Ginza Kitagawa

Ginza Kitagawa (銀座 きた川)

⭐⭐⭐⭐

🇯🇵 Kaiseki / 📍 Ginza

📓 Visits: 1 (2022)

Along with Azabu Muroi, Ginza Kitagawa was the hottest kaiseki opening in Tokyo in 2022.  Kitagawa-san was previously right-hand-man at Ginza Shinohara, one of the most popular kaiseki restaurants in Tokyo.  Knowing that this was going to be a difficult reservation I made mine early.  The course was JPY 30,800 when the restaurant opened but increased in price to JPY 33,000 in March 2023. 

Pictures of an identical meal in a Tabelog review from the same month I dined in.  I didn't score the dishes because everything was fine and there were no serious faults.  The best and most memorable dishes were the grilled suppon and the TKG, which was like fried egg on rice.  You could have refills of all the rice dishes.  But other than that which I mentioned there was nothing outstanding.  The ise ebi tempura was really lacking in flavour.  The beef was possibly a little greasy.  The chestnut dish, mizu yokan and even the final item of matcha I'd all had better versions of elsewhere.  Much has been made of Kitagawa-san's stints at Ginza Oishi, Sushi Namba Hibiya, Sushi Ryujiro and Naruse.  Those are dream internships and I have no doubt Kitagawa-san learned a lot, but looking back (as I wasn't looking for it while there) I didn't detect anything in the food that was the result of learning the signature style at one of those top 10 restaurants over the training you might get at any other top 50 or top 100 sushi or tempura restaurant.

The fit-out is expensive and panels open to give you a view of the back kitchen, unless, as I was, you're seated at the tip of the L-shaped counter.  For a while I wasn't sure who the sous-chef was and who Kitagawa-san was as he lacked a bit of presence.  Perhaps that shouldn't be such as a surprise as towards the end of the meal Shinohara-san came in and stole the show.

It was early days when I visited so there's plenty of time for Kitagawa-san to come out of Shinohara-san's shadow.  No English was spoken on my visit.  You get a menu of all the dishes (in Japanese).

I would expect Ginza Kitagawa to get at least one Michelin Star (indeed it did), Tabelog Awards in the years ahead, many regulars and for this to always be at least a moderately difficult reservation.  It's been too long since I visited Ginza Shinohara so I can't compare the two but, as with Shinohara, I think the Tabelog ratings are a function more of hospitality than precision of cooking.  If you haven't eaten much kaiseki and are looking for quantity over quality you should leave Ginza Kitazawa very satisfied.  But kaiseki is a food genre where I feel like if you're going to spend that much time and money "good" is not good enough and the words you should be reaching for are 'flawless', 'outstanding', 'sublime' and 'knockout'.  I don't think those words would come to mind when it comes to Ginza Kitagawa, even in a few years time.

📌 https://tabelog.com/tokyo/A1301/A130101/13275790/

❓ My Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ 4.1

📱 Booking: 🟧 Irregular availability by phone or Omakase.  You can book again following your meal.

📍 Location: 

3F Marionie Dori Ginza Kan, 2-10-11 Ginza.  1 min from Higashi-Ginza station Exit A8, Ginza-itchome station Exit 11 or 2 mins from Ginza station Exit A13.  Same building as Ginza Oishi.  3F multi-tenant building opposite Tenya.
Map data ©2021 Google

📅 Visit October 2022

Kue, kobachya surinagashi
Hassun: sumibiyaki kamo rosu yasai no yaki hitashi, akagai, anago, hiragai frit, kegani
Cauliflower, uni, awabi, hotate, vinegar jelly, edamame
Kue kobujime, smoked caviar
Hokkigai nama-age, sansho
Owan: hamo, matsutake
Toro aburi temaki
Tachiuo sumiyaki, kuri paste
Ise ebi tempura
Kuri, kikka-an
Suppon yaki, kaki shira-ae
Kobe hire gyu-niku sumiyaki, koro-imo
Tenbara
Pickles
Shinmai, inoshishi, dashimaki tamago
Miso soup
Mizu yokan
Matcha

💴 Damage: 32,000 inc. one bottle of water
⏱️ Time taken: 2h45m