What a year it has been. Thankfully, the world of gastronomy hasn't followed the same spiral of sadness, frustration and despair as the political and popular music arenas. Even so, it's high time to get the Year of the Monkey off our backs with a rundown of some of the ups, downs, ins and outs at Tokyo's top restaurants.
In with the new
Among the exceptional openings this year have been a clutch of new and worthy sushi counters. Amamoto (03-6885-2274; 1-7-9 Higashi-Azabu, Minato-ku, Tokyo) stands out, by dint of chef Masamichi Amamoto's training in sushi at the excellent Umi in Aoyama and in traditional cuisine at some of Kyoto's top restaurants.