Katsuo Shokudo

Breakfast restaurant · Shibuya ·

Katsuo Shokudo

Breakfast restaurant · Shibuya ·

Hand-shaved bonito flakes served over rice with miso soup

Information

Japan, 〒150-0032 Tokyo, Shibuya, Uguisudanicho, 7−12 GranDuo渋谷 B1 Get directions

¥1,000–2,000

@michelinguide

48,380 Postcards · 8,030 Cities

Where to Stay and What to Eat in Tokyo's Most Popular Neighborhoods

"Many people visit this popular restaurant to enjoy rice topped with generous portions of dried bonito flakes—shaved with painstaking care. The restaurant closes for the day when everything has been sold, so you’ll want to line up in the morning with an empty stomach." - The MICHELIN Guide

https://guide.michelin.com/en/article/travel/neighborhood_guide_tokyo_en

Katsuo Shokudo

@michelinguide

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"The eye is drawn to the shaver placed at the centre of the counter. The chef first encountered katsuobushi through the deliciousness of miso soup prepared by her grandmother. Overlaying her own image with that of her grandmother, she gently encloses the katsuobushi in both hands and shaves it with affection. Bonito is the star of the set menu: a main dish of grilled bonito, shaved bonito on rice, and miso soup made with bonito broth. The chef spreads the wonders of Japanese food culture while sharing the tales behind katsuobushi." - Michelin Inspector

https://guide.michelin.com/en/tokyo-region/tokyo/restaurant/katsuo-shokudo

Katsuo Shokudo

@michelinguide

48,380 Postcards · 8,030 Cities

Tokyo in the Summer: 10 Things to See and Do

"Savor the tasteful simplicity of Japanese breakfast fare. The star of the show is freshly shaved katsuobushi (flakes of smoked bonito) served over white rice with a splash of soy sauce, with fragrant miso soup on the side." - The MICHELIN Guide

https://guide.michelin.com/en/article/travel/tokyo-in-the-summer-10-things-to-see-and-do

Katsuo Shokudo

@michelinguide

48,380 Postcards · 8,030 Cities

MICHELIN Guide Tokyo 2022 Marks 15th Edition With New Stars, Special Awards

"A new Bib Gourmand Japanese restaurant that mainly serves bonito dishes that convey traditional Japanese food culture." - MICHELIN Guide Japan

https://guide.michelin.com/en/article/news-and-views/michelin-guide-tokyo-2022-eng

Katsuo Shokudo

@davidcho

2,164 Postcards · 236 Cities

Bonito and rice

Katsuo Shokudo

patthamon s

Google

Katsuo Shokudo was such a unique experience for me. It was my first time eating at a place that serves only one simple dish, but it was so well made and full of flavor. I recommend making a reservation because the restaurant is small. The taste is perfectly balanced, and the koji seasoning they provide is really delicious. The owner is very nice and welcoming. The meal feels simple yet special, perfect for breakfast. I will definitely go back again.

葉

Google

Offering one of the more unique dining experiences, every dish at Katsuo Shokudo features Katsuobushi (skipjack tuna) as the core ingredient. Each set meal comes with freshly shaved bonito ribbons by the chef over rice, a raw free-range egg, a plate of seasonal vegetables and sliced grilled fish, miso soup, dashi, vinegared mozuku seaweed, and optional condiments. A lot of preparation and time goes into preparing the katsuobushi blocks that the chef shaves in person in the centre of the 12-seater restaurant. The depth of fragrance and umami embedded in these baby pink, paper-thin ribbons of fish seasons the rice underneath for a flavourful bite. Once you’ve appreciated the bonito in its pure form, raw egg is cracked over the bowl and mixed with the rice for added richness. Deep-fried katsuo can be ordered as a side dish, which is delicious with its sweet glaze and chopped spring onions combined with the plump and moist fish chunks.

Hailey A.

Google

So so good!! What a fun experience. We ordered the small rice set and it was the perfect amount. We also got the bonito karage and I was taken by surprise because I’ve only had chicken karage in the states! 😂 Reservations recommended. Show up early/on time!

Nikolai G.

Google

A mind-boggling fine dining level experience. I came for shaved bonito, but the real star of the show turned out to be tuna karaage and the cured tuna with pickled artichokes and eggplant. I can stop telling everyone of my friends about this place. Note: Pre-set menu cannot be changed, but you don’t need to. Wouldn’t change a thing!

Annie T.

Google

This was one our bucket list on our Japan trip. We were very lucky only having to wait 20 mins for seating without reservation in the morning round. The service was great love the deco. the fish Katsu was the best the rest was ok. Is more for tourist now.

Rachel T.

Google

Thought this was going to be a bit scary - but it was quite good and interesting. The chef was kind and things were printed in English - making it easier for us to enjoy. Need reservation and a bit hard to find. Must go down some stairs.

Giulio T.

Google

Michelin recommended, katsuo/dried Bonito, from the south of Japan. I was lucky to get without reservation. But 10 more people after me could not sit without reservation. Is in the basement, not really intuitive. But once you are there, is fantastic

Jesse G.

Google

Delicious and unique breakfast. The owner puts so much attention to detail and flavor and the whole meal was a result of her passion. Never had bonito flakes before so this was new for me and I can’t wait to go back. Great value too, considering the experience they create and quality of the food.

Gen T.

Yelp

Small restaurant in the basement and a staircase that's goes in circles to the bottom. Total of 10 seats for eating and 2 seats inside for waiting. Very quick and efficient serving customers. It was neat seeing them make every bowl individually and shaving the bonito flakes right in front of you. The food was perfect for breakfast, very light and a great way to start off the morning in Japan.

Priscilla O.

Yelp

My mom used to shave bonito to make the stock for miso soup or toppings for salad. Sometimes she would be too tired to cook so we would eat katsobushi rice topped with shoyu. It was delicious. We arrived here early enough to be seated right away and ordered the set with raw egg (they were out of wasabi). The freshly shaved katsuobushi was subtle and delicious and definitely the centerpiece of the meal. The raw egg topping mixed with soy added the perfect accompaniment. Unfortunately the miso soup could have used more umami and the tiny sides added little to the meal, flavor-wise. I was also surprised at the tepid tea, which had no taste or warmth to speak of. Overall the meal was a bit one-note in terms of flavors. A bit more attention to the food surrounding the main attraction would have earned a five star review from me.

Tony J.

Yelp

Small restaurant in Shibuya that specializes in katsuobushi, also known as bonito flakes. It is dried skipjack tuna meat that is shaved into flakes. The place is popular as it is featured in the Michelin Guide. We lined up in the morning and took about a hour to get in. They are located in the basement level of a building. The interior setup is a U shaped counter that sits around 12 people on the outside. The staff prepare the food in the middle of the counter. One of the staff shaves off bonito flakes by hand into a wooden box that that has a razor recessed on the top, and he talked about how the katsuobushi is made (both in Japanese and English). Customers can also try their hand at shaving off some flakes with the shaving devices. I tried it and you do have to press down pretty hard for the blade to catch. The dried chunks of bonito feel and look like wood. The bonito flakes are served on a bowl of rice that has some other bits of dried fish and seasoning, and the set also comes with a vegetable and mushroom soup. The flavoring on both are very mild. The soup in particular needs more salt. As for the rice, the flakes and other dried fish bits have a little bit of saltiness, but not a whole lot of substance. Didn't taste bad, just very plain and mild, and not much flavor. It's an interesting restaurant to check out once, but don't think I'll ever try it a second time.

Eric F.

Yelp

Katsuo Shokudō is a basement shop, specializing in dried, smoked steaks of bonito-fish (a close relative to tuna). After a year or sometimes longer, the bonito steaks become as the hard texture of a block of wood. The wood-like blocks are the precious items that Katsuo Shokudō trades in, because when the block is shaved, tiny translucent flakes appear (katsuobushi) which are used to steep in hot water, making a broth called Dashi - which is the foundation of nearly every savory dish in Japan. Katsuo Shokudō sells its katsuobushi in bulk to restaurants, in bags to laymen customers, and also in its basement shop to try its dashi dishes. The Ambiance here might be a little basic, but the Dashi at Katsuo Shokudō is a big step above the competition.