Chef Akio Makimura prizes tradition over showiness. His emphasis is on bringing out intrinsic flavours and he spares no effort in extending hospitality to his guests. The soup is the centrepiece of the menu and includes ingredients such as hairy crab, prawn and scallop shinjo – all of which the delicate broth goes well with. From time to time, he will come up with rare combinations such as beef and truffles to create new tastes based on his original ideas.

The elegant dining room, pleasant service, highly skilled sommeliers and other features make this one of Japan’s world-class restaurants. The founder of the restaurant said, “Everything must be rich”.Olivier Chaignon visits the production areas himself to select the best ingredients and puts them together in beautiful modern dishes. His philosophy is to catch up with and overtake France in his dishes. We can’t wait to see his next idea.

L’Effervescence

• 2-26-4 Nishiazabu, Minato-ku, Tokyo, 106-0031, Japan
• ¥¥¥¥ · French

In line with its guiding concept of ‘Japanese spirit drawing on Chinese learning’, chef Tomoya Kawada bases his cuisine on Chinese cooking while paying homage to both Chinese and Japanese cuisines. He holds that true flavour is found in the lightness of taste that comes from combining dishes cooked in water and over a flame; the ‘Kippin Kanpo’ made with Sanriku awabi is a speciality that embodies this. The Chinese dishes here are sublime, imbued with a Japanese je ne sais quoi.

Fumio Kondo sets a modern example for Edomae tempura. He was one of the first to put the focus on vegetables, elevating their status from that of a side dish. Two examples are the shredded carrots fried in a pot and arranged like fireworks, and the cylindrical sweet potatoes made to resemble those baked on hot pebbles. He has had great success going where none has gone before.

A typical meal might begin with the subtle flavour of white fish, followed by red fish, then chu-toro. After gizzard shad for the sourness come richer flavours such as horse mackerel or shrimp, then mackerel marinated in vinegar to cleanse the palate; uni and anago follow. The changes in flavour are carefully calibrated for the aftertaste that lingers in between. Underneath chef Takashi Ono’s strict demeanour toward his apprentices lies a gentle affection.

Owner-chef Seiichi Honda’s sublime traditional Spanish dishes have gone through his own filter. Lightly smoked over grapevines, the caviar is prepared with a Spanish technique using charcoal and firewood. The foie gras and sherry appetiser is a masterpiece born of a food culture that prizes emulsified sauces. His techniques have evolved by his applying his own ideas to his experience in Spain.

Fourth-generation owner-chef Yusuke Nomura serves shojin ryori, not for religious reasons, but because he wants people to enjoy it and his hospitality. Here not being a Buddhist temple, katsuo-bushi is used to season the dashi. Incorporating Western vegetables and serving vegan dishes is a testament to his training in French cuisine before he took over the family business. While traditional cuisine forms the mainstay, he has a keen eye for the contemporary.