The blossoms have been popping, and ditto the pink champagne. We're not talking about hanami parties in Aoyama Cemetery — they were officially banned this year; nor the exclusive but oh-so-chilly opening party for Sakura Garden, out in the open space behind the Midtown Complex in Roppongi. No, the people really in the know were out celebrating the 10th anniversary of this column.
It was back in the postbubble, premillennial spring of 1998 that the first ever Tokyo Food File was served up on these pages, bubbling attitude and adjectives the way a plate of champinones al ajillo (Spanish garlic-fried mushrooms) spits oil.
Since then we've been eagerly eating our way around the city — and plenty further afield, too — always with single-minded intent: good food with no preconditions. Ramen or kaiseki; Japanese or not; modern, traditional, high end or low budget — there's only been one yardstick: Was it great?