Fine Dining in Tokyo: yakumo saryo

Entering a world of blissful simplicity…

Nestled deep within a maze of nondescript residential streets in Meguro is the last place you would expect to find one of Tokyo’s most unforgettable dining experiences. And yet, once you arrive, you realise exactly why the location is so anonymous. The brainchild of Shinichiro Ogata – best known for his interior work on Andaz Tokyo which I featured here – yakumo saryo’s space and food is intentionally minimal, yet immaculately executed. There are no airs or graces here. No glitz or glam. The brand chooses to do no press, and dinner is by invitation only. Breakfast, open to the public, must be booked months in advance. It’s a dining experience in every sense of the word: as much about the atmosphere as it is about the beautiful kaiseki (seasonal, multi-course) food on offer.

Arriving for breakfast last weekend, Naoko and I were greeted by a maître d who led us to a beautiful dining room bathed in natural morning light, the only sound being that of a cast-iron kettle steaming beside us. Over the course of the next 90 minutes we were served a traditional breakfast menu including rice porridge, seasonal side dishes and meticulous wagashi (Japanese sweets). Sitting in silence, looking out over a pristine Japanese garden, it was hard to imagine a more perfect start to the day.