Tag - restaurants

 
 

RESTAURANTS

Watami CEO Miki Watanabe (right) during a news conference in Tokyo on Friday
BUSINESS / Companies
Oct 25, 2024
Izakaya chain buys Subway Japan in challenge to McDonald’s
The Subway franchise has historically struggled to gain footing in the Japanese market, with just 178 locations compared to nearly 3,000 for McDonald’s.
Draft guidelines on take-home bags drawn up by the health ministry aim to change the behavior of both customers and restaurants, and reduce food waste.
JAPAN
Oct 18, 2024
Health ministry drafts to-go bag guidelines to cut down on food waste
Draft guidelines on take-home bags drawn up by the health ministry aim to change the behavior of both customers and restaurants, and reduce food waste.
The earth tones and suave furnishings of Sezanne's dining room come courtesy of Hong Kong designer Andre Fu.
LIFE / Food & Drink
Oct 17, 2024
Michelin stars awarded to 170 Tokyo restaurants
A glimmering constellation of coveted accolades lights the way for foodies and fine diners in the Japanese capital.
For one night in Tokyo last month, Daniel Calvert (left) and Quique Dacosta brought their wildly different culinary styles together into a remarkable service.
LIFE / Food & Drink
Oct 6, 2024
A meeting of Michelin minds at Tokyo's Sezanne
Daniel Calvert says no to most requests for pop-ups at two-Michelin-starred Sezanne — except when the chance to work with three-starred Quique Dacosta came up.
Cucina Salve's wild herb salad is a example of chef Hiroshi Tsubouchi's commitment to creating dishes with as little artificial additives as possible.
LIFE / Food & Drink
Sep 29, 2024
Neither allergies nor ADHD could stop chef Hiroshi Tsubouchi
A childhood of hardships led this Chichibu-based chef to embrace an organic philosophy for all his dishes.
Through trial and error, Tashi Gyamtso and his team meticulously selected a variety of herbs and vegetables best suited to Yufuin’s unique altitude, climate and soil conditions — and which now form the backbone of Jimgu's menu.
LIFE / Food & Drink / Destination Restaurants
Sep 22, 2024
Jimgu: A farm-driven restaurant of outstanding local variety
Three years before chef Tashi Gyamtso served his first meal at Jimgu, he arrived in Oita Prefecture to build the farm that stocks his kitchen today.
When it comes to a career in cuisine, chef Andreas Fuchs thinks newcomers will know within three months whether they want to commit to it or not.
COMMUNITY / Our Lives / 20 QUESTIONS
Sep 12, 2024
Andreas Fuchs: ‘I love that no two days are the same’
As the Grand Hyatt Tokyo’s executive chef, Andreas Fuchs is responsible for overseeing extensive menus across multiple venues.
At Sushi Kadowaki, a full list of New World wines offers a new way to enjoy a classic Japanese meal.
LIFE / Food & Drink / Kanpai Culture
Sep 1, 2024
To accompany your counter sushi, why not try a New World wine?
Chef Takatoshi Kadowaki isn't afraid to recommend a California wine to accompany your premium sushi dinner.
Three Tokyo restaurants claim to be the inventor of Japan's 'katsu karē' (breaded and fried pork served with Japanese curry), but Ginza Swiss' take (pictured) may be the most unique.
LIFE / Food & Drink
Aug 25, 2024
Japan’s dueling ‘katsu’ curry creators are just happy to see the dish thrive
1918? 1921? 1947? The dish’s origin is uncertain, but its popularity today both within and beyond Japan is unassailable.
The beauty of 'kaiseki' (Japanese haute cuisine), chef Shinichiro Takagi says, is that it represents the best elements of Japan's culinary traditional all working in tandem.
LIFE / Food & Drink
Aug 18, 2024
Shinichiro Takagi sees a way forward for fine dining in Japan
The two-Michelin-starred chef sees two ways forward for fine dining in Japan: fostering domestic talent and adapting to international diners.
Major Japanese restaurant chains posted solid earnings for the first half of the year or the quarter ended in June, as price increases boosted per-customer spending.
BUSINESS / Companies
Aug 15, 2024
Japanese restaurant chains post solid earnings
The chains successfully attracted customers after price increases by actively launching new menus and limited-time products.
At Suigian, an underground restaurant and bar focused on the traditional Japanese stage, diners can get within an arm's length of authentic Japan.
CULTURE / Stage
Aug 10, 2024
Suigian is everything Robot Restaurant was not
For the tourist willing to do a little homework and pay a slight premium, Suigian offers the possibility of cultural verisimilitude.
Chef Hironori Fujii moved his restaurant, Oryouri Fujii, to the Iwase district of Toyama City in 2019, finding the ideal setting in its historic surroundings.
LIFE / Food & Drink / Destination Restaurants
Aug 4, 2024
Oryouri Fujii: High-end Japanese cuisine in a picture-perfect Toyama setting
Chef Hironori Fujii will serve according to the seasons: ‘ayu’ (sweetfish) and ‘nodoguro’ (blackthroat perch) in summer; snow crab and yellowtail in winter.
The U.S. sushi market has grown to almost 1.6 times the size of the market in Japan, according to Sojitz.
BUSINESS
Jul 30, 2024
Japan's Sojitz buys U.S. sushi business in seafood expansion drive
Sojitz is aiming to boost annual net profit from seafood operations to ¥4 billion ($26 million) in the year to March 2027.
When it is in season, 'maguro' (tuna) from the Sea of Japan is one of the mainstay menu items at Tokiwa Sushi.
LIFE / Food & Drink / Destination Restaurants
Jul 21, 2024
Tokiwa Sushi: Niigata sushi master with a hometown, locavore focus
"Tuna from Niigata Prefecture is the mainstay of our menu, but it’s only available three months a year," chef Kosuke Kobayashi explains.
Don't let anyone tell you that when it comes to legitimate Mexican food, Tokyo is a culinary desert.
LIFE / Food & Drink / Top 5
Jul 14, 2024
Tokyo’s top tacos dispel the ‘no good Mexican food’ myth
Whether a casual bite from a counter restaurant or a more elegant affair, Tokyo’s tacos do not skimp on variety.
Essentially ramen broken down into a few constituent parts, 'tsukemen' was the creation of a Tokyo chef in 1961.
LIFE / Food & Drink
Jul 7, 2024
How Tokyo’s ‘deconstructed ramen’ became a national favorite
Like other twists on quintessential Japanese dishes, ‘tsukemen’ has a decidedly more modern origin than you might think.
Chef Hiroyuki Kosugi’s seasonal salad brings together 10 different local Okinawan vegetables, such as 'goya' (bitter melon), star fruit and 'urizun' (square beans).
LIFE / Food & Drink / Destination Restaurants
Jul 7, 2024
6 Six: Innovative French fare from an Okinawan paradise
"My aim is to create dishes that will not be outshone by the view outside my windows," says chef Hiroyuki Kosugi.
With the vegan lifestyle becoming more popular in recent years, Japanese restaurants and inns have begun to offer more vegetarian options.
LIFE / Language / BILINGUAL
Jul 4, 2024
Asking for food substitutions at a Japanese restaurant
If you're vegetarian, vegan or have some kind of allergy, then knowing how to ask about what you're eating is an essential skill to have.
Kenji Iikura (right), head chef at Akasaka Tantei, and manager Hibiki Kitazawa pose with Okinawan cuisine served at the restaurant in Tokyo.
JAPAN / Society / Regional Voices: Okinawa
Jun 17, 2024
How a Michelin-star Okinawan restaurant made a V-shaped recovery
A return to its roots — and Okinawan flavors — struck a chord with new and returning customers.

Longform

Figure skater Akiko Suzuki was once told her ideal weight should be 47 kilograms, a number she now admits she “naively believed.” This led to her have a relationship with food that resulted in her suffering from anorexia.
The silent battle Japanese athletes fight with weight