涩谷格雷斯登饭店

The chef is of the view that soba’s deliciousness is determined by its flour. He grinds husked buckwheat both from his garden and from farmers in Ibaraki Prefecture, catching every iota of the fresh-ground aroma. Coarse ground seiro (soba served on bamboo wicker) is full of wild flavour. Tofu soba, inspired by staff meals, and hot seiro with hot tsuyu sauce and beaten egg, are unique taste experiences. Evening service is prix fixe only, with treats such as buckwheat mash and rolled omelettes included.

MONOLITH links the splendour of classic cuisine to the future. Pastry-wrapped meat symbolises this connection – the diner can choose from several types. Hewing close to time-honoured recipes, beef and lamb are dressed in a Madeira wine and truffle sauce, while pigeon is prepared in a rich salmis. Sauce is assiduously reduced and poured unstintingly, in true orthodox style. Respect for tradition and the classics, eloquently expressed through cooking.

Takuto Murota procures ingredients himself, hunting game in the mountains and growing vegetables in his home garden. Harmonious coexistence with nature is the theme of his cooking and nowhere is this conviction more evident than in his game dishes. Meat is grilled, bones and entrails made into sauces; nothing edible is wasted. Venison blood macarons have become emblematic of LATURE. Classic cuisine with a touch of modern sensibility conveys respect for life.

The chef’s grandparents’ house once stood on this land. He harboured a lifelong dream of becoming a sushi artisan; the first knife he ever held was a gift from his grandfather. Never forgetting the spirit of the novice, the chef takes an honest, no-nonsense approach to his ingredients. “Letting the ingredients do the talking is not the same as doing nothing,” he says—and indeed, the chef devotes great time and effort to food preparation. As an apprentice, he learned from his mentor that cooking means thinking for yourself. The work of the old days inspires today’s creativity.

Insatiable curiosity about all things tempura is this restaurant’s driving force. The chef blazes his own trail, unencumbered by convention. In a one-of-a-kind technique, the chef prepares his batter using two types of water as well as liquid nitrogen. One menu item features chilled sea urchin on deep-fried perilla leaf, creating a contrast of cold and hot. Inventive dishes are slipped in between menu items, varying the pace. The chef takes pride in offering an extensive range of tempura pieces, letting his imagination run free.

The team at Den welcomes guests with bright smiles and easy conversation. A playful, inventive menu brings a fresh perspective to Japanese cuisine. The omakase menu begins with monaka, a wafer sandwich filled with foie gras seasoned with miso, along with fruits and vegetables. Fried chicken wing tips are stuffed with iimushi, mochi rice steamed with seasonal toppings. The delight of his guests is what drives the chef. Original thinking gives rise to the sort of fun dining experience only Den can offer.

Standing alone in his kitchen, Tomofumi Saito engages with Italian cuisine in earnest. His attention to detail is relentless, from the cuisine itself to the music, flowers and other elements. Seating is limited to ensure each dish gets his undivided attention. When he creates new menu items, there are no prototypes: he pushes himself hard to create inventive cuisine found nowhere else. 'Prisma' means 'prism' in Italian and the high standards Saito demands of himself shine in a rainbow of culinary inventiveness.