biodinamico(ビオディナミコ) — Restaurant in Tokyo

We walked in on a Tuesday evening and it was quiet. We were the only guests to be seated which should have been our first clue. The waiter brought out warm towels and water along with an English menu.

We ordered the cabbage and pork, Bolognese and steak.

There were more than enough wait staff standing around but none to come around and refill waters. They left a carafe of water for us so we just did it ourselves.

While waiting for our first dish, some customers were trickling in and we noticed that the wait staff would take their jackets. They did not do that for us.

The braised cabbage and pork came out in a cute little Dutch oven so I was excited. Unfortunately, the cabbage was over braised and mushy. The pork was cooked well but the whole thing needed a bit of salt.

We also ordered a side of bread which was just not good. It was almost like they under proofed the bread. If it wasnt piping hot, the bread would've been tough and dense.

Instead of the pasta coming out after that, the steak came out first. The steak itself was good but we were never asked what temperature we would've liked it. It came out rare but was tender enough to enjoy. Luckily there was some Maldon salt on the side to season it. Otherwise it would have been bland. It could have used some black pepper as well.

When the pasta came out, it was served in a ridiculously large bowl but the portion was small. The Bolognese almost seemed like the kitchen was trying to stretch out the sauce by adding under seasoned ground beef to it. The pasta itself was pretty good. Chewy, thick and al dente.

We paid about $200 for this meal and it just missed the mark in both service and food. It was such a disappointing dinner as it was one of our last meals in Japan.

As left, one of the hosts asked us how everything was. I mentioned that it was weird to serve the steak before the pasta and he said that it is how the Japanese like it that way. I don't know if that's true or not but I felt like that wasn't the...

I had to go nearby and went to a restaurant I was curious about. It seemed that reservations were not necessary, but when I checked, the restaurant was almost full, so I made a reservation and visited there. The restaurant is located on the third floor of a building, so it has a nice atmosphere, which is away from the noise but it is hard to find, which I would say is a drawback.

The food was not very varied let's say, but if you don't mind, there were a lot of unique dishes on the menu... I had the trevis and walnut insalata and the wood-grilled grass-fed beef sirloin. I was told that the salad was made with sweet fish (ayu) sauce. It was sour, but not fishy, and the orange provided a nice accent. The sirloin was very tender and of high quality, but it would have been better if the flavor could have been varied.

Furthermore, their service is noteworthy. The person in charge was very friendly and knowledgeable. He told me many stories so that I would not be bored, which made my time there very meaningful and enriching.

I will visit again if I...

Superb food and very earnest hospitality! Pasta is great and we love the clear Japanese accents which make it unique to this shop. The noodles, whether from Asakusa Kaikoro or handmade in-house, are all excellent. Do not gloss over the bone-in pork chop, the meat (Kofuku buta) is sourced from Fukudome Farm and is the best pork we have come across, nothing beats this quality, including the half of the Parisian 3* we have been able to try. Chef Yoshiomi Kuriyama does a perfect...