Kagurazaka Ishikawa
Fine dining restaurant · Shinjuku ·
Traditional Japanese cuisine true to nature, free from artifice
Traditional Japanese cuisine true to nature, free from artifice
"Hideki Ishikawa’s guiding principle is ‘mui-shizen’: serve cuisine that is true to nature, free from artifice. Flavours are light, respecting each ingredient. Simplicity makes presentations all the more impressive, with consideration for harmony among flavours. Niigata rice is cooked fresh and served in earthen bowls, imparting the taste of the chef’s homeland. Kitchen and service staff work together with the practised solidarity of a well-rehearsed team." - Michelin Inspector
"The former geisha district of Kagurazaka is worth exploring at any time, but especially as evening falls on the atmospheric narrow alleys. Even more so if you’ve booked yourself into Ishikawa for an extended, multicourse kaiseki dinner. Hideki Ishikawa’s impeccable cuisine, superb quality ingredients, and gracious welcome have won him three well-deserved Michelin stars and a host of admirers around the world." - Yukari Sakamoto, Robbie Swinnerton
"Like all kaiseki restaurants, Ishikawa is all about details. It's held on to its three Michelin stars since the red book made its Tokyo debut in 2008, and the super-refined cuisine is all about top-quality Japanese ingredients. The 10-course tasting menu is a paean to the seasons: baby sweetfish the size of your pinky in summer, deep-fried croquettes made with sea turtle and lotus root in winter. Ishikawa has a winning way with grilled fish, which pairs with the impressive selection of sake and wine. On a recent visit, horsehead snapper was buttery with perfectly crisped skin. But the clay-pot rice dish with scallops, presented tableside by the chef, stole the show." - Melinda Joe
"Within the Ishikawa Group, Kagurazaka Ishikawa reflects chef Hideki Ishikawa’s mentorship and values: he trains many young chefs and creates opportunities for them to become head chefs, pays attention to the sustainability of food and the natural environment, and has all staff participate annually in a rice farming experience project to pass on the importance of the connection between food and the climate." - MICHELIN Guide Asia
"He has also spent time in the kitchen at Michelin-starred Tokyo restaurant Kagurazaka Ishikawa (and earlier at New York’s wd~50), experience that informs his technical approach and ambitions." - Lauren Saria
