Kagurazaka Ishikawa

Michelin ☆☆☆

Located in the Kagurazaka neighborhood, made famous for its endless supply of geisha-run ryotei restaurants, Ishikawa is a sanctuary of tranquility within the chaos of the Tokyo streets. And just as the restaurant has distinguished itself in a sea of similarity, so too has its chef separated himself from many of his peers. Nothing is overlooked at Ishikawa, and his passion for food shines despite the sombre, quiet mood in the private dining rooms. It’s beauty; the kind of beauty that one would find only in a roadside flower, perfect in every petal. But Ishikawa would—and does—notice such beauty, cultivating it with every ingredient.

One of the first non-sushi restaurants in Japan to gain gastronomic recognition in the West, Hideki Ishikawa has evolved his own Ishikawa style of cooking: humble and luxury ingredients meshing with traditional and cutting-edge techniques, via dishes matched with a flight of sakes from Niigata and Hokuriku.