Chez Shimizu @ Okusawa

Prosciutto with olives

Beetroot salad and chilled pumpkin soup

Carpaccio of katsuo with tomato, green beans and garlic and lemon vinaigrette

Vegetable marinade

Pate de campagne with couscous, asparagus and Japanese ginger

Gorgonzola on Moroccan couscous with Japanese ginger

Kohada (gizzard shad) on Napa cabbage bed with red pepper puree

Sautéed hirame (olive flounder) with olive and aubergine sauce

Roast duck in red wine sauce with grilled vegetables

Iwate tankakugui rump steak with seasonal vegetables

Apple sorbet with mascarpone pudding

Chocolate gateau with almond yogurt blancmange and strawberry sorbet

A one-man operation helmed by the erstwhile head chef of Blue Note Tokyo, Chez Shimizu is a delightful omakase-style French restaurant in Okusawa. 

The stylish simplicity of the interior allows the broad dining counter and alluring collection of cookbooks it faces to take centre stage, without any open kitchen distractions.  

Lauded for the cost performance of his lunch and dinner courses, sensitivity to seasonal ingredients and combinations of French, Japanese and Moroccan flavours, owner-chef Ikuo Shimizu’s cooking and hospitality never fail to impress. 

Chez Shimizu

03 6421 8233

 

Ugo by Mosto @ Jiyugaoka

Olives and peppers

Mackerel rillettes

Octopus ajilio

Deep-fried sardines

White asparagus

‘Indian’ scallops

Grilled sardine

Cream fungi pasta

Carbonara

Hokkaido venison

A popular neighbourhood restaurant known for its friendly service, Ugo specializes in a blend of European cuisines with an unashamedly Italian bent.

The menu focuses on seasonal produce, of which meats and fish are the stars, while ensuring generous portions and prices.  

Ugo by Mosto

03 6459 7829

 

San Ciro @ Hiroo

Zensai moriawase

Fresh truffle tagliorini

Vegetable lasagne

Roast quail with new carrots

Hokkaido steak with new carrots

Almond chocolate cake

Basque-style cheesecake

Tucked away on the edge of the Shōunji temple grounds to the west of the Hiroo shōtengai, this recently opened osteria and wine bar delivers reasonably priced Italian cuisine in a cosy, counter-dining setting. 

Owner and sommelier Akatsu Tatsuro’s menu comprises upgradable prix-fixe lunch courses, a la carte options and daily specials, ranging from fresh grilled fish and Hokkaido beef to roasted game birds served with seasonal vegetables. 

Desserts are simple yet accomplished, such as the moreishly sour Basque-style cheesecake with accompanying pinch of salt and pepper. 

San Ciro

03 6721 9898

 

José Luis @ Karuizawa

Pinchos - sardine with olives, beef pate on toasted baguette

Jamon serrano and chorizo

Little gem lettuce salad with alioli

Souffle tortilla

Deep pan ‘Spanish pizza’

Rich shrimp soup fideua

Basque-style cheesecake

Situated within the Twin-Line Hotel, the Karuizawa iteration of Madrid’s ‘much loved’ José Luis focuses on attractively arranged contemporary Spanish cuisine with occasional Japanese influences. 

The menu offers prefix lunch and dinner courses to suit a range of appetites and purses, combining select Spanish and local Shinshu ingredients.

If the schlep over to Karuizawa is a stretch too far, try the Shibuya store instead. 

José Luis

03 6452 6227

 

The Kitchin @ Leith

Amuse-bouche - mini seafood quiche

Amuse-bouche - mini carrot quiche

Pea soup

Roasted Inverurie veal sweetbreads

Lardo di Colonnata on mushrooms and ciabatta

Wild Scottish mushrooms

Barbecued North Sea turbot with potato and cephalopods risotto and squid ink sauce

Roasted loin of Hopetoun Estate roe deer with beetroot and young navet

Braised roe deer haunch pastie

Baked salted caramel tart with pecan crust and Knockraich farm creme fresh ice cream

Knockraich farm crowdie, raspberry and honey cheesecake with wild woodruff and raspberry sorbet

Celebrity chef Tom Kitchin’s lauded flagship restaurant reflects his ‘from nature to plate’ philosophy and passion for cooking with the finest Scottish produce to create modern British cuisine with a rich vein of French culinary influences. 

Located within a converted whisky warehouse in Leith’s old dock area, the interior is tastefully appointed with grey and silver furnishings set against bare stone, wood floors and polished glass to create an intimate ambience that revels in the play of light and shadow to heighten anticipation of the meal to come. 

The menu offers a la carte lunch and dinner courses, as well as three tiers of chef’s tasting courses, complimented by an extensive wine list and pairing options. Kilted servers present each dish with a brief description of ingredients and their provenance; as befits the nature to plate concept, references to ‘foraged,’ ‘wild’ and ‘Scotland’s beautiful larder’ abound. 

Fine ingredients, artful cooking, many-plated presentation and unexpected flavour combinations result in a first class dining experience. 

The Kitchin

0131 555 1755