I enjoyed a casual lunch course at Ginbura, Ibuki-san, after a long time. The restaurant is located downstairs, with a beautiful white wooden counter. In a relaxed mood, I leisurely sipped cold sake. I opted for the special weekday lunch course. The course started with a small appetizer, followed by a clear soup with sesame tofu, cherry trout, and bamboo shoots. The soup had the essence of spring, abundance, nobility, and longevity, symbolized by the presence of grapefruit peel. The specialty, bonito straw-grilled with wasabi and garlic, had a lingering straw aroma when seasoned with salt. The next dish featured new onions with ponzu sauce, grilled saury with miso marinade, and two types of asparagus wrapped in cherry blossom leaves. The saury was flavorful, and the cherry blossom leaves added a nice touch. The highlight was the rice served in a clay pot, presented in four stages. First was the al dente stage, followed by the completion of cooking with increased sweetness and stickiness. Then came the steaming stage, and the final stage presented beautifully shaped scorched rice resembling rice crackers, which was irresistible. For dessert, there was the traditional warabi mochi. Despite being a reasonably priced lunch, I was able to fully enjoy the taste and atmosphere of Ginza. The quality and variety of the menu at this price point were truly impressive.

Having lunch at a counter for one. Both sides are inbound customers. It's difficult to describe Japanese cuisine in English, isn't it? The specialty straw-grilled dish fills your mouth with the aroma of straw, making sake even more enjoyable. Perhaps due to lunch being fully booked, the pace of serving dishes was a bit too slow, resulting in not being able to make it to dessert within the time limit... I should have mentioned in the beginning that I have a time constraint (sweat).

Marinated deep-fried tofu with shrimp, egg tofu, coriander bonito, straw-grilled ponzu sea bream with spicy fig, miso, Hokkaido-produced Yumebirika, and more. Three types of rice, egg and warabi mochi are also recommended. Reasonably priced and highly recommended.

I visited for the first time and accidentally reserved a private room even though it was just two of us, but it was very comfortable with a calm atmosphere. All the dishes were wonderfully delicious! I was especially impressed by the deliciousness of the white rice. I would love to visit again!!

A leisurely day exploring various renowned restaurants. Today, I visited a Japanese restaurant known for its bonito straw-grilled dishes. It's located about a 5-6 minute walk from Higashi-Ginza in a hidden alley. I opted for the reasonable 5000 yen lunch course, and it exceeded my expectations! The straw-grilled dish was fantastic, and all the other dishes were delicious too. The clay pot rice can be enjoyed in four stages, from al dente to steaming. It's appreciated that I can enjoy such a satisfying lunch, especially since it's challenging to visit during the evening.

The second time ♡ The counter is very spacious, so I recommend receiving with your hands (they'll be delighted, lol). Today's meal was reliably delicious again. Japanese cuisine really stimulates the appetite, doesn't it? It was perfect for me who was suffering from the intense heat and summer fatigue. I'll definitely go again next month! Thank you very much! (´ ˘ `∗)

Fried sesame tofu with quail egg soup, water octopus and plum meat moroheiya pumpkin and white bitter gourd lotus root bun ○ Beef tongue simmered sweet corn slurry ○ Katsuobushi straw-grilled ◎ Grilled swordfish with sea urchin, Fushimi chili pepper wrapped in green onion Tempura shrimp Shinjo, tofu with myoga ◎ Grilled eel white baked rice It's been a while since I had Japanese food. The volume and the taste of each dish are amazing. Especially noteworthy is the grilled swordfish with sea urchin, where the richness and fragrance of the swordfish oil perfectly match the concentrated flavor of the sea urchin. Simply superb.

I used it for a meal with a client. The place is around Ginza 2-chome near Shintomi-cho. It feels like a back alley of Ginza, I guess. The restaurant was in a building in the back alley. Although there were illuminated lanterns at the entrance of the shop, there was no curtain hanging, so I entered the store after confirming where other customers were entering. The entrance to the store is through an automatic door to the right of the building entrance, but honestly, it's hard to find without the shop curtain. If it's open for entry, I'd like them to hang the curtain. Descending the stairs from the automatic door, you enter the underground store. There were the head chef and about three young chefs at the counter. I sit at the counter and wait for the customer. While waiting, I drink warm tea. The customer arrived right on time for the reservation, and we started with beer to moisten our throats. The first dish was Mizunodzuki tofu. It had a nice seasonal feel. The sesame tofu was fried and matched well with the jelly. The soup was a combination of early summer conger eel and somen noodles. The plum point was nice. Next was a plate of 5 items: corn and bitter melon jelly, edamame tempura, Ishigaki sea bream, fruit tomato and white asparagus, and eel. Except for the eel, the others were so-so, lacking something special in the dishes overall... Then there was bonito tataki. The aroma of the bonito grilled with straw was very good and delicious. The fried dish was fried ayu (sweetfish). The sight of the swimming ayu was beautiful, but the fish was small and lacked impact in taste. The fried dish also included flying fish and bamboo shoot fries. Honestly, these weren't great... without going into detail haha. Also, the rice at the end can be eaten separately according to how it's cooked, which is interesting as an event, but honestly, I didn't find it delicious. Even when eating the firm-cooked rice, I didn't feel much. I think you can feel the sweetness of the rice after it's cooked and steamed. After that, a dish of assorted rice accompaniments was served, but overall, there wasn't much work put into the dishes. The accompaniment of jacquer is more memorable. Finally, I had homemade ice cream and warabi mochi and finished. It may depend on the course, but overall, it felt like incomplete combustion in terms of taste and content. I thought that if they had put a little more effort into it than the ingredients, the impression would have been different. The Ginza brand may be high, but it felt like Japanese food you'd eat at a city hotel. It was a meal with a client, but personally, I wouldn't go again~

Visited Ginza Ichi Ni Ki in June 2023, a beloved traditional Japanese restaurant in Ginza. Originally opened by Chef Yoshihisa Yoshizawa, who held a Michelin star for 7 consecutive years. Now under Chef Suzuki's helm, while Yoshizawa runs "Roppongi Yoshizawa". Ichi Ni Ki still maintains its Michelin status. Each dish is visually stunning, from the appetizers to the specialty bonito straw-grilled dish, showcasing seasonal delicacies. Despite the variety, every dish is delectable, consistently high in quality. Highlights include sesame tofu, conger eel and plum shiso noodles, assorted appetizers, red wine-simmered sweetfish, and more. Ending with mango ice cream and bracken rice cakes for dessert. #foodstagram #japanesecuisine #kaiseki #ginza #ginzagourmet #tokyocuisine #coursemenu

For lunch at a place in the area east of Ginza, between Showa Street and the Shuto Expressway, there's a restaurant in the B1 of a building. I made a reservation online the day before for a weekday lunch at 11:30. I chose the "Weekday Special Affordable Lunch Course" (5500 yen) when making the reservation. Despite being called a "weekday special affordable lunch course," it's a substantial meal. The main dish is "charcoal-grilled bonito," and towards the end, there's an extraordinary focus on "rice." You get to taste rice at different stages - first with a slightly firm core before steaming, then a bit softer, followed by well-steamed rice, and finally, crispy rice at the end, offering four different rice flavors. One thing to note is that it takes time. The lunch starts at 11:30 and finishes at 13:30, so having plenty of time is advisable. Also, it might be just my mobile, but there's poor signal reception underground, making it challenging for external communication. The staff is excellent, and I noticed that, aside from me, everyone at the counter seemed to be foreign tourists. It's truly a fantastic Japanese cuisine restaurant.

I searched for a place to have dinner and made a reservation through the internet at this restaurant. The course cost 18,700 yen, and with drinks, the total bill was around 26,000 yen. The staff, mostly younger, seemed well-managed, and the food was delicious. The specialty bonito straw-grilled dish was served with wasabi, garlic, and finished with salt, creating a delightful flavor, including the condiments. Thank you for the wonderful meal.

This is my first time visiting one of the top 100 Japanese restaurants, and I consider this genre to have a particularly high hurdle. This restaurant was selected for the first time in the 2023 edition of the top 100, and the price range is also reasonable. The most popular course is the cheapest one, so I reserved it this time. However, although it was certainly delicious, I might have been more satisfied with a higher level course. The signature straw-grilled bonito and seasonal ingredients course was (with tax included) 15,730 yen. The first dish was sesame tofu. The soup was made with cherry snapper, turnip, asparagus, and cherry blossoms. The appetizer platter included steamed egg custard, tender octopus, steamed clams, scallop and garlic miso, and tempura of bamboo shoots and taro buds. The main dish was straw-grilled bonito. Other dishes included grilled cherry salmon, cauliflower marinated in seaweed, and wasabi leaf soy sauce. The deep-fried dish was deep-fried largehead hairtail with spring cabbage sauce. The simmered dish was flying dragon head (a type of shellfish), lily bulbs, carrots, raw green seaweed, and shellfish. The rice dish was four levels of freshly cooked rice in an earthenware pot. The dessert was white wine gelee with mandarin orange ice cream and bracken rice cake. I enjoyed a trip to Kochi to enjoy a variety of straw-grilled bonito dishes, and I stocked up on straw-grilled bonito in my home freezer through hometown tax payment, so I am a big fan of straw-grilled bonito. The fact that this restaurant promoted straw-grilled bonito was the reason I chose this restaurant. However, in conclusion, the bonito was too refined. The quantity was also small, and the aroma of the straw and the impact of the condiments were weak. In that case, I prefer "Warayakiya," a chain of restaurants. The dishes that left the strongest impression were probably the soup and the appetizer platter. The appetizer platter, which was inspired by the peach festival in March, was a dish that I could enjoy both visually and deliciously. The steamed egg custard contained white fish and plum meat, and had a pleasant acidity. It was a type of steamed egg custard that I had not eaten much before, but it was really delicious. The other dishes were also delicious, but they were not particularly novel, surprising, or moving. Although it was a cheap course, it was still quite expensive, so I was not completely satisfied. As for the rice, it was interesting that they let you compare four levels of freshly cooked rice in an earthenware pot, and professionals cooked the rice in an earthenware pot, but it was just white rice after all, so whether or not you can be satisfied with it might depend on the person.

【2023 Top 100 Japanese Restaurants】"Ginza Ichini" was opened by Mr. Yoshizawa in 2010, followed by "Ginza Yoshizawa" in 2014 and "Yoshizawa" in a corner of Roppongi Hills in 2018. Mr. Yoshizawa is currently in Roppongi, where the head chef at "Ginza Ichini" skillfully explains the dishes. The restaurant has 7 counter seats, 2 semi-private rooms, and 1 separate room. They prioritize seasonal ingredients and offer dishes with a sense of the season using flexible ideas. Their specialty, "Straw-Grilled Bonito," uses bonito caught from various regions across Japan to ensure freshness and flavor. The fatty part of the bonito is grilled over straw, creating a delightful smoky aroma and wonderful taste right before your eyes at the counter kitchen. Another specialty is the "Earthen Pot Rice." Using Yumepirika, a brand rice from Hokkaido, it is served in four stages: "Al Dente," "Before Steaming," "After Steaming," and "Scorched." This allows you to enjoy the original flavor and texture of the rice. Bon appétit! 【Lunch Course】¥9,900 (excluding 5% service charge) - Deep-Fried Sesame Tofu - Sakura Sea Bream, Turnip, Asparagus, Cherry Blossom - White Fish Plum Tea Steamed Dish, Taraxacum Tempura, Needlefish Sashimi, Tender Octopus Stew, Steamed Clams - Straw-Grilled Bonito - Needlefish in Kataifi Pastry - Spring Cabbage Sauce - Al Dente Rice - Before Steaming Rice - After Steaming Rice - Scorched Rice - Flying Dragon Head Stew - Pickles, Dried Baby Sardines, Rolled Omelet, Red Miso Soup - Mandarin Orange Ice Cream - White Wine Gelée

I used it for a banquet, and the broth was truly delicious. Every dish was tasty, especially the appetizers that were delightful both visually and in taste, making it the best dish. Also, the staff's service was good, and I could enjoy the banquet comfortably. I would like to use it again.

I used it for a leisurely meal in a private room. The sesame tofu that came out first was delicious, raising expectations. I got so engrossed in conversation that I forgot the names of some dishes, but basically everything I had was delicious! The specialty seems to be bonito straw-grilled, which was also smoky and delicious. I couldn't eat much of the eel mixed rice because I was full, but they made it into rice balls for souvenirs. The service was polite and the atmosphere was pleasant. It was a wonderful restaurant that makes you want to come back again.

In Ginza, this Japanese restaurant offers a relatively serene atmosphere. The head chef and staff provide excellent service. They warmly accommodate foreign guests, incorporating light humor and using translation devices for a thoughtful experience. The dishes, though slightly richer compared to its sister restaurant, Yoshizawa, suited my taste perfectly. Overall, it was a superb experience.

I enjoyed everything from the appetizers to the main course. The drink menu for foreigners was a nice touch, and the explanations were thoughtful. The specialty, bonito tataki, was delicious. The winter "mizore" hot pot was also delightful, and I was satisfied with the kettle-cooked rice. We even took some kettle-cooked rice to go and enjoyed it for breakfast the next day.

I recently visited Yoshizawa in Roppongi and it was delicious, so this time I came to its sister restaurant here. The atmosphere and menu are quite similar to Yoshizawa. There are many regular customers who seem to come every week. The taste makes my whole body happy at this price. Whenever I'm in Tokyo for lunch, I definitely want to come back here again.

This is a visit to a restaurant as part of a tour of popular eateries. I made a reservation in advance using the Tabelog website, and it seems to operate almost entirely on a reservation basis. There are about 17 seats, including a stylish Japanese-style counter. We pre-ordered the ¥5,500 "lunch course" when making the reservation. As for the taste, it didn't quite meet my expectations. Perhaps I was expecting too much. The restaurant's specialty straw-grilled dish wasn't available with the planned bonito, so they substituted it with bluefin tuna, which, while tasty, didn't amaze me. Although everything was delicious, none of the dishes lived up to the hype, especially considering the price of the lunch course. The soft and delicious bracken rice cake dessert left the strongest impression. Oh, and I forgot to take a photo of the grilled fish dish... I'll consider revisiting for dinner next time. Thank you for the meal!

⭐Rating: 5 (Price: 5 - Expensive, Taste: 4 - Excellent, Service: 5 - Excellent, Ambiance: 5 - Upscale and Comfortable, Cost Performance: 5 - Excellent) Visited this counter-style kaiseki restaurant located about a 5-minute walk from Higashi-Ginza Station, in the B1 floor of the second Matsuda Building. It has been selected as one of the top 100 restaurants by Tabelog in 2021. The interior has around 17 seats, including a counter with 7 seats and 6 private rooms (4 rooms for 4 people each). The warm wooden decor and soft lighting create a calm atmosphere, complemented by a dignified cypress counter. The signature dish, "Katsuo no Warayaki," features bonito with a hint of straw aroma, seasoned with salt from the Goto Islands, offering a luxurious experience of concentrated richness and umami from both the fat and lean parts. For this visit, I made a reservation through Tabelog and chose the most popular option from the dinner course, priced at ¥13,000: ◆ [¥13,000 Kaiseki Course] - Enjoy the famous Katsuo no Warayaki and seasonal ingredients. ◇ Appetizer: Fried sesame tofu ◇ Soup: Icefish and turnip clear soup ◇ Sashimi ◇ Grilled bonito (recommended with salt) ◇ Hassun (assorted appetizers) ◇ Grilled or fried dish: Anglerfish and taro tempura ◇ Simmered dish: Oyster fry and potato simmered in seaweed ◇ Rice dish: Enjoy rice in four stages - al dente, freshly cooked, rested, and crispy. ◇ Dessert: Persimmon ice cream and warabi mochi The variety of dishes was extensive, satisfying even for a big eater. The cost performance is excellent. Weekday lunches are also enjoyable in the ¥5,000 range, making it a delightful find. Even for those who haven't tried kaiseki restaurants in the Ginza area, this is a place where you can enjoy without any sense of formality. Thank you for the wonderful meal. [About Chef Yoshizawa SadaHisashi] Started his culinary journey at the age of 19, trained in Kyoto for 8 years, returned to Tokyo, and opened "Ginza 12 Ki" in 2010. In 2014, he opened "Ginza Yoshizawa" to pursue the next stage. In September 2018, "Yoshizawa" opened in Roppongi Hills. Chef Yoshizawa, with his refined skills developed through long training, offers visually stunning and delicious cuisine. [Business Hours] Lunch: Wed-Sun 11:30 AM - 2:30 PM Dinner: Tue-Sun 6:00 PM - 10:00 PM [Closed] Mondays

This dish for 5,500 yen was absolutely delicious! Fried sesame tofu, simmered mackerel and matsutake mushroom, fried ayu fish, Kyoto-style grilled fish, and more. The fried ayu fish was especially delicious, and I heard it's available until around October, so I definitely want to come back for it.