Niku Kappō Jō Nishiazabu — Restaurant in Tokyo

Overall, I expected a more creative approach to the dishes, as the menu was seemingly unremarkable for a Michelin-starred restaurant. A varied approach to cooking the wagyu would have been nice too. The saving grace was the quality of the meat, but one could argue that the cooking itself was subpar. The most bothersome aspect was that I did not like the ordering of the dish it didn’t seem to have a clear vision portraying the meal.

Starting off with a vegetable dish was a good choice. While the mushroom and gelatin were delicious, they seemed more fitting for a seafood menu. Maybe it’s the American in me, but a grilled vegetable would’ve set the tone better and been more suitable.

The fish and sesame were also an odd choice for similar reasons. It didn’t fit well within the menu—I felt like it was put on there just for show. Because the fish already had no flavor, I would have preferred a stronger sauce. Sesame sauce has a nice smell, but in terms of flavor, it lacks depth, and its slightly grainy texture does not pair well with the fish. A clearer, more syrup-like sauce would have been a better pairing. The sesame sauce, however, would have definitely gone well with the meat cut instead, which confuses me as to why they didn’t use it there.

I really liked the cream cheese roll and the cured meat with truffles. However, I didn’t think all elements of this dish were able to shine. The cured meat, because of its saltiness, overpowered the truffles. The amount of cream cheese stuffing also overwhelmed the crispness expected of the roll. It would have been better if they had used less cream cheese and mixed the cured meat within the cheese itself.

I actually think the eel was a great appetizer leading into the meat course. It wasn’t too much of a fish dish like the earlier one; rather, it was more of an in-between choice.

I absolutely hated the spaghetti. I couldn’t believe my eyes when they brought it out—I was so confused. The cuisine didn’t fit, the flavors didn’t fit. It made zero sense why this was on the menu.

The donburi steak tartare was splendid. The texture was diverse with the uni, crab, and firefly squid, yet it blended together so perfectly—quite indescribably so. The flavors were very light, focusing on the fresh taste of seafood, which is how it should be.

The wagyu sashimi was my favorite dish. It was so buttery, basically melting in my mouth. It paired well with a sprinkle of salt or a very slight dip in soy sauce. I wasn’t a fan of the mustard.

The Katsu Sando was delectable. The bread was fluffy, and the sauce was flavorful, complementing the meat itself. I would have liked the panko crust to be crispier. This could have easily been achieved if, instead of covering the meat with sauce, they had only spread it onto the bread itself.

The cooked meat was delicious, especially with the black pepper. I think it could have been charred more to create a more fragrant scent.

The curry (which I forgot to take a picture of) was extremely spicy, so I couldn’t taste anything, really.

Ending the meal with soba noodles was a great choice; it was a light and simple conclusion. However, I was extremely upset when I found out the dish was supposed to have a beef wonton. I don’t remember if they specifically didn’t give me one or if they removed it from the menu for everyone. Either way, I felt like it was skimpy and very disappointing for an esteemed restaurant.

The mochi was lovely—possibly one of the best I’ve ever had. The pairing with green tea was a splendid choice.

Charging me $7 for water was insane though. The host was also a bit rude to me upon entering. His attitude in telling me that he’ll get to me in a bit before even asking what I was there for seemingly indicated to me that he thought I was at the wrong place (I was carrying a lot of shopping bags 🙈) but maybe I’m just reading too...

Booked through JapanEatinerary which was the first mistake because it upcharges compared to Omakase (this was my fault). It also signals to the restaurant that we are foreigners which evidently didn't help (more to come on that).

For a meal this expensive it just did not taste very good for the most part. We ordered a sake pairing but they only served two sake tastings for the entire meal, and the rest were wine!

The only course I thought was excellent was the uni rice bowl. The plain steak course itself was good but that should be a given for this type of restaurant. Everything else was unremarkable, and some of the dishes like the beef wonton soup and the beef curry were just flat out not good.

After the disappointing meal, we were presented with a check despite having pre-paid for our booking. I came to learn that the restaurant tacked on an additional 10% "service fee" for us that apparently was not included in our pre-paid package. It felt very much like tourist targeting, and in trying to explain the charge to me via Google Translate, they basically said to contact the booking website because they did not know why the charge was not already covered, which in retrospect seems to have not been true.

Altogether subpar food for the price + effectively ripping off tourists. I don't know how they have a star. I did not encounter this type of business practice at any of the other four Michelin guide restaurants I booked with the same platform...

I wish I could write well enough to accurately describe what was the highest point yet of my dining existence. But I don't. I'll try anyway.

Jo is small and intimate. We wanted our experience to be as "untainted" as possible so we shelled out for the private room. I don't know that it added much to the experience, but I personally was glad we did. Upped the intimacy level significantly. Small room but with a large table and plenty of room on either side. We are both lefties so it was nice to not sit at the counter/bar and worry about bumping elbows etc.

Our waiter was incredible. Explained each dish and wine/sake well and in very good English. We rarely if at all waited more than 5 minutes between courses. The alcohol parings were superb with ciders, wine and sake. I'm not even a big sake lover, but there were a couple that knocked my socks off.

The food? I won't bother trying. I know my limits. Suffice to say...again it was the best dining experience I've ever had. Each course was a perfect proportion with a perfect pairing. Fantastic pickled sakura leaf for dessert...incredible steak. My first experience with uni and this certainly was the place to have it.

If you're thinking about it, do yourself a favor and go. Don't fret the price. Its expensive yes but its quality you're happy to pay for. This kind of dining is what life is about....