The winter solstice is hard upon us; the days of wassail, mince pies and figgy pudding close behind. As is our custom, the final Food File column of the year is a tightly stuffed Christmas stocking of musings over 12 months of dining out. But before settling back and sifting through the fragrant lees of 2007, we would like to wish all Japan Times readers a very happy holiday season: Good fortune, good health and good eating!
One meal that stands out above all others this year was a superb dinner of modern Austrian cuisine at K.u.K. (that's pronounced something like "Kah unt Kah" and is the abbreviation for kaiser und konig, or "emperor and king").
Award-winning masterchef Shingo Kanda trained in Vienna, assimilated the classic recipes of the Austro-Hungarian Empire (1867-1918) and brings them up to the minute at his sleek restaurant close by the Tameike crossing and a short stroll from Kasumigaseki.