restaurant review: usukifugu yamadaya in tokyo, japan

Fugu.

When Mr. Sazy Rock and I recently went on a business trip to Japan, he wanted to try fugu, a fish that, supposedly, if certain parts were eaten or if prepared poorly, could cause death. So, because I highly value living, we chose to dine at Usukifugu Yamadaya, a three-star Michelin restaurant, on the theory that we increase the likelihood of us surviving a meal based on a potentially deadly fish by having dishes prepared by a fugu master.

The Scene

Despite the place being full of diners - including families with young children, couples and solo diners - the place was quiet and zen-like. The kitchen was similarly quiet. I felt like it was an adult place but the good kind, not the stuffy, overbearing kind.

We reserved (through our AirBnb host) a seat at the bar, which sat five people, so we could watch the master do his thing. While we did not see him filet a whole fish, we saw him slice fugu filets and prepare dishes for us and for the rest of the diners in the restaurant. It was great watching him work.

There were also private rooms for groups or couples but I'm not sure what they looked like.

The Food

• The appetizers: 

Flounder - sweet nice citrus flavor 

Crab  - sweet

Salmon and Cod Roe - smoky, briny

The appetizers.

• Soup - the soup was thick (perhaps with starch?), and the chicken was tasty and tender.

The soup.

• Fugu sashimi - I found the fish itself bland. But, when I used the fugu to wrap a few stalks of leeks and a bit of monkfish then dipped dipped them in ponzu sauce with citrus, it was tasty. I liked the sweetness of the monkfish and the vinegary flavor of the ponzu, as well as the wrapping process.

Fugu sashimi.

The leeks and monkfish.

The ponzu dipping sauce.

Monkfish and leeks wrapped in fugu.

• Fugu Tempura - it was crunchy and the batter was light. As a tempura, the texture of the fugu was like skate. The fugu was on the bone so it tasted fattier and had more flavor. The chef seasoned the dish well.

Fugu tempura.

• Hot Pot Fugu two ways:

Fugu for the hotpot.

- First bowl - again, the fish by itself tasted bland but once dipped in ponzu, it tasted very nice and vinegary.  The mushroom was meaty and earthy.

Fugu hotpot part I.

- Second bowl - the fish was meatier and prepared with soft tofu and carrots.

Fugu hotpot part II.

• Porridge - Chef told us to dissolve the fugu stock jelly, which added seasoning, into the porridge, which had a bit of sweetness. He also told us to add pickles, which added sourness and some crunchy texture. The resulting dish was well balanced. I should note that, by this time, I was so full, I was also pleased I didn't choose the longer tasting menus.

The porridge.

The fugu stock jelly and pickles.

• Soufflé - semi sweet.

The souffle.

The green tea inside.

The Service

The chef, the hosts and the rest of the staff were very hospitable. When we first arrived, a lady dressed in a kimono welcomed us at the door and greeted us by name - I assume they knew exactly who was coming based on reservation times and because the place was not that large. When we were seated, the servers were friendly but formal. The male staff members were dressed in suits while the female staff members were dresed in kimonos. They spoke English with varying degrees of proficiency. They were somewhat attentive - and I say "somewhat" because they did not pass Mr. SR's "Napkin Test."

Napkin wasn't folded upon my return from the restroom.

The chef was also very detail oriented. For example, prior to serving fresh vegetables, the chef lightly sprayed them with a fine mist of water to keep the veggies fresh and thus, had a nice sheen. Also, prior to handing us our tea, he wiped the bottom of our tea cups before placing them on the saucer so nothing was wet. It's definitely not just about the big picture of whether the food tasted good but also the little things about presentation.

The dishes also came at a nice pace. We didn't feel rushed and we didn't feel long lag times between dishes. The entire meal lasted about two and a half to three hours.

Finally, one last anecdote about their hospitality: as we walked out of the restaurant, the chef and our server both came out with us and bowed deeply to express their gratitude for dining there. That definitely made us - the lowly diners - feel very special.

The Price

Like I mentioned above, there were three tasting menus. The cheapest was ¥20,000, the middle one was ¥25,000, and the third one was ¥30,000. With booze, it was not cheap. But, the experience was well worth it.

How To Get There

The address is:

4 Chome-11-14 Nishiazabu, Minato-ku, Tōkyō-to 106-0031, Japan

From the Hibiya (grey) line, get off at the Hiroo station. Take exit 2 and turn left.

When you see this building, turn left.

You will walk past one small street. Almost there.

When you see this sign on your right, turn right into the driveway.

The driveway.

At the end of the driveway, go straight.

When you see stairs, go down.

The entrance to the restaurant.

The Verdict

It was a great experience eating at Usukifugu Yamadaya. While I enjoyed the dishes, the fish itself - raw and without any dressing - tasted plain. So, I can't really say I'm a fan of fugu. But, I highly recommend Usukifugu Yamadaya for the experience if it's your first time trying fugu.

Have you been to Usukifugu Yamadaya? Have you tried fugu? What do you think of either or both?