Kagurazaka Ishikawa 神楽坂 石かわ @ Iidabashi, Tokyo

This is my favourite Kaiseki restaurant. I have not had the privilege to dine at places like Shinohara and Matsukawa yet but I have eaten at some pretty high profile ones like Roan Kikunoi in Kyoto and Koju in Tokyo, and no doubt they're all delicious but I find Ishikawa's dishes to be the most interesting in the sense that the combination of ingredients seem very simple but yet the flavour and taste that comes out of these combinations are just superb. For 23000 Yen, lets see what I got:

Good way to start the meal with a dish made with ponzu; very refreshing

The fish was well coated with the thin crispy batter. Great crunch and sweetness!

The soup was just gorgeous! I wish I had a second bowl because this was just so satisfying!

Simple flounder sashimi with a nice bouncy texture

Just look at that sea urchin! I savored every moment

This can almost pass off as sushi!

Snow crab was in season and the combination of meat, roe and that jelly was out of this world

This fish looks like simple grilled fish but it was packed full of juice, flavour and sweet fat

I always prefer eating shirako with sauce so I'm really glad he prepared it this way instead of plain salt

Duck soup to wet your appetite before the main finale

The duck meat is pinkish, meaning it is cooked just nice! Any longer it would've been too tough

Scallop, chili and herbs with rice - this was so addictive!

This looks plain and simple but it was soooo delicious! I ate 3 bowls of this

Miso soup signals the end of the meal and the start of dessert

This dessert was the perfect ending to a great meal. It cleaned my palate so that I finished the meal refreshed and without that oily feeling in my mouth.

As this is my second time here, yes there were some repeat dishes like his scallop rice and sashimi combination, but I didn't mind because I actually looked forward especially to his rice dish and hoped he served the same exact thing as my first visit; looks like I got my wish. Ishikawa-san is also super friendly and tends to smile from cheek to cheek when he interacts with you. In some ways, his cheerful character really adds a lot to my satisfaction with my dinner. Looking forward to my next visit!

Website:http://www.kagurazaka-ishikawa.co.jp/
Address: 〒162-0825　東京都新宿区神楽坂5-37 高村ビル１F
Budget (Dinner): 23000+ Yen
My rating: 5 /5