Good Food and Views are Worth the Journey
Update: Sushi chef Koike Koji recently resigned from Tamaya so the quality and dishes could be changing.
Let's face it, the economy is a bit challenging these days and so we look of alternatives to get our sushi fix without breaking the bank. Tamaya Dining in Singapore's "Japan Town" - essentially the area within and around Cuppage Plaza just off Orchard Road - is a good place to scratch that sushi itch.
This izakaya seats around 16 people downstairs around the...
This is beef, possibly at its utmost incarnation. Isshin presents the best parts of high quality Japanese cattle, from tongue to tail, in a variety of Kyoto kaiseki inspired interpretations including one that resembles the local sushi. While I had some reservations about this 2-Star Michelin restaurant, particularly as it involves eating raw beef, it was probably the best food experience I've had in recent months. Dishes were creative but were careful to highlight the natural taste and...
Fancy some great seafood? There are a few good reasons to go to Kanazawa - one being the fresh seafood from the Sea of Japan, the other two in my opinion are the Kutani porcelain and Kenrokuen Garden (see my photos). The new bullet train link to Tokyo makes a short trip to Kanazawa, known as "little Kyoto", all the more accessible. I spent two days, one night in Kanazawa a year ago (see my earlier blog and suggested itinerary) and had three good meals. Pricing ranged from a relatively...
Tired of hearing the negative stories about the town's diminishing fortunes, Nishino Farmhouse Restaurant opened in Takehara to showcase the homestyle cooking and fresh produce in the area. Like so many of Japan's rural towns, Takehara sits just on the fringe of a large metropolis (Hiroshima in this case) but slumbers, its contributions forgotten, and emblematic of the country's aging challenges. The area was previously renowned for its fantastic potatoes, which the restaurant's...
Recommended by a 3-star Michelin sushi chef, I knew that Gotetsu in Tokyo's Akasaka neighbourhood had to be good. And it was simply that. Gotetsu specialises in chicken yakitori served in an unassuming restaurant that seats probably not more than 25. We had all parts of the chicken including some of the best innards I've tried.
The restaurant is less than a five minute walk from the Akasaka subway station and located on a street behind Akasaka's main street. The clientele was local...