Shinjuku Kappo NAKAJIMA — Restaurant in Tokyo

One thing I feel we don't see enough of at restaurants in the western world is to specialize in dish or ingredient and just make that one thing better than everyone else. Nakajima specializes in sardines. Before you brush off sardines due to a horrifying image of the tiny fish in cans, these sardines are prepared fresh and taste completely different.

I highly recommend that you look at the photos of the entrance if you plan to get there early as it's not easy to find if you cannot read Japanese & when there is no line. The restaurant opens at 11:30 am so I showed up at 11:10 am to queue up. I was the first one there, but within 5 minutes there was a line of over 10 people behind me. Right at 11:30 a hostess opens the door and asks how many in my party. Just as I hoped, I got seated right at 1 of the 10 seats at the bar where I can watch them prepare the day's meals. They also had 2 larger tables that look like they held about 8 people each and asked if diners wouldn't mind sharing tables.

Due to its popularity with foreigners, they have an English menu. Upon the suggestions of those online, I went with the furai (fried sardines) and the half order of sashimi. It took a little while for the food to come out, but I didn't mind as I always enjoy watching chefs prepare the meals. That is one thing I love about most Japanese restaurants and their open kitchen formats. It's mesmerizing to watch them do their magic with food.

My food came out and I couldn't wait to dig in. Seafood, more than other food, should be just left simple. Let the ingredients do all the talking for you. That is what Nakajima does with their fried sardines. They are lightly seasoned and presented with a side of Asian mustard. The sashimi, in my opinion, was the star of the meal. Again, this was presented very simply with very few ingredients. Let the fish do the work for you. It wasn't too fishy and had a perfect balance to it.

If I get a chance to return, I want to try the yanagawanabe (which is basically fried sardines then cooked with egg & onion). Most of the Japanese customers ordered this, and it smelled so good. I was almost tempted to ask my neighbor if I could try a little bit of it, but I restrained myself.

If you get a chance, make a stop for lunch as it's not every day you can have a Michelin starred meal for...

So I found Nakajima on several webpages on where to have cheap Michelin-star meals in Tokyo.

As mentioned, Nakajima is a Michelin star restaurant famed for its sardine dishes - sashimi, fried, simmered - various styles (I didn't know it can be eaten sashimi style!).

The star is probably for the full dinner service but lunch is definitely recommended for an experience at a top notch Japanese restaurant.

I already had my money's worth at the counter seat watching the chef (in my mind, the 'master') right in front of me chopping the sardines into thin slices and marinating with onions and sauces 'live' before they go to the customers. But lunch set was a ridiculous 800 or 900 yen (depending on style of fish you order) and most people, including me, top up for another style of sardine to savour.

In total, I paid 1250 yen for a lunch set ordering the Yanagawa style sardines (fried and then simmered in eggs and onions teppan-style) and a half side of sardine sashimi for the experience. For this price, you get an appetiser, miso soup, 2 servings of rice (you can ask for refill) and unlimited green tea.

As I say, this price is ridiculous - at Tokyo station or in Ginza, you can easily pay at least 1500-2000 yen for a simple lunch.

Queues form quite early but the turnover is pretty fast. Recommended to arrive 1100-1115 before the restaurant opens at 1130 and you should be able to get in at the first seating (otherwise, about a 30min wait).

Don't come for lunch thinking you will be blown out of the world with a Michelin meal (as a lot of reviews had mentioned). But seriously, go for it, probably the best value for money thing you would be...

I had heard great things about this Michelin-starred restaurant and was eager to try it on my brief visit to Tokyo. I arrived early on a Saturday evening and waited outside until the opening time of 5:30 pm. At that time, I went to the front door and slid it open to be met by the hostess who immediately asked if I had a reservation. Unaware that I needed a reservation, I said no. She told me I needed to make a reservation first and then immediately slid the door shut in my face. While she was direct and to the point about needing a reservation for dinner, she could have ended the conversation far better, without abruptly closing the door on a potential customer's face, and certainly far from the "omotenashi" hospitality that Japan prides itself upon. I have visited the country on many occasions, and been to high-end establishments as well as street vendor stands, and this was unfortunately the first time a restaurateur has treated me in this way. I doubt this is what the restaurant would want to be known for but this experience stood out enough for me to warrant writing about.

The lesson is that Nakajima does require reservations for dinner, not lunch. Yet, they could have been much nicer about how they conveyed...