Sanyo Akasaka Boulevard, 3-5-2 Akasaka Minatoku
Tokyo, JP 107-0052
03-3505-5052
www.aroniadetakazawa.comHours: Mon-Sun, 6pm to 9pm
Most chic restaurants start small, build buzz, and then eventually expand, shedding some of their “hard to get into” panache for a more accessible, democratic vibe. Such was the case for Aronia de Takazawa. When the boutique restaurant opened in 2005, it had just two tables. Last May, after building a worldwide reputation, the tiny restaurant grew … to three tables. Now simply called Takazawa, Chef Yoshiaki Takazawa stands in his open kitchen before a small enclave of lucky diners each night, like an arbiter deciding their fates. Takazawa is a stern judge of ingredients—devoted to using local product—and an insightful executor of flavor and creativity. His Ratatouille dish (one of the oldest on the menu) retains the color but expands on the essence of the simple country stew; other dishes employ molecular twists, such as his Medicine, a tree-bark digestif shaped like a little yellow pill. Even his towel service delights, as servers inflate dehydrated towel disks with hot water. Getting on Takazawa’s docket is the difficult part, however, as reservations sometimes book up to six months in advance.
Recommended Dishes:RatatouilleSea: Hairy Crab, Shirauo, Abalone, Whelk, Sea Urchin, Dashi Stock Jelly, and Lemon FoamStone Pavement: Mascarpone Cheesecake, Green Yuzu, Matcha Powder, and Green Tea Ice Cream
