Pierre Gagnaire ANA InterContinental Hotel Tokyo 1-12-33 Akasaka, Minato-ku, Tokyo 107-0052 Dining date: 11/11/12 My third main foray into Western cuisine in Japan was my first time to a Pierre Gagnaire restaurant. I’ve heard some mixed reviews about Gagnaire’s lone U.S. restaurant Twist in Las Vegas, but still felt like I had to try his…
11/28/12 Today marks the third year anniversary of this blog. Who knew it would last this long? Honestly, I had no expectations when I started this so I can’t say I did. Each year has brought something new and different, chronicling where I’ve been and much of what I’ve eaten. As with all of my…
Dining date: 11/22/12 As expected, Thanksgiving is a food-filled holiday in this household. Technically though, none of the food is consumed in our own household; we do lunch at my aunt’s (mother’s side) and dinner at my grandmother’s side (father’s). Each year the food served remains largely the same with a few new entrants –…
Sushi Yoshitake Suzuryu Building 3F 8-7-19 Ginza, Chuo-ku, Tokyo 104-0061 Dining date: 11/12/12 One of my food goals in Japan has been to find the best sushi I could possibly get my hands on. Sukiyabashi Jiro was initially what I had my sights on to satisfy this quest, but that didn’t work out; in hindsight,…
Sukiyabashi Jiro Roppongi 6-12-2 Roppongi, Minato-ku, Tokyo 106-0032 Dining date: 11/4/12 Jiro Ono and his restaurant Sukiyabashi Jiro have achieved a sort of legendary status. The documentary Jiro Dreams of Sushi added to the attention and seemed to really put him onto the radar of Westerners (particularly Americans). Having seen the film, I can see…
Ginza Okuda Carioca Building B1 5-4-8 Ginza, Chuo-ku, Tokyo 104-0061 Dining date: 11/3/12 Japanese kaiseki meals are akin to Western high-end dining in that there are typically a large number of small courses. Plating is thoughtful and intricate, and the food is highly seasonal. Like a sushi bar, counter-dining is prevalent, allowing the diner a…
Rikyu Gyutan 4-9-7 Chuo Aoba Ward, Sendai, Miyagi 980-0021 Dining date: 10/26/12 Our team spent a weekend in the northern part of Japan (in the Tohoku region) doing a project in Ishinomaki, one of the cities most heavily hit in last year’s devastating earthquake and tsunami. In short, much of the area has been cleaned…
Umi 3-2-8 Minami-Aoyama, Minato-ku, Tokyo 107-0062 Dining date: 10/29/12 While I’ve had a fairly smooth experience dining by myself at various sushiyas around town, I’ve largely been missing out on a lot of the interaction and dialogue. It’s a key part of the experience, so I was excited to finally go to one with a…