Dominique Ansel Bakery @ Omotesanda / Harajuku, Tokyo

This review is regarding the 2nd floor cafe in Dominique Ansel Bakery located at the street directly behind Tokyo Union Church in Omotesando / Harajuku. If you're a sweets person, I'd highly recommend the 1st floor dining area where you can eat a variety of cakes, smores and pastries. If you're a savory person, then head up to the 2nd floor and try the Grilled Cheese Sandwich and the Lobster Roll which I personally feel is much better than those in Luke's Lobster (also located nearby). Lets have a look at the pictures shall we:

Roan Kikunoi (Kiyamachi branch) 菊乃井木屋町店 @ Kawaramachi, Kyoto

This was a post in my previous blog, so if you read it, you will notice some similarities but treat this as an updated version of it since I went a second time in December 2015.

Roan Kikunoi is a 3 Michelin Star Kaiseki restaurant located in Kyoto. Apart from the main restaurant, Roan Kikunoi has two other branches; 1 near Kiyamachi Station in Kyoto and 1 in Tokyo. This is the first Kaiseki restaurant that I experienced creative Japanese cuisine. There are of course some of the more conventional dishes in its Kaiseki menu such as sliced fugu sashimi, but other dishes can be considered a work of art. Given that this is my second time eating here, things did not seem as creative as before since the winter menu remained relatively unchanged with the exception of a few dishes. Still, it was a great meal and I enjoyed it thoroughly.

I always believe pictures speak louder than words so....

Matayoshi 祇園 又吉 @ Gion, Kyoto

Matayoshi is an up and coming Kaiseki restaurant located in Gion, Kyoto. I believe the chef already has a michelin star awarded to his restaurant. I was here during the winter season last year (2016) and was served a dinner course that was centered on vegetables. I know to some, vegetables may seem like a turn off; I was feeling that way initially, but halfway through the meal, I began to appreciate the use and mix of seasonal vegetables to enhance the overall flavour and aroma of the dishes he makes.

By the end of the meal, the dish that sealed the deal for me was his Daikon and Parsley rice. Sounds very simple and plain right? But that was the best rice I've had in a Kaiseki dinner at that point of my life. Before I elaborate a little on his vegetables, let's have a look at the pictures: