tupac17616

cab it to Quince or on a lower price spectrum but quite tasty, quick cab to A16

Thanks for the specific recs, peter. I'm starting to see that planning a week in a city with as many culinary resources as Tokyo is kind of overwhelming! And, raji, the Google map is a great idea. I can't want to see that.

Nice write-up, ajgnet. Re: cheese ice creams, I'm surprised they didn't serve you some wildly unsuccessful version when you went to Tailor last month. Perhaps the mustard was occupying too much space in the ice cream maker. (And, thanks...reading about your dessert brought me right back to a fabulous cold gorgonzola soup that I had here in Italy)

poor souls

ah, how i miss volpetti and giolitti

i like La Bergamote (169 9th Ave)

agreed. though reading about dishes like the tourte de canard sauvage seen here can make it tough to say no, i'm sure. (ajg, in a way doesn't this remind you of what happened to me at del posto last year? )

indeed. word of mouth already brought it to eGullet. wonderful advertising, i'd say. but i highly doubt it is such a (financially) calculated move. sounds to me like just a beautiful display of generosity. good for him.

after discovering crema di pistacchio in sicily, nutella lost some of its luster. i've still yet to try crema di gianduja. sounds like i need to track down this giudo gobbino stuff...

beautiful

wow.

I should also mention that I know very little about the layout of the city, but we'll be staying in Shinjuku

Unfortunately, they are ...Dec 29th through Jan 5th. BUT, who's to say that I shouldn't spend that third week (after Tokyo+Shanghai) back in Tokyo? As far as the budget goes, I couldn't even begin to guess what I should allot for my time in Tokyo. And I am a grad student, so certainly good value places are always appreciated. That being said, I have no problems spending money for quality, when it is worth it. The main thing I am after with this trip is an education in Japanese cuisine. Though I have been to both, I would not go to the French Laundry to learn about American cuisine or Le Calandre to learn about Italian food, for example. I have no overwhelming predilection for haute cuisine. Basically, wherever the most beautiful examples of the above types of Japanese cuisine are to be found in Tokyo -- whether it costs 2,000 yen or 20,000 -- that's where I want to be.

You have just made my day

Very eloquently expressed idea, Judith, and couldn't agree more. I feel like we could fill in that "He" with a number of chefs in Italy, the US, and elsewhere, and the sentence would still fit like a glove. Fortadei may disagree (but I suppose that disagreement is exactly what makes eGullet the perfect place for debates such as this!) ← You're correct,I do disagree. My apologies for misspelling your name, fortedei! Could you explain a little bit about why/how you disagree with hathor's comment. Must a chef be more strictly loyal to his culinary roots in order to respect them, in your opinion? If so, would you say it is possible for Italian cuisine to evolve without such rebels?

I'm not gonna lie. I know next to nothing about Japanese cuisine, ingredients, culture or language – which makes me all the more excited for my upcoming trip to Tokyo. It is sure to be an eye-opener. During late December/early January, I will be there for roughly a week, before heading to Shanghai and maybe one additional place (thinking of Bangkok/Chiang Mai…though I’m certainly open to suggestions) for the same length of time each. I will be traveling with two friends of mine, one of whom is reasonably well-versed in the language, and both of whom are nearly as food-obsessed as I am. In looking for restaurant recommendations in a city like Tokyo, I scarcely know where to begin. I highly doubt the French Michelin inspectors have the cultural perspective to truly “get” Japanese food, and I pretty much loathe Zagat. Ratings, in general, are tough and can be misleading. Which is why I turn to you now. And also why I would like to keep this first post as general as possible. Not that I have the slightest idea what I'm talking about, but I'm just gonna throw some words out there… Still remember the place where you ate some amazing ____? Happen to know of the market/vendor/restaurant for ____ in Tokyo? Think a day or two outside the city in search of ____ is a worthwhile adventure? Please let me know! My stomach thanks you in advance! anything live bento chawan mushi cod sperm sac congee donburi gyoza homestyle japanese cuisine horumonyaki ikizukuri izakaya japanese knives kakuni karasumi kaiseki ryori miso soup monja-yaki natto oden odori ebi osechi-ryori ramen robata-yaki sake sashimi shabu shabu shiokara soba sochu somen sukiyaki sushi tataki tempura teppanyaki teriyaki tonjiru udon wagashi yakitori zoni soup I realize that the list is all over the place, but hopefully something on there will spark some ideas.

Agreed. Likewise with a high level of sweetness, due to the abundance of corn syrup in those foods.

Very eloquently expressed idea, Judith, and couldn't agree more. I feel like we could fill in that "He" with a number of chefs in Italy, the US, and elsewhere, and the sentence would still fit like a glove. Fortadei may disagree (but I suppose that disagreement is exactly what makes eGullet the perfect place for debates such as this!)

those Barhi dates are indeed the stuff dreams are made of sorry to hear that your meal was so disappointing, though

wonderful, thorough explanation. thanks!

jonny, she's humble about the site, so let me doing the bragging for her: divina's guide is great! definitely check it out

yup, what they said

ooh fun, i wanna play JG for lunch either Masa or Per Se, each a special but completely different experience, for dinner Momofuku Ssam Bar for 2nd dinner

La Taverna di San Giuseppe, perhaps with a stop at Nannini before or afterwards for some seriously good panforte

Your Manresa/TFL analysis is very interesting to me, Carolyn. I can't claim to be a fan of the term "molecular gastronomy" in the first place, but whatever "it" is, I'm not convinced there is much more of it going on with Kinch's kitchen than there is in Lee's. Is one chef's fish cooked sous vide any more or less "molecular" than the other's foam or powder?