Image above: The master, the single chef-proprietor who cooked everything in this restaurant, carefully slicing up shirako (cold milt). He offered no food menu but served a daily-changing selection of dishes based on his preferences, the season, and the availability of ingredients. [Saturday 31 January] | [View all photos]
Arriving back in Tokyo, Raina took me out to this authentic restaurant for our final dinner together before I returned to London.
In contrast to all the neon-lit restaurants and bars we walked past, she took me to Shinbashi Yoshino and its completely unassuming entrance that was starkly simple by comparison.
What set Yoshino apart was that there was no food menu to order from. Instead, the chef-proprietor served a series of dishes that he felt were the best for the day based on the season and the availability of ingredients he get hold of. And he single-handed cooked everything himself so that he could make each dish to perfection with only a runner to help serve dishes and pour out the sake.
The dishes we enjoyed were:
- Mushroom with spinach and black sesame
- Shirako (cod milt) in ponzu
- Buri and hirame sashimi with salt and wasabi dressing
- Sawara (grilled fish) with lime and grated daikon
- Sweet potato potage
- Fried tofu with bamboo shoot
- Chawanmushi (steamed egg)
- Claypot crab rice with miso soup
I loved pretty much everything about this place. The quality of the food for starters and the obvious care shown with each dish. The boutique nature of the restaurant which made you feel you were eating somewhere special. The level of attention throughout down to the sake menu that had been individually selected. A uniquely Japanese dining experience I’ll remember for a long time and it’s easy to see why it’s Raina’s favourite place for dinner.
I could definitely see him, after hours, trying new ideas out for the next day’s menu and loving it. Quite inspiring to meet someone so passionate and so controlled about what he does to create this exquisite culinary experience.
After such a lavish meal, Raina and I finished of the evening with a chat and drinks at the top of our hotel, the Prince Park Tower, with a commanding view of Tokyo Tower and the cityscape before calling it a night.
So that completes my Japan trip and all that remains is my thanks to Raina for creating some memorable moments on this trip!
