PST is amazing, glad you had a great experience this time around! My friend actually joined FTC,
his username is @Spicyshlomi
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[starting a new reply since the previous one was severely lagging from how many photos I uploaded]
Den Kushi Flori
Here’s an excerpt from Pocket Concierge
“Globally acclaimed chefs Zaiyu Hasegawa, awarded two stars at his restaurant DEN in Jingumae, and Hiroyasu Kawate, a chef with two stars at neighbouring restaurant Florilège, have collaborated on the theme of “kushi” (skewer) at this hotly-tipped restaurant.”
I could not get a reservation to either Den or Florilege so I figured to try out this concept to get a sense of that these guys [and/or their teams] are cooking.
There are 2 options for lunch - a 6,000 Yen option and a 9,800 Yen option [dinner menu served during lunch]. When I asked the waitress what explains the price difference, she mentioned that the 9800Y course comes with Sashimi and the mochi + caviar course. If I were to come again, I would probably opt for the 6,000 Yen course.
Bincho-Grilled Mochi, Soy-Cured Egg Yolk, Caviar & Celery Purée
- A play on French Egg + Caviar + Sour Cream done in a Japanese way
- mochi - crispy and gooey center. Kinda tastes like a senbei cracker
- soy cured egg is really nice with the mochi and crispy seaweed
- Celery purée is super “French-tasting”, crème fraiche, butter, and celery enhances the experience of the soy-egg, mochi, and seaweed
- Downsides are that the caviar get a little loss and the mochi is molar-sticky
Turnip Mayonnaise, Braised Turnip, Whipped Turnip in Butter, Tare Clams
- Clam is coated in tare and grilled over Bincho. It’s Smokey, natural sweetness of clam is omega-enhanced by the tare, really really tasty
- the natural salinity and minerality of the clams pair really well with the perfectly braised turnips
- Turnip is braised in Clam juice and it all comes together wonderfully
Shrimp Bisque & Ebi-imo Or Shrimp-Striped Taro
- Ebi-imo is supposed to be designer Taro, or some of the best tasting taro you can get. It’s also rounded and striped like a shrimp would be, hence the name
- They did some word play with that and made an awesome shrimp bisque. Texture-wise, its frothy [I saw them use an immersion blender to whip air into it] but the soup’s body definitely is thinner
- Incredible shellfish aroma;
- the taro is somehow Smokey despite only being deep fried and the texture is less pasty, but more flakey. Once you eat half of the taro skewer, you mash the remaining half into the soup which provides nice texture and body to the soup
Chicken Wing Stuffed with Scallop Mouse + Comte Cheese Sauce + Mushroom Cream Sauce
- Never been to Den, but one of the courses he serves is Dentucky Fried Chicken in this custom Paper Box
- The chicken wing is deboned, stuffed with scallop mouse, then deep fried. After frying, it’s finished over Bincho charcoals to provide a wonderful Smokey aroma that billows out of the box when you open it
- The Comte cheese sauce basically tastes like a better Shake Shack sauce
- The mushroom cream sauce tastes like really good soup
- Together, the sauces make the experience something magical as the conventionally French sauces are further accentuated by the smokiness in the chicken wing, something that is relatively rare in French cooking!
- Presentation being fun truly helped; this is truly excellent fusion!
Sashimi
- two pieces of konbujime/konbu curedwagyu sashimi bisected by a really awesome maguro-zuke or soy marinated tuna
- In the back, julienned radish that is tossed in olive oil and vinegar as a palette cleanser
- The sashimi is topped with lukewarm beef consumme [ not enough to remotely cook any of the meat, but warm enough to perceive on the tongue]
- The beef consumme definitely has a pot at feu/pot roast quality to it.
- As you chew the beef sashimi it gets increasingly beefier yet remains superbly tender.
- I dare sa the experience is similar to having a good Pho Tai - where you eat beef tenderloin that barely cooks in pho broth
- The parsley oil provides a nice grassiness that cuts through the otherwise really dominant beefy flavor
Sardine & Tofu FishCake “Cassoulet”
- From the Dutch oven, really strong thyme fragrance, and the sauce was bubbling — really nice showmanship for the diners to see before plating
- The fish cakes are made of sardines, tofu, woodear mushrooms, and some carrots. Perfumed with freshly grated ginger
- Instead of white beans, they used soy beans in the cassoulet
- They topped off the dish with tofu skin or yuba
- Overall a very fine dish for me, didn’t really like it too much compared to more home style Cassoulets in the past
Rice with Shirasu + Shirako
- An insanely decadent closer to a marvelous meal. Rice cooked in a donabe until perfect then topped with Shirasu/white baitfish
- It’s then plated into bowls at which point a sizzling skillet of garlic parsley butter a la escargot style is served with hot melty shirako
- it’s so absurdly rich that you get a slice of sudachi on the side to help cut through it.
Dessert - Pudding with Burnt Caramel Sauce + Matcha Whipped Cream
- Japanese pudding is notorious for its burnt caramel, but I believe this one had some coffee mixed into it to further accentuate the bitterness
- Just a classic good pudding, matcha whipped cream provides just a hint of semi-sweetness to counterbalance the bitter caramel sauce
Drink Pairings
Whatever you do, you must get the Tomato Lemon Sour
- this is genuinely mind blowing. Peeled cherry tomatoes are pickled in some kind of sweet vinegar. They also separately have a clear tomato juice [likely fermented?]
- This is an insanely refreshing drink that is umami,sweet, tart, and just so so good
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@Bagel within the goryu family is sushi shou goryu. Nishiazabu Sushi Sho (鮨祥)'s Reservation - OMAKASE
@Spicyshlomi and I met the sushi chef and the chef who prepares the otsumami, gummy enough at PST.
Shou Goryo, not to be confused with the very famous Sho has some interesting pedigree.
From the sushi spreadsheet:
Apparently the chef that prepares the otsumami comes from Goryo Kubo so maybe a good candidate to try?
And apparently harutaka is of the Jiro school of sushi, so you’d be 2 degrees removed. Quite an ambitious crossover for 33k yen 
They were quite fluent in English too so that could add to the experience
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Concur.
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Thanks for pointing out! It does look quite good… but every time I jump into that spreadsheet I find new sushi places to get interested in. 
By the way, awesome posts! I don’t need to hope you’re eating well because I can clearly see it lol. I’m actually replacing the sushi dinner with Caveman thanks to your recommendation and going to probably try to supplement with a trip to Stand up sushi bar Akira, which I’m also planning to check out thanks to your awesome intel.
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Narisawa has been tempting me for a long while in this research, but I think it’ll be a pass on this trip, if only because I would like to get a Tokyo kaiseki + a Tokyo counter sushi meal under my belt, and I would like to have a night or two to try to wander into some izakayas, etc.
Tokyo evening itinerary is currently like this:
Saturday: Yoroniku Ebiusu (EBISU YORONIKU - Ebisu/Yakiniku (BBQ Beef) [Tabelog]): Doing this one over the one @jc_eats did simply because it’s walking distance to our hotel! We are doing a 5 pm tasting of their cheapest menu with the intention of being hungry later on and eating elsewhere.
Sunday: Stand-up Sushi Akira: Gonna do a super early dinner here with similar intentions: maybe ramen or yakitori later in the evening.
Monday: Ichita: Would be open to maybe flipping this with something else, but I actually saw a super positive review on here from @beefnoguy ([Tokyo] One Michelin Star Kappo Kaiseki goodness - Ichita (Aoyama)) so I’m sticking with it unless I can get into Ishikawa, I think.
Tuesday: Sushi Zai https://tabelog.com/en/tokyo/A1307/A130703/13233764/: Bookable online, can handle 4 of us at the counter, and receives a B+ on the megalist! Good enough for us, I think.
On a side note, gah, Sower looks really cool. Unfortunately the only available slot they have while I’m down there is in direct conflict with Kiyama, so I’ll be sticking with that, but I might see if anything opens up at Sower for lunch.
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I try sometimes to explain how absurd this site is to people who ain’t on said site and I often struggle. Next time I think I’ll just show them these @jc_eats reports. Smh, we have a guy on the ground in Tokyo eating like a madman and often reporting back on a DISH by DISH level. Wtf.
@jc_eats: Let it be known good sir (or madam) that I have diligently been following your posts and will go to at least two of your recommended spots.
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Argh, went to the wrong location, ended up at OG spot thinking that’s where Sergio would be stationed. Still can’t complain, huge amaebi salad, pizza + wine - $40 OTD and walk in with no rezzie stresses.
@Jc_eats, enjoying your recap of non-cookie cutter destinations.
Caveman is pretty awesome QPR no doubt. If you happen to be staying in western Tokyo they have a sister restaurant in Meguro called Kabi which I hear is also excellent! I wish there were more Noma-ish/Scandanavian-leaning restaurants in LA
IMO if you manage to strike gold, the perfect day of sushi at Akira would have these 3 elusive menu items all at the same time they’ve only lined up on the days I haven’t visited [they post their daily menu on instagram]
- hairy crab
- nodoguro
- toro-takuan hand roll (to this day the best version I’ve had anywhere, and I’ve tried it everywhere I can that offers it)
I personally would double up on all of these haha but my preferences may very much be different than yours!
FWIW, I also have this bookmarked and it looks excellent! Good strategy to get a sampler and leave the evening open for more variety
Also in ebisu, is a steak sandwich joint that’s pretty awesome
STABLER Shimokitazawa Meatsand EBISU
I got their 150g sandwich but wish I got the 300g portion; good to share if you’re not traveling alone!
If you have a sweet tooth, I walked by two seemingly popular spots but can’t vouch for how good they are since I haven’t been yet
- YATSUDOKI 恵比寿東
- JAPANESE ICE OUCA ジャパニーズアイス櫻花
+81 3-5449-0037
https://maps.app.goo.gl/wYRMqqRB6iHyWSkC9?g_st=ic
I also love Daikanyama as a neighborhood which is really nearby Ebisu[less about food but more about the atmosphere and vibes] You picked a great area to stay!
Upcoming Spots I’m going to try
-
kappo jo - wagyu kappo spot; lunch counter seating early February
-
Tempura ono booked for early February
-
sushi komari apparently chef is also a fishmonger and there’s a 16 piece lunch omakase for 8000Y. Booked my res for early February
-
salmon and trout 13k yen for tasting menu that also includes wine pairing - seems like an insane deal!
-
organ
+81 3-5941-5388
https://maps.app.goo.gl/wex6ez7ebNkYWgYH8?g_st=ic -
European Curry Tomato - apparently the best curry in Japan where people are willing to wait 1+ hour before opening to eat it lol. Some reports of 10+ people being in line before open
+81 3-3393-3262
https://maps.app.goo.gl/8KqtqrP8wBJKiDgFA?g_st=ic
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@set0312 Ichita definitely is on my list too. Please report back! I was actually planning to do Sushi Zai because they also apparently have a sake pairing for 11K JPY. Think I’ll just opt to try and hit up sake bars elsewhere to make up for it. The issue with Sower is accessibility. Even if you have a car its a bit of a drive. Without a car, its a minimum 45 minute walk from the nearest train station on areas that aren’t really meant for pedestrians. I checked out the street view and either you’re walking on the lake shore or risking it with the at times one lane road.
@jc_eats I just added Kabi to my list for the future! Noma-ish/Scandanavian-leaning is definitely something I’m interested in so if you have any other suggestions in Tokyo I’m all ears! It definitely does seem like a hole in LA, especially nicer dining. And by that I mean I don’t know any lol (don’t think Habitue counts haha).
When I get Tachigui Akira I might be doing a double dinner that night so a OOE approach is probably going to be my limit. 
Please report back on Tomato! Google maps seems to suggest the wait is lower for dinner so maybe that might work better? Space for dinner is always a struggle though… I saw Tomato before and given how far from the city it is opted instead for Bondy - 2nd on the “European curry” category and located in Jimbocho which is fairly central. Bondy was good but don’t think I’ll wait for it again. Thankfully they’re an all-day and last time I went mid-afternoon and there was no line!
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The food columnist of the Japan times just posted a top picks list
Some things look interesting to me
- AC house looks interesting AF to me. Old chef of Caveman but a ton of other good spots
Separately might have found my new favorite casual sushi spot spot - revolving sushi spot that specializes in
- salt and lemon sushi
- aburi or torched
- aged sushi
世田谷区 九州寿司 寿司虎 Aburi Sushi TORA
03-6332-7556
https://maps.app.goo.gl/yYBxnwxPkdC78gXW6?g_st=ic
They do use akazu but more so for color than outright flavor. The shari is definitely solid especially for the price point but say worse than Akira. I ate like a complete clown and it was 8000Yen all in or $62. Absolute insanity. Literally left the restaurant to type this out asap while the iron’s hot.
It’s 7 stops or 17 minutes west of Shibuya Station and tbh while I’ve had it bookmarked and known about this place since before I came, the distance from the city center truly put me off. Super super happy I got to go and I can say for the money, this is the best QPR sushi I’ve had (maybe 20+ casual and omakase spots so far?). I’m going to make an effort to come back before I leave lol
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Oo those dessert options look good. I’m also gonna try that Sebastian kakigori spot that somebody (you?) recommended? I think it’s close enough to me. That steak sando looks so tasty.
I am so excited for Akira. Fingers crossed that I get all the goods, but anything will work.
Yes, I’m excited for Daikanyama too!
Btw, you done any cocktail bars? Trying to figure out if it’s worth my time to make reservations at one of the top spots, or if I should just drink lots of whisky sodas and whatnot.
Yes! few excellent cocktail bars @set0312
I’ve really enjoyed all of these places:
- bar AO k5 next to caveman - primarily focused on tea-based cocktails. Most drinks are good, but the standout is this aged tea, electric brandy, mezcal drink that tastes unlike anything I’ve ever had. I believe it’s called the shogunnal car. Reservations can be made via instagram DM, I used google translate to transcribe my outreach.
- mixology salon - in Ginza, another great tea based cocktail lounge. they had a Hojicha Negroni that was fantastic - kinda smelled like smuckers pbj on the nose but super grassy finish. This place is truly special. Reservations also can be made via instagram DM
- boctok/bar these - fruit based cocktails. Again no menu but you choose what fruits you want from a fruit basket and choose your alcohol base and they’ll make something sick.
- spirits bar surfaces shinjuku - tried doing walk-in at Ben Fiddich, but they were full. This bar is right upstairs. No menu here, but they interview you and figure out your preferences and make a drink based off of that. Highlight drinks here include a sansho based gin&tonic, a chocolate and mezcal take on an espresso martini, and anything with Korean pear. Staff speaks English and walk-in was available when I went on a random weeknight
- bar high five - if you want classic cocktails definitely come here. Just well made cocktails. Nothing mindblowing or cutting edge, but just very solid cocktails in an very old school Japanese vibe
Places I’ve heard about but have not tried
- SG Bar - they also have an izakaya called SG low focusing on lemon sours
- bar TRENCH ebisu got a tip from a local that they make good drinks here. They have an annex bar around the corner in case of overflow
- spring valley brewery - not a cocktail bar but heard it’s a sick brewery in daikanyama they do dessert pairings with different flavored macarons
- d-heartman ginza another old school cocktail bar but apparently has an excellent ham katsu sandwich too
It’s crazy that when I talked to other travelers during my time here and not too many people peg Tokyo as an elite cocktail city. Blows my mind. While I haven’t gone to too many cocktail bars this trip, can definitely say Tokyo is an elite cocktail city with insane hospitality.
To benchmark them against LA, I’d definitely mark them maybe 2-2.5 tiers above something like ERB/Here&Now in LA which is my ole reliable. When Walker Inn in Ktown was still around, that was my favorite cocktail bar in LA, and I’d mark these places maybe 1-0.5 tiers above them (and similar NYC spots).
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Looks like non-verified Max is in Tokyo. Curious if he self-reserves or does a baller tour group, as he’s done in Spain and Scandinavia.
the latter
Damn, not at all my vibe for a trip but to each his own.
He is in a food tour group owned by The Hungry Tourist. It’s approx $9000. They hit up some good places, but almost all of them have been widely known/covered in the “food influencer” realm for the last 8 years.
Kagari, Nakahara, Hakokku, etc. Many of them you/ your hotel can get a reservation for relatively easily.
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Even with my high-powered hotel concierge, and several online reservation services, a seat at Hakokku was unattainable on my last visit in November 2022. Things are tighter since the re-opening.
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The sushi meals are probably harder to get, but places like Nakahara you can easily have Amex make the reservation for you or even DM Henry and he’ll most likely get you in. Kagari doesn’t take reservations so Max stood in line like everyone else. I saw he went to Florilege last night and Bar Gen Yamamoto two nights ago, both of which are easy to make a resy for.
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@jc_eats how formal have you been dressing for the nicer places? Could I get away with a sweater rather than a jacket?