barrier（バリア） — Local services in Kanazawa

Visually, barrier is stunning - both the decor and the presentation of the food are a spectacular piece of art. In the end, however, it is still a restaurant, and unfortunately both I and my partner felt that both taste and quantity of the food were lacking. We had so many amazing meals in Japan - some expensive, some cheap, some cooked by elaborate Michelin starred kitchens, some prepared by a single passionate person running a miniscule restaurant. At barrier, the food was OK but nothing wowed us, nothing was so good that we would like to eat it again. I had amazing broth at a temple restaurant and many ramen places - also at barrier the broth plays an important role but it was quite bland (both in its regular and its vegetarian version). Similarly, the sushi and warm dishes were underwhelming. To make things worse, portions are tiny even by Japanese standards - in particular the ramen is a joke, or more precisely, a table spoon full of noodles! When we left the restaurant, we were still so hungry that we went straight to Ippudo for s second meal! Finally, service was ok but there were several small slippages (e.g., drink orders were mixed up, and when I ordered a second tea that was different from my first one, the waiter brought a new cup but then curiously failed to replace my dirty cup). Also, when after the first order you want to drink more, you cannot just ask a waiter but have to place the order through a website - yet accessing the website was a pain because barrier's internet access point is password protected and the restaurant didn't provide us the password. So all in all I would say: If you want to experience the artistic presentation but are unfussy about food, you probably are happy and get away with a memorable hour and some nice pictures. If you are looking for memorable food, however, I cannot really...

We had a wonderful dining experience and were very satisfied with Courses A, C, and the Vegetarian Course. I personally chose Course A and was impressed by the variety and balance of flavors. The braised pork belly with roasted spring Brussels sprouts was especially delicious—rich, tender, and beautifully complemented by the vegetables. The pan-seared Spanish mackerel with nanohana and yuzu pepper flavor was also a standout, offering a light, citrusy finish to the course.

My girlfriend selected Course C and thoroughly enjoyed every dish. The smoked yellowtail with grilled seasonal asparagus was a favorite of hers—elegant and flavorful. She also mentioned that the shrimp dumplings with young bamboo shoots had a wonderfully delicate texture.

Her parents both had the Vegetarian Course, and they were very impressed with the creativity and taste of each dish. The new onion and miso potage was comforting and full of umami, while the lotus root dumpling was both beautiful and flavorful. They also appreciated the thoughtful inclusion of soy-based tantan ramen and the seasonal pressed sushi.

The microgreen ice cream for dessert was a refreshing and unique end to our meal. On top of the incredible food, the ambiance of the restaurant was serene and elegant, making our evening truly memorable. We’re grateful for such a...

This was a really difficult place to review. The staff upstairs were friendly (not so much on our welcome, they didn't have our booking on their system and we felt really awkward upson arrival having to pull up our booking email). The presentation was really impressive. Lovely stone wear and pretty boxes. Unfortunately, the food was incredibly tasteless and bland. For an appetiser it was deep fried sardines. Just crispy, slightly oily tasting fish. Almost verging on burnt and gritty. The "main courses" consisted of 3 dishes you add broth to. The broth was very mild, like slightly stronger than normal water. The vegetables were incredibly fresh, but there was no flavour to literally anything. The broth, the sushi, the meat, the soups - nothing had any sort of flavour. We were hoping to be blown away but I'd much rather have eaten cheap ramen from a chain. It's such a shame as it was beautiful, but also we were upstairs on the floor which was very tasteful, but uncomfortable. I understand they are trying their best, but for the price it's not good enough. Do...