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Ginza Okuda (Tokyo, Japan)

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…

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Rikyu (Sendai, Japan)

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…

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Umi (Tokyo, Japan)

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…

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RyuGin (Tokyo, Japan)

RyuGin Side Roppongi Bldg, 1st Floor 7-17-24 Roppongi, Minato-ku, Tokyo 106-0032 Dining date: 10/20/12 RyuGin was close to the top of my list of restaurants to try in Tokyo. The modern kaiseki restaurant garnered three Michelin stars in the 2012 guide and is ranked #28 on the 2012 World’s 50 Best Restaurants list (while I…