Shishikura — Restaurant in Tokyo

It was a cold night and we wanted to have shabu shabu for dinner. Found this quaint little neighbourhood restaurant whilst scrolling through google maps nearby our hotel as we didn’t want to walk too far in the cold. We were served even though we did not make any reservations. The chef was very welcoming and recommended an a la carte seasonal crab dish as a starter. This particular crab is only available during December and the one served was an end of season crab which was only available today.

We had the Kagoshima beef set. The broth was flavourful and the beef was melt in your mouth tender. The vegetables given were very fresh and tasted very good with the ponzu sauce. I particularly enjoyed the enoki mushrooms as I never had such a perfect blend of flavours when eating enoki mushrooms.

As we didn’t realise that the vegetable portions were so generous, we ordered rice with our meal beforehand and couldn’t finish. The owner kindly offered to use the rice to make onigiri (rice balls) for us to bring back to eat at a later time.

We also tried some of the udon which was springy and tasted good with the beef broth, which by the end of the meal had a natural sweetness from the beef. We were given a small mikan (Japanese citrus) for dessert and the sweet and sour taste was a good end to a delicious meal (kind of like having sorbet after...

Tucked away along a quiet walkway in what feels like a neighborhood corner, this small Japanese shabu-shabu spot is a true hidden gem. Though service started off a bit slow, every part of the experience quickly became fantastic AND the staff were kind and attentive, even with the language barrier, which never posed an issue.

Holy deliciousness, mannn I am so grateful to have stumbled upon this place! The quality of the meal was phenomenal: the meat practically melted in my mouth, the rice was perfectly cooked, and the overall atmosphere made it one of the best dining experiences I’ve had in Japan. Hands down, the best shabu-shabu I’ve ever eaten. I’m absolutely saving this spot to come back to again.. and again, fellow big backs beware the cost BUT note it is absolutely worth it for the quality...

This is a quaint neighbourhood restaurant with only four tables.

We had one beef and one pork set which included veggies, Japanese udon to enjoy the broth at the end, and delicious Sakura (cherry blossoms) ice cream for dessert. It was our first experience with shabu-shabu. Our hosts were very, very kind and patient from beginning to end. Although they only spoke a few words of English (more than the two words of Japanese I speak!), they made us feel very welcomed. They showed us how to get going and kept coaching us as needed.

I would most definitely go there again if I...