Na Camo guro — Restaurant in Tokyo

Behind a mysterious industrial looking green door and up the stairs, you'll find this hip Mogami duck restaurant. It's dark and moody with smooth jazz playing softly in the background. An open kitchen with counter seating and four cooks working hard.

I love duck, and I'd heard about the famous Mogami duck, but I've never tried it. Plus, I hadn't eaten anything all day. So, I decided to splurge and order the full omakase set menu. It was a good decision. The meal deserved six stars.

First, a small amuse bouche appetizer: a silky smooth duck liver mouse with a smidge of raspberry puree, served on some crisp wafers. It was fine, nothing special, a bit under seasoned, so I started to worry that the meal would be mediocre.

Next: an appetizer course that included a rolled duck breast with fennel and a tomato sauce, it had a slightly cured chewiness and just enough lingering saltiness. The pineapple gazpacho was fruity, creamy and refreshing, an acceptable blend of sweet and savory. The duck and basil risotto ball was crisp on the outside and dominated with heavy umami parmesan cheese. The lamb and mustard chiffon cake was the star of this plate: soft and pillowy, with little crispy chunks of duck fat and just a light mustard seed essence. In combination, they were great, but nothing really blew my mind.

Then they brought me the charcoal grilled duck breast with edamame herbs. Okay, this was incredible. Peppery delicate greens, rich and juicy duck breast cut in bit size chunks, a flaky black salt crunch. I could eat it all day. It was everything I love about duck, but with a an interesting flavor profile that sparked my curiosity. I started thinking about how to describe it.

The duck tartar with sea urchin, caviar and egg yolk was next level delicious. I mean, with sea urchin, caviar and egg yolk everything tastes good. You'd think those flavors would be overpowering. But the slightly gamey flavor of the duck really came through with gentle earthiness, somehow becoming the delicate part of this dish. Who knew duck could be subtle and delicate?

For sukiyaki, they brought a personal burner with a hot cast iron pan. A plate with duck breast, leg slices, and tsukune meatballs. Also eggplant, baby corn, leaks and chives. My server put duck fat into the pan, rendering it, and then he cooked everything for me. The flavors were so simple. Just soy and egg yolk to add some oomph. The Mogami duck flavor came through so clearly here. Hard to describe. Earthy tones, some nuttiness and maybe some hints of ground coffee. The eggplant soaked up the duck fat, the leaks and chives cut through the rich fattiness with a vegetal crunch.

Next I had duck ramen. The broth had strong dried mushroom notes, which accentuated the Mogami flavor. I like that all the salt was in the noodles, not the broth. It was a heavy body broth, strong gelatin, but not too much fat. An admirable accomplishment with duck broth.

Finally: a sweet milk gelato with a duck shaped sugar cookie on top. And a glass of chilled basil tea. A refreshing finish to an exceptional meal.

Don't hesitate. This place is fantastic. Not cheap....

We went there to celebrate my partner's birthday dinner, and it was truly an amazing experience! I had made a reservation and pre-ordered a course for two. Upon arrival, we were given the opportunity to choose our appetizers and main dishes. While we considered wine pairing, given the knowledgeable staff, we ultimately decided to get a bottle. From start to finish, every dish was incredibly delicious and made our mouths water. As avid duck lovers (that's why we chose this place!), we were blown away by the thoughtfully cooked duck dishes. We are definitely coming back here when we return to Japan!

Furthermore, the service was impeccable. The staff was professional, yet approachable and friendly. It added to the overall exceptional...

Wow. What a hidden (literally) upscale surprise in nakameguro. The course for dinner is very affordable when thinking about the quality , service and atmosphere... It's a steal. Great for celebrations or a date. If you want to impress someone important to you, bring them here.

All the dishes were honestly really tasty. The only one I was a little let down on was the hojicha dessert at the end. Cash and credit 💵💳 accepted. Reservation recommend. Minimal English here but you'll...