I’ve been posting a lot about Sushi Saito lately and I have a feeling that many first time visitors in Japan have this idea of Saito or Sukiyabashi Jiro being the only must go sushi-yas in Tokyo (mainly because of the publicity they get in the Western media…). There are…

Some pictures from my recent lunch at Clown Bar. Despite the name it has some of the most serious and delicious bistro cooking in the capital. Its chef Sota Atsumi is Japanese, so you will see some Japanese influence in most of the dishes. Highly recommended. Clown Bar 114 Rue…

One of the countless ways to cook beef in Japan is yakiniku. Probably originally from Korea, now it’s a fun and convivial way not only to eat, but also to share the experience with others. Chef-owner Kentaro Nakahara is quite a celebrity among the local and foreign yakiniku barbecue lovers.…

Suzue, 2 Michelin stars and currently number one in Kyoto on tabelog.com is a traditional kaiseki restaurant serving very minimally prepared dishes from the best seasonal ingredients. Even if I loved my past meals at Matsukawa and Ishikawa in Tokyo, I’ve always found kaiseki flavours a little too bland and…

I first read about Tempura Matsu in Matt Goulding’s book “Rice Noodle Fish“, an excellent study on the Japanese food world and culture. Different than the name suggests, Tempura Matsu is not solely serving tempura, but modern kaiseki from the most incredible ingredients one might outsource in Japan. The second…

The market of all the markets, the largest fish market in the world is coming to the end. Or at least in the form how we know it. On November 7th 2016 Tsukiji market will officially open in its new location, where tourists will be no longer allowed to browse…

What do Tokyo’s top steakhouses such as Shima, introduction only Kawamura and Ginza Hirayama have in common? Their chefs all come from Yutaka in Kyoto (1 Michelin star), now second generation steakhouse run by its founder’s son Mamoru Takada. Thus, the formula of these four über steakhouses is similar. French…

When someone asks me about my fine dining recommendations in Paris, lunch at L’Arpège is always on the top of my list. Alain Passard is the pioneer of ditching proteins and putting humble, sometimes forgotten vegetables in the center of the plate. What many forget, that before reinventing himself as…

Forget about the infamous Jiro Ono and his 30 minute sushi omakase, the most wanted sushi shop reservation in Tokyo not only among foreign, but also Japanese sushi connaisseurs is at Sushi Saito. My first time at Sushi Saito was in 2011 when it was still located in a garage near…

I’ve been following Heiko Nieder’s career for quite a few years now and must say that his third Michelin star is long overdue. Nieder is one of the most versatile chefs I know, who keeps successfully reinventing throughout the seasons without too much repeating himself. My recent lunch at The…