When the man behind a major new restaurant is a kabuki actor, it's inevitable that there's going to be strong public interest. When that actor happens to be Ichikawa Ennosuke -- the flamboyant superstar of his self-styled "super kabuki" -- you can expect the buzz to be massive.
And so it has proved. Since its opening last month (on the numerologically significant date of 2/2/02), Umaya has been drawing as many full houses as Ennosuke's celebrated stage appearances. Part of the attraction for some people is no doubt that heady, second-hand whiff of celebrity. But for the Food File there are far more compelling reasons for checking it out: good, straightforward food at accessible prices -- and all in a very attractive setting.
It has a great location, up above the busy fray of the main Akasaka grid. You make your way down a quiet, pedestrian-only street, through a simple wooden gateway and into a narrow garden. The building is large and new, but given a stylish modern wabi-sabi design treatment, both inside and out.