Best Seasonal Restaurants in Gotanda / Osaki

So far the best food I’ve had in Japan. Hidden away from the busy streets of Tokyo. 

What a great experience! I loved being introduced to tempura with such a wide range of ingredients. The chef was exacting and very enthusiastic about his craft, while also engaging casually and personally with guests. I don’t want to spoilt any surprises, but I found the experience to be deeply personal, a gift, and the chef made such a wonderful, memorable experience - the food, the other guests, the staff, the chefs.

We really enjoyed our meal (lunch set 1) served in a lovely 2 tier bento box that came with soup, various vegetables in different preparations, along with really tasty rice. The meal was served without explanation of what everything was, but we still enjoyed the experience and food.

My partner and I were the only customers dining that evening. I speak Japanese and chose to play interpreter for my partner, but the staff seemed quite willing to accommodate us in English. I'm not certain of the exact title of our server (maitre d'?), but he was incredibly friendly and well versed in all things food and drink! The meal itself was delightful, of course. Some highlights included the presentation of the first course (the best hamo I've had all summer: just a little bit warm and soft, and beautifully arranged atop a dewy lotus leaf); the perfect sashimi course (uni with fresh wasabi, tender sumi-ika, and a sensational smoky katsuo (bonito) that had none of the metallic fishy flavor I usually associate with bonito); the hairy crab with a creamy abalone gratin of sorts, served inside a lemon; not to mention the desserts! (a nutty zunda warabi mochi, peach pannacotta with peach jelly and fresh peach slices, and a quenelle of milk tea ice cream). But what really made the night special was the service. (Having the restaurant to ourselves might have helped.) My partner and I were having a little chat about what "umami" actually tastes like, and the entire restaurant staff was able to explain to us, off the top of their heads, the types of amino acids comprising different types of umami flavor -- in seaweed/kelp, tomato, tea, meat, seafood, etc. . They even printed out a chart for us! Even better than "impeccable service" is being made to feel like a welcome guest by those who genuinely know and love food.