles in a rich grated sauce, or pairing them with sauteed meat. The most impressive for me was the shark fin and chrysanthemum soaked in vinegar. The acidity and aroma of the vinegar and sansho pepper, combined with the texture of shark fin and shungiku, were truly delicious. With about a year and a half left until the Imperial Hotel's renovation is completed, I am curious about the future, and I definitely want to visit again. Thank you for the wonderful meal.

Collaboration between Ishikawa Group and Hotel Teikoku. The first direct-operated Japanese restaurant in the 130-year history of Hotel Teikoku. Since its opening in 1890, the hotel's restaurants have mainly focused on French cuisine. But now, in the Reiwa era, they wanted to create a Japanese restaurant to entertain guests from around the world, lacking both the expertise and personnel. After considering various options, they consulted with Ishikawa Hideki, who leads the Ishikawa Group, best known for its Michelin three-starred restaurant Kagurazaka Ishikawa. At just 31 years old, Hideki Ishikawa, along with Chef Masashi Takami, who spent 11 years at Kagurazaka Ishikawa and Koishiroya, became the head chef. The meal included a lavish array of high-end ingredients such as spiny lobster, sea urchin without alum, fresh salmon roe, Aka beef, matsutake mushrooms, shark fin, and abalone. Each dish was impeccably prepared, with a distinct Koishiroya touch. The meal was delightful, especially the shark fin and seaweed dish paired with sea bream, and the matsutake soup noodles reminiscent of Koishiroya noodles. The meal was accompanied by a carefully selected sake recommended by the chef, with a wide range of rare options available. As it was my birthday, the chef surprised me with a special dish of steamed rice with naturally grown Matsutake mushrooms from Fukui Prefecture, topped generously with gold flakes. The Matsutake was exceptionally delicious, especially when paired with seaweed. The heartwarming service and attention to detail throughout the meal made it a truly special experience. The dessert, a cold sweet made from Ishikawa Kagurazaka's arrowroot powder and coconut milk, was the perfect ending. Chef Masashi Takami's hospitality and attention to detail, at just 31 years old, were exceptional. This first experience at To­-kokuro was truly delightful, and I highly recommend it to fans of Koishiroya and Ishikawa. I immediately made a reservation for November and can't wait to return.

The other day, I made a reservation and visited a restaurant in the same series as the lotus. It is located in the renowned Imperial Hotel in Japan, which is not the kind of place where you can just casually pop in for a coffee, making this visit a special occasion. As I entered the entrance and headed to the basement of the tower building, I was greeted by the kimono-clad server who escorted me to my private room, as usual. The seasoning, presentation, service, plates, timing of dishes, and hospitality were all excellent, and I was really impressed by how delicious everything was. Despite being a newcomer among the tenants in the Imperial Hotel, this restaurant is so popular that even the long-standing tenants are a bit envious of its success! The menu for today included dishes like fresh lobster and jade eggplant in white miso sauce, Kyoto burdock and conger eel tempura, grated matsutake mushroom served with somen noodles, fresh ginkgo nuts, and yuzu flavor, red snapper with uni from Hokkaido and nori seaweed, scallop mousse with ikura and yuzu, charcoal-grilled Kagoshima beef with matsutake mushroom sauce, and a variety of special ingredients like fugu, sansho pepper, spring chrysanthemum, and more. The desserts were also unique and delicious, featuring gelato made from Nagano grapes with pine nuts and gin jelly, and coconut-infused warabi mochi with coconut powder. Each dish was carefully crafted to bring out the natural flavors of the ingredients and enhance the diner's sensory experience, and the wine pairings further elevated the meal. I thoroughly enjoyed my experience of savoring the food and wine throughout the meal. Thank you for the wonderful meal!

This is a restaurant that I have been visiting regularly since its opening in 2021. It is Tora-shiro, part of the Ishikawa Group, where Takami, a protege of Koizumi, opened a temporary branch at the Imperial Hotel called Tora-kuro. Here, the cuisine of Takami and the service of the Imperial Hotel blend wonderfully. When I first visited, the cuisine had a strong Tora-shiro feel, and there were occasional clashes between the atmosphere of the Ishikawa Group and that of the Imperial Hotel. However, over time, these elements have melded together, and I now find the refined and comfortable atmosphere to be the most charming aspect of the experience. During my latest visit, the food was exceptional. Each dish showed a great deal of attention to detail, showcasing Takami's talent. The menu for this occasion was as follows: 1. Chilled shark fin jelly (featuring jun-sai and Kamo eggplant) 2. Grilled corn (cooked with a complex process to enhance the flavor) 3. Scallop and man potato soup 4. Sashimi (featuring mei-dai and purple sea urchin) 5. Steamed ayu fish 6. Charcoal-grilled lamb 7. Chilled dish of conger eel (felt a bit too salty) 8. Stewed hairy crab and winter melon 9. Softshell turtle rice 10. Muscat grape ice cream 11. Coconut flavored mochi Notably, the grilled corn, innovative use of shark fin, and unique ayu fish dish left a strong impression. The sashimi showcased the quality of the ingredients, while the soup focused on capturing the essence of umami. Takami's evolving cuisine and the top-notch service of the Imperial Hotel make Tora-kuro an exceptional restaurant. With further progress, it has the potential to become one of the top Japanese restaurants in Japan. As a hotspot in the culinary scene, I recommend everyone to experience its delights.

As expected, it is in the Ishikawa family. I was impressed (although I've never been to a restaurant owned by Ishikawa). Just hearing about the beauty of the tableware, the presentation, and the dedication to the cuisine makes the food taste even better. You can encounter new flavors that break traditional concepts while still preserving the traditional Japanese cooking techniques and dashi. I enjoyed being able to eat while watching the faces of the chefs at the counter. The owner, Mr. Takami, explained each dish very carefully, allowing us to fully appreciate each one. Thank you very much!