Soba – traditional Japanese buckwheat noodles that can be eaten cold or hot, alone or in a broth. The soba at Tajima (1*) was delicious, but sometimes I wonder if Michelin guide makes any sense in Japan. If to be fair, all the decent restaurants in France, serving fresh, cheap…

Eating the freshest fish possible is part of the fun when visiting the biggest fish and seafood market in the world. Daiwa Sushi (Tsukiji Market Part6 Bldg. 5-2-1 Tsukiji, Chuo-ku, Tokyo,tel. 03-3547-6807) hides in one of the busy alleys of Tsukiji and is definitely worth the over an hour wait- the…

When you sit at a 7 places sushi counter, you will most likely end up making conversations with your neighbours. My neighbours at Sushi Saito ( Jidousha kaikan Bldg. F1, 1-9-15 Akasaka, Minato-ku, Tokyo,tel. 03-3589-4412 ) – a nice Japanese couple who comes to this sushi bar regularly and who…

It never ceases to amaze me the quality of the products in Tokyo. Sembikiya is the oldest fruit shop in Japan selling fruits of unbelievable quality you will get nowhere in the world. The fruits at the Sembikiya shops are so expensive that usually you buy them by units and…

If there is one sushi den in Manhattan that could be easily compared to top sushi restaurants in Tokyo, it would be Sushi Azabu. The location of the restaurant couldn’t be more unassuming and is typically Japanese. It is hidden in a basement of Greenwich Grill ( probably owned by…

I think that the appreciation of Japanese kaiseki art grows with experience. First time I had a kaiseki meal in Kyoto, I found it too unusual to enjoy. The flavours of most of the dishes were very mild, kind of “muted” and some of the ingredients were quite bizarre. Then…

“Sushi and Beyond: What the Japanese Know About Cooking” by Michael Booth is an amusing and super informative book about Japanese food and culture. If you are passionate about Japan like me, you will really enjoy it.

If you pass by this tiny Japanese restaurant in the 16th, you might not even notice it. The exterior and interior of Juan ( 144 rue de la Pompe, 75116 Paris, tel. 0147274351 ) are typically Japanese, very discrete and minimalist. When I sat down at one of the four tables…

A 342 kg bluefin tuna has been sold for a record $400 000 this morning. I guess it will be more and more expensive in the future because of the overfishing…

Ushiwakamaru (136 West Houston Street,10012, tel. 212-228-4181, New York) sushi bar on West Houston is one of my best discoveries in NY this year. If you are a sushi purist like me, you will love this simple place run by Japanese chef Hideo Kuribara where the product is the king.…