It’s a challenging task to sum up any culture’s cuisine into one word, harder still for Japanese cuisine. But, three words – Precision, Craft, Culture – are an attempt to do just that.
In a culture where chefs do not see themselves merely performing a job, but instead, waking up daily to attend to their deep calling, dedicating a lifetime to mastery, the ultimate Ikigai. These restaurants and chefs pursue ultimate excellence, a quality the Michelin Guide cannot ignore. Hopping off a flight from London, New York or Paris, this is how to enjoy the culinary delights of Tokyo.
Day 1
Waltzing into the lobby of the Aman Tokyo, we are blown away by the blend of modernity with traditional Japanese architecture. From the dark stone floors of the lobby to the sprawling ceiling, the decor is its own masterpiece and a foretaste of what is surely to come. As we proceed to the bay of elevators and glide gently to the 33rd floor, the doors open into the Avra restaurant. We are ushered to our seats facing floor-to-ceiling windows offering breathtaking views of Tokyo’s skyline and the imperial palace garden. But their Michelin recognition isn’t for the view; it’s for the à la carte breakfast experience, offering both Japanese and American Cuisine. You must build your order around the Yaki-Sakana, the grilled seasonal fish for the day, accompanied by delicate sheets of Yuba, sweet yet savoury Tamago-Yaki omelette delicately rolled and flavoured with Dashi, and Udon noodles simmering in hot broth garnished with wakame seaweed and kamaboko fish cakes. Infused with light flavours, this meal captures the essence of Chowa (harmony), awakening the body and mind slowly to receive the day.
As we explore Akasaka, the quiet power district of Tokyo, surrounded by towering office buildings, shopping, entertainment, temples, and a bit of history, we turn down a narrow stone path lined with bamboo and enter the spacious grounds of Akasaka Kikunoi. We are transported to an oasis of Kyoto charm and flavour right in the middle of Tokyo. We take a seat at the 13-seat kappo counter, treated to views of the hushed garden of bamboo and lanterns as we observe the chefs busily preparing our Omakase lunch. We are treated to a variety of seasonal treats from Kyoto. Still, we are assured of tasting Chef Murata’s prized Akashi sea bream, served sashimi-style to elevate its delicious, innate flavours, alongside plump kuruma ebi shrimp. If we time our adventure to coincide with early summer, we would get to savour the taste and delight that is Ayu sweetfish.
We end the day with a Sushi master who infuses modernity into Japanese cuisine, seeing Sushi as a combination of art and architecture. At Sushi Saito, we enter through the intentionally unassuming doors, remove our shoes, and walk across the fresh green tatami, taking our seat at the 10-seat sunken hinoki counter. We watch true sushi artists at work as we are treated to appetiser-like otsumami spread throughout the meal. We devour bites of varying textures and temperatures, from market-fresh fish to carefully aged cuts topped with delicate garnishes, utterly content after a wonderful first day and excited for what the rest of our time will bring.
Day 2
We wake up the next morning and follow the thread of modern infusion; we have breakfast at K’shiki at the Mandarin Oriental Tokyo. Here, Tokyo’s modern cuisine has been refined and elevated with a global lens. We are treated to a melting pot of Japanese discipline and international luxury, with panoramic views of the city skyline and Mount Fuji.
Spending our second afternoon getting lost in the wonderful maze of Tokyo’s Aoyama neighbourhood, just a few steps away from the busy street, we find ourselves in a tranquil space, with speckled lights poking through lush green leaves. We enter the world of Narisawa, created by the imagination of Chef Narisawa. It is hard to encapsulate fully, birthing a genre of its own, Innovative Satoyama Cuisine. A true Ode to the Japanese islands that form a long arc from North to South, passing the concept of taking only what is needed from the land to create food that is beneficial to the body and soul, yet sustainable. Each dish of the 14-course menu demonstrates creativity and deep innovation, in flavour, technique and presentation.
We end our night, overlooking the city lights from the 7th floor of the Tokyo Midtown Hibiya, where the infamous RyuGin is situated. RyuGin is a culinary theatre with deep Japanese mastery. Every detail, from the serene ambience to the meticulously crafted dishes, leaves us in wonder. With a deep conviction that Japan’s seasonal ingredients are the finest treasures of the country’s nature, each dish created by Chef Yamamoto is a contemporary approach to traditional kaiseki, with delicate flavours heightened by the carefully coordinated temperatures, aromas, and umami of each element.
With each bite, we begin to wonder if, after 48 enchanting hours in Tokyo, what star could be the piece de resistance of this culinary adventure.
Day 3
There are less than 24 hours left of this escape, and all five of our senses have been enticed since we arrived. We are impatient to discover the ultimate culinary experience Tokyo has to offer. Because of this, we take the last 24 hours the way Japanese cuisine is intended: slow, mindful, delicate and deliberate.
We begin with a light breakfast at The Peninsula Tokyo, our last Michelin-recognised breakfast. We can enjoy the view from the Peter restaurant on the 24th floor, where French cuisine meets the purity of Japanese ingredients. We instead opt for The Lobby, where two-Michelin-star chef, Kazuo Takagi, has translated his philosophy of balance and understated elegance into the hotel’s unforgettable breakfast.
When a cuisine’s philosophy is to feed your body and soul, you find yourself feeling joyful with every bite. That is precisely what we experience at Florilege, a modern French-Japanese restaurant that treats cuisine as a conversation between chefs and guests, expressed through creativity. From the baked guinea fowl to the layered cod topped with shiroko, Florilege explores new ways to enjoy seemingly everyday ingredients, served table d’hote: gathered around a single round table, while sharing the joy of company and food.
The underlying lesson from our time in Tokyo is that mastery is formed in silence and found in the most unexpected places. We ate with views of the Imperial Royal Garden and Mount Fuji, mesmerising us, and walked down quaint paths that led to spaces that transported us. Still, for our last meal, we go to where the food and the master truly sum up Tokyo’s dedication to cuisine – the Ginza subway station, housing the infamous Sukiyabashi Jiro by Chef Jiro Ono.
A truly once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, we would have needed to book months in advance, just for the chance to spend 45 minutes with the masterpieces created by a 100-year-old sushi master who has spent decades chasing perfection in the craft. Sukiyabashi Jiro can only be defined as sushi as a discipline, an art, a tradition, not as indulgence. A quick 21-course meal, yet each course is crafted in a way very few sushi chefs can achieve. Sukiyabashi is not loud or leisurely by design, but a highly intentional expression of craft and respect for the ingredients, the chef, and the diners.
Travel through Tokyo not for indulgence, but to meet Japanese culture and cuisine on their own terms, experience mastery at the highest level, and leave with something truly unforgettable.
