Kawada

Kawada (川田)

⭐⭐⭐

🇯🇵 Kaiseki / 📍 Ningycho

📓 Visits: 2 (2020)

Kawada-san previously worked at the introduction-only Iyuki which is an offshoot from the legendary Kyo Aji.  Only one, omakase, course is offered at JPY 25,000 plus tax and service.  Dishes are served to all diners simultaneously.

The 7-seat counter is quite long.  Impressively, Kawada-san does all the cooking himself in a tiny kitchen at one end of the counter.  The counter is raised so unfortunately you can't really see what he his doing.  He smiles and chats with regulars but because the counter is so long it's quite hard to make conversation unless you're at that end.  If you get there a little early then you should get the option to sit nearer to him and away from the entrance, which I imagine is drafty in winter.  No English is spoken, but despite the warning on Omakase, you'll be able to get by if you can't speak Japanese.

Food is served very much in the Kyo Aji style: expensive, highly-seasonal ingredients served as 11-12 small courses with no more than three items on the plate; then several bowls of takikomigohan and finally warabi moichi and kuzukiri.  You might want to ask for your rice to be served sukuname so you can try all the toppings without overloading yourself.

Looking back, I think my first meal was better than my second and I liked pretty much all the savoury items.  In my second meal, while everything was good, the only outstanding item was the chestnut and white fish 'chawanmushi'.  Most other things I could find fault in: the tai sashimi lacked flavour that could be improved by kobujime, the soup was good but not amazing, I don't think matsutake fry is the best way of serving matsutake, I felt the ikura wasn't the best quality or best prepared (confirmed when I had the ikura at Fujiyama two days later) and the rice wasn't the best.  Warabi moichi and kuzukiri are not really to my taste.  It takes about 2h15m before you get to dessert so on both occasions I politely declined the kuzukikri and left early.  There are pictures of the food on Tabelog that are approximately the same as what I ate in summer and autumn.

The other problem is reservations are taken via Omakase only, 5% is charged if you cancel at any time and 100% 7 days before.  Now perhaps there's some flexibility in that, especially for a return visit, but given that my second meal wasn't spectacular (and at this price it should be) and as there are some other places I'd like to try I didn't want the hassle of managing another advance booking and decided I would not return.

❓ My Rating: ⭐⭐⭐ 3.85

📌 https://tabelog.com/tokyo/A1302/A130204/13232330/

📱 Booking: 🟥 Difficult.  https://omakase.in/en/r/nq167875.  Slots for one are quite rare.

📍 Location:

B1F 1-5-5 Nihombashi Ningycho.  B1F multi-tenant building.  1 minute from Ningyocho station, A6 Exit.

Map data ©2021 Google

📅 Visit Autumn 2020

Zuiki; Hamo imushi; Ichijiku goma; Maitake, ginkan, ebi imo agemono; Kuri, guji chawanmushi; Tai otsukuri; Hamo, matsutake owan; Nodoguro yakimono; Matsutake fry; Fuyu melon; Ebi imo; Matsutake gohan; Ikura gohan; Tai goma gohan; Shirasu gohan; Shigureni gohan; Warabi moichi; (Kuzukiri)

💴 Damage: 35,400 incl. 3 drinks
⏱️ Time taken: 2h40m

📅 Visit Summer 2020

Uni, tai jelly; Hamo imushi; Zuiki; Torigai; Tomorokoshi, awabi tempura; Junsai; Tai, maguro otsukuri; Kegani owan; Ayu; Hamo somen; Tachiuo; Nishin nasu; Shin shoga gohan; Tai goma gohan; Tamago kake gohan; Shirasu gohan; Gyudon; Warabi moichi; (Kuzukiri)

💴 Damage: 31,350 incl. 4 drinks
⏱️ Time taken: 2h30m