Address: 〒150-0021 Tokyo, Shibuya City, Ebisunishi, 2 Chome−8−11, Granbell Ebisu IV, 3階
Website: motoyoshi-1120.com
Yasuyuki Takagi
Shirosaka
Shirosaka has all the trappings of a classic kaiseki restaurant: an immaculate wooden interior, a window that looks out onto a placid miniature garden, and a serious-faced chef working quietly behind the counter. Despite appearances, there’s no buttoned-up formality here – chef Hideki Ii just wants you to have fun. Tokyo-born Ii, who trained in Sydney and spent three years in New York cooking for the Japanese ambassador, combines traditional and modern techniques into a highly personal style of kappo-ryori (kaiseki’s less formal cousin). The tasting menu sparkles with dishes that are almost too pretty to eat, and the short and sweet drink menu is all about approachable sake and wine.
Address: 6 Chome-3-9 Akasaka, Minato City, Tokyo 107-0052
Website: shirosaka.jp
Yakiniku Jumbo Shirokane
A5 wagyu beef, the most decadent of meats, is king here. Order dishes for sharing a la carte, or put your trust in the personable and helpful servers; an omakase tasting menu is available for ¥20,000 per person. We love the beef tongue, heart, and other innards, but the seared wagyu sushi, layered on rice boiled in genmai-cha (roasted rice tea), and the thinly sliced sirloin dipped in raw egg are all-around crowd pleasers. You’ll need a beer to wash down the garlicky kimchee, but whisky highballs work just as well.
Address: 〒108-0072 Tokyo, Minato City, Shirokane, 3 Chome−1−1 第一麻布ビル 1F
Website: valuet.co.jp
Courtesy Été
été
With a single marble table and speakeasy-style unmarked entrance, Ete may be Tokyo’s most exclusive eatery. Named Asia’s Best Pastry Chef in 2020, Shoji rose to fame on the back of her stunning, couture-inspired cakes – edible artworks based on patterns by Chanel and Louis Vuitton, painstakingly rendered in fresh fruit. But her savoury creations deserve equal praise: Signature dishes include delicate tilefish with crispy scales in clam broth, and tender slices of abalone layered over deep-fried bamboo shoots.
