Mitsuhiro Araki is a three Michelin star sushi master from Tokyo, who has recently relocated to London. When you talk about the world’s best sushi chefs (Jiro Ono, Hachiro Mizutani, Takashi Saito to name a few), Araki would be one of them. He is especially famous for his knowledge of…

The most famous (or infamous) dish at The Araki so far, the newly opened and the most expensive sushi restaurant in Europe. Fatty tuna from Ireland, that had been chopped in advance, was mixed with soy sauce, mayonnaise ( whisked in front of you) and generously shaved over with white…

When someone asked yesterday Mitsuhiro Araki, the 3 Michelin star chef from Tokyo, who has just opened London’s most expensive sushi-ya (FT.com review), if he was having any difficulties to source his ingredients in Europe, he laughed and answered that not all. I know I’ve been posting a lot about…

I am wrapping up my Tokyo series this time with Ishikawa, 3 Michelin starred kaiseki restaurant, located behind Bishamonten temple. When kaiseki style cooking is concerned, less is usually more. Chef Hideki Ishikawa follows the traditional kaiseki rules by celebrating simplicity and seasonality. Michelin describes him as innovative, but the…

It might sound ironic, but the most expensive part of bluefin tuna, nowadays served at the best sushi restaurants in Tokyo, New York of Los Angeles, was not considered valuable at all by the general Japanese population 50 or so years ago. According to Trevor Carson, the author of “The…

This was certainly not my favourite tempura I’ve ever had (my all-time favourite is 7 Chome Kyoboshi), but still better than any tempura outside of Japan. I love how Japanese are able to perfectionize anything from growing melons to frying vegetables in some batter, which actually end up tasting so…

What makes a good sushi restaurant great? Excellent fish and seafood? Chef’s experience, skills and obsession with consistency? Takashi Saito seems to correspond all these criteria, but it’s much more than that. Saito-san hits the perfect gustative balance in each morsel he produces, taste and texture-wise. Joel Robuchon called Sushi…

Zaiyu Hasegawa is a superstar among foreign travellers and chefs eating out in Tokyo. The reason why is simple – he and his wife Emi- san are friendly and accessible people. In the secretive city like Tokyo, where sometimes you have to be introduced or accompanied by a Japanese speaker…

Mizutani (9F, Juno Ginza Seiwa Bldg, 8-7-7 Ginza, Chuo-ku, Tokyo; tel. 03-3573-5258) is undoubtedly one of the greatest sushi chefs in history. Some call his rice “mushy” or not al dente enough, but the disciple of the legendary Jiro Ono has really mastered the perfect rice. Very different than the…

Chef Oshima Manabu is one of the most charming and nicest chefs I’ve met in Tokyo. He runs steakhouse Shima (9〒103-0027 Tokyo, Chuo, Nihonbashi, 3−5−12, 日本橋MMビルB1; tel. +81 3-3271-7889), located in an office building basement and difficult to spot even when you have a precise map. Different than other steak powerhouses…