Akasaka Tosaryori Neboke

Something different. Not accustomed to seeing Westerners, but I would highly recommend it. Set meal was excellent variety and value, and service was impeccable.

Visited March 2017

We spent some days in the Akasaka area of Toyko on a recent trip to Tokyo and had to find somewhere to each each night. The little streets around the Akasaka metro station are lively and there is lots of choice when you want to find a restaurant - that is if you speak Japanese. We don't, so walked u...p and down the streets aimlessly not able to choose. Eventually, I saw a tiny sign in the corner of a restaurant window which stated "English menu available". That was a sign we were glad to see. We went inside and were seated at a table in a busy restaurant by a lovely waitress whose name was Miyamoto San. Fortunately she spoke some English and was very helpful to us. The English menu appeared. It didn't seem to contain everything the Japanese menu showed but there was more than enough to choose from. After much deliberation, decided on the Ryomia Hot Pot. We know what a hotpot is in England but this was nothing like we expected. First a portable gas stove was set on the table, then topped by a pot full of boiling bonito broth. Next, a big plate of vegetables and tofu appeared, some bowls to eat from and a little container of spices. Lastly, a plate of chicken and thinly sliced pork was set on the table. Miyamoto showed us how to prepare the meal. The vegetables and meat were cooked in the boiling soup before being transferred to the individual bowls for eating. It was delicious and we were very hungry so it all disappeared. We thought we were finished but the the soup pot was replenished and a large plate of noodles were placed before us. Same drill a before - the noodles were cooked in the soup. This was a really different experience for us and the food was fresh and very tasty, if somewhat messy, so much so that we returned the following evening. This time we decided to have a selection of the smaller dishes. We sampled the seared bonito, so fresh it just melted in our mouths. Then we had seasonal tempura, a crispy, fresh tasting vegetable treat for the senses, some chicken wing gyoza with a stuffing that was mouthwateringly good. We had some deep fried chicken, crispy outside and succulent inside. We still had a little space left so we decided to try the alfonsino sushi. My husband, an avid fisherman, had never heard of this fish and when it appeared it was a delight to look at. Fresh white flesh with white skin and a red stripe down each piece. The whole experience was brilliant. We had managed to go into a Japanese restaurant where there were no other westerners dining. We had two truly delicious meals, made even better by the helpfulness of our lovely little waitress, Miyamoto. We even had a gift of two sets of coasters before we left. I had great difficulty finding the property to review on Trip Advisor as the only record we had of the address was in Japanese so I am very glad to be able to write this, thanks to Trip Advisor's efforts to find the property for me. It was a truly memorable experience, eating in this restaurant and we are grateful to the waitress, without whom iwe might not have spent two such wonderful evenings.

Visited September 2013