Kagurazaka Ishikawa

[Bu Pun Su]

It’s been more than 3 years or so that I’ve not done my serious foodie trip. Many things, mostly positive, have happened within those years. A few weeks ago, finally I had a vacation in which food was the integral part in our schedule and this time I didn’t travel and dine alone anymore. Previously, it’s no brainer that Europe especially France would be my main destinations. But, this time was different; we decided to go to Japan, a country with the most Michelin-star restaurants. The last time I came here was 6 years ago – just before Michelin invaded the land of the Rising Sun. And I would begin the review of our “serious” restaurants visit (more to come later) with Kagurazaka Ishikawa, a place that many people are probably familiar with.

As warned by friends, restaurant in Japan is generally not easy to find unless it’s located in the hotel. Things were even more complicated if one’s not familiar with how to read Tokyo’s address. To reduce the hustle, make sure that you have the picture of the restaurant’s entrance. Ishikawa is located behind Bishamon temple; it’s tucked away in a black timber of (Takamura) building. Once you find it, just enter a corridor where you can see a small garden at the end; the entrance is on your right. As we entered the building, the waitresses in kimono greeted us and took care of our coats and other stuffs. We’re happy to be seated in middle of the counter that can occupy up to 7 diners. There are 2 menus and we opted for a more expensive selection; the set menu consisted of 9 courses and ‘gaikokujin’ were given the English description what we’re about to eat that night.

There are plenty of delicious dishes here. I liked the first 2 items:

- Fresh and sweet snow crab with refreshing ‘sauce’, jelly-like that’s a mixture of dashi and vinegar

- Deep fried rice cake stuffed with simmered turtle. I enjoyed this tempura-style dish, in particular its texture (crunchy and a bit chewy). Also, it’s not oily at all

Some other memorable dishes were,

- Seared puffer fish. We liked its freshness and interesting texture; the dish’s flavour should mainly derived from the grated radish sauce and ponzu

- The grilled Nodoguro was fragrant and very tasty, and so were the Maitake mushroom. Together, they’re a good combination from the sea and the forest

- The specialty dish combined plenty of delicacies in a small cup. The snapper was succulent while the shirako was stand out. The sauce was umami with some sweet and salty flavor. An excellent dish

I heard that Ishikawa’s rice dish is often spectacular. For instance, he put lots of uni, hotate or awabi before. However, I was slightly disappointed knowing my rice dish was “only” served with Tai paste and Japanese pickles. It was not bad but I had expected something more elaborate and delicious. The positive note was that the rice was freshly harvested since it’s an Autumn. The service was world class. Guests could easily feel and notice the enthusiasm of the waitresses as well as the cooks & chef. Ishikawa-san is very modest, funny, easy-going and observant. He gave us a spoon when he thoughts that we might struggle eating the rice with dashi. Our communication were mixed of my elementary Japanese and the chef’s basic English, but his genuity mattered more. The restaurant’s ambiance is relaxing and friendly, very far from a rigid feeling that one may encounter in other Japanese places. While the counter still got an empty seat, all of the private rooms at Ishikawa seemed to be fully occupied. Overall, the food is oishii and the service is impeccable; a very pleasant experience indeed. In my note, it’s 95/100 (the equivalent of Michelin 2 ¾*)

For more elaborate review: http://zhangyuqisfoodjourneys.blogspot.com/2013/11/kagurazaka-ishikawa.html

For pictures only: https://picasaweb.google.com/118237905546308956881/KagurazakaIshikawaTokyoJapan#

[Smithy]

Thank you for posting about this.

[Bu Pun Su]

You're very welcome

And thanks for reading my report/review