Akasaka Kikunoi

Despite being in Tokyo, this place makes you feel like you’ve been transported to Kyoto. If you’re seated at the counter, you can enjoy a beautiful view of a garden, adding to the serene ambiance. The food is incredibly fresh and delicious, and they keep things exciting by changing the menu every month. A unique touch is getting to see the live fish before it’s prepared, showcasing their commitment to freshness. The staff are friendly and attentive, making the entire experience memorable.

It was the worst Michelin-starred restaurant that I have ever eaten so far. I seriously doubted the authenticity of all the positive comments. When I just entered the restaurant, there was a strong smell of burning charcoal which made me very uncomfortable. Fish should be grilled back in the kitchen rather than in front of guests. The appetiser was a crab jelly which was as salty as seawater. The cold-cut plate was poorly-presented. Taste was okay though. Sashimi was normal. Lobster sashimi was not matching with its miso sauce. The dried scallop inside the soup was very hard to bite. There was a sour green apricot in the soup which basically destroyed the taste of the soup. The grilled fishes were bitter, probably because the internal organs of the fish were not removed? The beef fillet of the main course was alright but the sauce was disastrous. It looked like curry but it tasted like mushroom and was way too thick in consistency and too much in volume. I didn’t even know what the green thing next to the beef was as the one serving us cannot speak English well. Grilled eel rice was great though. It was probably the best dish after-all. Dessert was a brown sugar ice-cream with some fresh fruits. It was soso. I can hardly believe it is a 2-starred Michelin restaurant given its mediocre taste, lack of creativity and yet very high cost. I would not recommend this restaurant people who have not tried a true starred restaurant before.

One of my favourite restaurants in tokyo and because it’s rather large, easier to get reservations 2 set menus to choose from each season, and regardless, each dish is very good to excellent. No worries about feeling hungry after the meal, there is a lot of food and the last carb dish will fill up your stomach. And the superb dessert is the perfect ending (milk ice cream with tofu mochi this time, unlike the lazy dessert like fruits) Excellent and friendly service of course

Staff was lovely but the food was baffling. Basically inedible and for the price it was shocking. Flavor profiles didn’t work at all for me. So many other better restaurants in Tokyo to try.