HorikawaHoterunyuotani

My wife and I had the most wonderful classic tempura meal at Horikawa. We sat at the counter and watched as the chef prepared each piece individually, then served it to us. As we finished each piece, he would the prepare the next. this is the best way to enjoy tempura, one fresh piece at a time. It ...was wonderful. A note: if your are staying at the New Otani hotel where this is located and make reservations from your room, you can receive a discount, but please ask for it at the time of the reservation.

Visited January 2020

At lunchtime Horikawa also offers classic Japanese food in a simplified (fewer courses) kaiseki style. It was without doubt some of the prettiest food I have ever seen. Expect to pay top prices for this high-end 'art food'. The food is not only beautiful but provides a unique taste experience, if no...t much to eat! I don't like 'big food' so this was not an issue.

Visited September 2018

We enjoyed an evening meal at the counter and watched the chefs cook each individual piece of fish and vegetable in tempura with precision and care. A delicious meal.

Visited May 2017

I visited this restaurant for lunch on the day of an earthquake, a large aftershock to the 2011 Fukushima massive quake. You would never have known anything had happened in the morning. I was seated at the bar and watched the chef prepare my meal. With a small bottle of beer, my meal cost $32 US . ...The experience of watching the chef cook my meal was delightful. I received two small shrimp , two separately cooked shrimp heads, 3 small green peppers , one piece of kabocha , and the piece de resistance, a shiso-wrapped oyster. This meal was served with a small bowl of rice, a cup of tea and a bowl of broth. A dipping sauce was provided and also something new to me :green tea and salt in which to dip the tempura. On the upside, the food was delicious. Sitting at the bar, you do not experience any wait time between the hot oil and your plate, so one must exercise some caution before eating. I did happen to burn my mouth because I was too eager to taste the food. My favorite parts were the shrimp heads, the shiso-wrapped oyster and the kabocha. On the downside, I left the restaurant hungry. I do not have a huge appetite but I could have used a few more vegetables at least. There was a larger prix fixe tempura meal available, and in retrospect, I should have ordered it. The wait staff was very attentive and polite and at least one of them spoke excellent English. The chef maintained his professional distance. Would I recommend this? A qualified yes. You may also order sashimi in this bar and the quality of the food was excellent. If you prefer to eat more food, I would suggest someplace else to eat or ordering the larger meal. That being said, the new Otani hotel is a Class Act. I hope to stay there someday. They have 32 restaurants to choose from, each specializing in a different type of Japanese Cuisine; some feature French and Chinese cuisine.

Visited November 2016

We participated in an excellent gourmet experience teppanyaki eating. The chef served us elegantly different dishes, soup, salad, fish, meat with grilled vegetables. It is expensive but worth it. The restaurant has separate dining also according to the food you want.

Visited September 2016