Kien

We stayed in Akasaka for a week on our way back home to Australia after spending a few months in Europe. We opted for the eight course Kaiseki lunch as dinner was fully booked and what an experience it was! Hiroaki Ishizuka is a master at work in his beautiful space and a gentleman through and throu...gh. I will never forget this experience. Everything was a delight, from the presentation and flavour of the first course through to the last.

Visited October 2025

Loved our kaiseki meal at Kien. So many flavours, and guidance through some very rare ingredients that are hyper seasonal. I particularly liked all the things they did with eel, as well as the different ways they cooked ayu. Their website mentions they have a Michelin star, but I can't find them in... the guide. Regardless, our meal was definitely at the standard of other One Star restaurants I have been to.

Visited July 2023

It was a very wet day in Tokyo, so what better to do than eat?! So pleased we found this tiny place (inconspicuously located in a small alley, unsigned, at the bottom of a small block of flats). Very traditional inside and we had our own tiny room to eat in. We were then presented with an 11 cours...e feast of beautifully prepared and presented, traditional food. The waiter had little English, but we got by and understood parts of the descriptions of our dishes. We accompanied the meal with a selection of 4 different sakes. All delicious! Perfect service, food and drink. An excellent experience.

Visited April 2023

Located just a few blocks from the towering ANA Intercontinental Hotel, Kien is a small, nondescript restaurant located on a narrow and low trafficked street. Somehow I knew walking up to the restaurant that this would be a special experience, and it was. I ordered a bottle of Sancerre while I await...ed my dinner companions. The first half of the 10-course tasting was well-suited for a white wine and Japanese food in general is highlighted best by a bit of sweetness, which this Sancerre was. The Sancerre was a great choice, but you'll notice there are very few options on the wine menu so this is probably by design. Each of the courses was beautiful and photo worthy. You can skip the photos but I indulged, mainly so that I could preserve the experience. About mid-way through the meal, after many "this is amazing" proclamations, each of us acknowledged and gave thought to our privilege and sincere gratitude for being able to dine in a restaurant as thoughtful and amazing as Kien. In that way, I suppose the meal was rather humbling. I am fortunate to have eaten at many fine dining establishments over my life, but few will be as memorable as Kien. We all left feeling a sense of gratitude I have not recognized in awhile. That is something special. I hope you will have the good fortune and luck as I had to spend an evening at Kien.

Visited November 2019

We’re family of 3, and we booked private dining for lunch . It’s the best meal we had in Tokyo and for what you get it’s very good value .

Visited October 2019