Nakashima Ryori — Restaurant in Hiroshima

Wow. Sugoi. Subarashii.

Words cannot describe what an experience this restaurant has given my fiancé and I. The 3 Michelin Star description is "exceptional cuisine, worth a special journey.". This was exactly how the course went. We are from Canada, and just got engaged and this experience solidified an already incredible experience.

The 3 (non-chef) staff at the restaurant were all so attentive, asking throughout the night whether we needed anything, refilling our tea or water without us asking, explaining the dishes and the plating to us. The head server (bless her heart) spoke a little bit of English, and did an incredible job making us feel welcome and kept up to pace.

The entrance is a non-desript door that opens into an incredibly curated and designed wooden interior with the plates and wood carvings on display. The lighting is bright but gentle as to not be uncomfortable. The food is plated in front of you mostly by the chef who is so busy checking the back kitchen, starting on the next course, etc. The staff waits until you are finished your course before removing and resetting your placemat for the next course.

The whole process from start to finish was a work of art, and the focus of the chef was palpable. Some reviews stated that the chef wasn't nice, was rude, etc, but he was just focusing on his art form. At the end, when the courses were finished, the chef was busy cleaning and resetting the counters and the back kitchen, but you can tell he relaxed a lot and was more interactive.

The food was so good. That's all I can say. The depth of flavor, the order, texture, plating. Wow. W. O. W. The menu is almost comical that it gives such a simple description of each course when the actual story, work and effort behind it could probably be written until a novel AND the menu constantly changes. You can tell the Chef and the staff are proud to work there and they should be.

Finally, you even get a souvenir from the restaurant that was made by the Chef's father who has a hobby with painting. Which added an even more personal touch.

You have to go there if you're in the Hiroshima area. Just be sure to reserve...

Definitely recommend making a reservation at least one month in advance and showing up on time. It was a 10 course meal that took about 2.5 hours.

This is an incredible 12 person seater, Michelin- starred restaurant. The wait staff are incredibly friendly and the service is phenomenal. The staff would kindly explain in their best English not only the dish but also the origins behind the porcelain dish ware (some are several hundred years old!)

The food was clean, simple, yet elegant. Unlike many other Michelin restaurants, there seemed to be only one chef (at least that we could see) doing a lot of the plating and real time cooking. As such each dish was relatively simple but tasted phenomenal. The sashimi was particularly well done. The only thing if I could critique would be the dessert but by that point I was so full that it didn’t matter much anyways.

Overall would strongly recommend if in the...

The setting is intimate, the care in preparation and presentation impeccable, and the food is absolutely, positively exquisite. What is amazing about all of this is that the preparation and style is simple with the chef selecting the best fish, vegetables, and local ingredients and then letting each shine. The service is attentive and enthusiastic about the food and the serving pieces. We learned more about antique lacquer Japanese bowls in this meal then in any shopping expedition. The same went for each type of fish or vegetable that we ate - which enhanced the experience for us. Each broth and sauce was delicate, yet complex and filling. The fish dishes used traditional preparation with the grilled fish being a highlight. The wine/beer/sake pairings were also perfect - with a new, local fall-release sake option completing...