Kappo Ryu

Kappo Ryu (割烹 隆)

⭐⭐⭐

🇯🇵 Kaiseki / 📍 Minami-Aoyama

📓 Visits: 2 (2022-2023)

Kappo Ryu took over the premises that were vacated by Miyasaka which moved up the road in 2021.  Dinner is priced at JPY 22,000.  At lunch there were previously two options: a course priced at JPY 8,800 that's unfortunately no longer available, and tai chazuke.  The tai chazuke lunch was originally priced at JPY 2,200, went up by 300 yen in April 2023 and goes up again in January 2024 to JPY 4,000.  On my two visits I had each lunch option.

📅 Visit March 2023

Lunch 8,800

The best dish in the course was the otsukuri of sayori, hotaru ika, akagai, kuruma ebi, sumi ika and tairagai.  Two pieces of each and combined with kimisu and tosasu.  9.5/10.  My least favourite dish was the hamaguri somen, which I rated 8-7.5/10.  Everything else I scored 8-8.5/10.  Bold seasonings and excellent value at this price.

Shirao, warabi, nanohana, tamago
Hamaguri somen
Sayori, hotaru ika, akagai, kuruma ebi, sumi ika, tairagai
Amadai, kuro negi
Urui, uddo, seri, Kagoshima sirloin
Fugu karagge
Gindai takikomi gohan
Pudding

💴 Damage: 9,680 (8800 + 10%)
⏱️ Time taken: 1h30m

📅 Visit October 2022

Tai chazuke lunch 2,200

Rice is cooked to order and takes about 15 minutes so while you're waiting for that three starters.

First of all a perfect kabochya surinagashi (10/10).  Next dashi tamago yaki stuffed with gyusuji (7.5/10).  And finally before the main event tai karagge with nasu (8/10).

Tsuyahima rice from Yamagata was excellent.  The rice had a crust, or okoge, which might not be to everyone's taste.  There were about 12 large pieces of tai in the set.  The fish was fresh but on its own did not have much flavour.  There were two sauces, which can be refiled if you run out, a dark and stronger sauce using the same recipe as Uchiyama (review here) and a sweeter one on the left made from unrefined soy sauce and walnuts.  The tea is sencha which I much prefer over a harsh brown tea.

After the rice a choice of goma, matcha or black sugar flavoured pudding.  I chose goma.  It was rich, creamy, flavourful and large, but a bit one note, even with the side of kinako.

Any rice you can't eat will be made into tai soboro onigiri for you to take home.

This is probably the cheapest way to get all the service of a proper kaiseki restaurant at a fraction of the cost but you have to really like white rice and tai sashimi to really be satisfied with the food.

💴 Damage: 2,200
⏱️ Time taken: 1h15m

Chef Takahiro Otsuka previously worked at Uchiyama which held a Michelin Star from 2008 through 2018.  Chef and his assistant don't speak English but service is excellent and staff are friendly.  The restaurant is located in a windowless basement but I really liked the darkwood counter, gold placemats, black stone walls, lighting and features, the fixtures inherited from Miyasaka.

The course lunch I'd score 4.0, 5.0 on value.  The chazuke lunch I scored 3.7 in 2022.  Unless there's an improvement in the chazuke lunch I'm not sure I'd still score it 3.7 in 2024 when the price goes up.  Since the lunch course is no longer available and I don't intend to go back for the chazuke or dinner, and so Uchiyama scores higher (because the chazuke is better) I'll score the restaurant on my chazuke lunch visit in 2022 alone.  Given the history I expected Kappo Ryu to eventually get a Michelin Star but that hasn't quite happened (it's "Selected").  If you're looking for a cheap kaiseki lunch I'd recommend Kyorouri Aun (review here).  For an alternative chazuke lunch, see Uchiyama.

📌 https://tabelog.com/tokyo/A1306/A130602/13268571/

❓ My Rating: ⭐⭐⭐ 3.7

📱 Booking: 🟥 Reservations are required for the tai chazuke lunch.  A day in advance was sufficient in 2022 but looks like it's only served on Saturdays now and they are fully booked for now.  You can book by Tabelog or phone.  No English spoken.

📍 Location: 

B1F, 4-26-12 Minami-Aoyama.  8 mins South-East from the A4 Exit of Omote-Sando station.  Down the hill past the side of the Nezu Museum, just after the Ministop.
Map data ©2022 Google

📶 Free WiFi? ❌ No