An Introduction to Matsukawa, Tabelog's #1 Restaurant in Japan
Matsukawa
Phone number | 03-6277-7371 |
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Open hours | 12:00-15:00 (Only on Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays) 18:00-22:00 |
Holidays | Sundays, national holidays |
Nearby attractions | Hotel Okura (100m) |
I found this building, with its impressively elegant white walls, around a 3-minute walk from the long-standing hotel "Okura," where I had gotten out of my taxi.
An elegant lady holding a parasol was standing outside of the restaurant's unassuming entrance, waiting for it to open.
This was "Matsukawa," the number one restaurant in Tokyo - no, in all of Japan.
As of February of 2020, its score on Tabelog is 4.77/5.00.
It is a highly-regarded Japanese restaurant that reigns supreme over the more than 850,000 restaurants in Japan.
My previous visit was on a chilly evening in February.
As my luck had it, I received another opportunity to stop by in August during the day, just half a year after my previous visit.
Ayu, cod, unagi, uni, abalone....
What irresistible bounties from the ocean and rivers will be prepared at "Matsukawa" during the summer?
I couldn't help but to get excited at the possibilities.
When the clock hit 11:55, the wooden door gently swung open, and we were invited inside by a female staff member in a black suit.
This time I ended up having my meal at a counter seat.
Unlike the private rooms, with light filtering through the windows, the dark counter seat had a somewhat somber atmosphere.
It quickly made me feel rather nervous.
Matsukawa and the staff were busily preparing food right before my eyes.
After a glance towards the customers and a greeting of "Thank you for coming by today," Matsukawa quickly returned his gaze to his cutting board.
Although he is known as "the prodigy of Japan's modern cooking world" thanks to his time working at a variety of restaurants, including "Shofukuro," a restaurant known for honing well-acclaimed chefs, Matsukawa is actually shy and unassuming.
There are so many restaurants and sushi shops in Japan where the chefs entertain the customers that sit at the counters, so such a tight-lipped owner was a bit odd!
While silently working at the counter, Matsukawa made sure that the guests at each of the 6 counter seats received the drinks they ordered, and so the day's omakase course quietly began.
[August's Menu]
★Abalone and Kita Murasaki Uni, Soft-Shelled Turtle Gelatin
Right off the bat I was filled with anticipation for a meal packed with luxurious ingredients.
Biting into the plumply-textured abalone immediately filled my mouth with scrumptious umami.
The combination of soft-shelled turtle gelatin and sweet uni was also delightful.
★Steamed Rice Topped with Kisu and Beluga Caviar
The caviar added just the right amount of saltiness to the light, fragrantly cooked kisu. Delightful.
★Karatsu Aka-Uni and Spiny Lobster Sashimi
The aka-uni, stacked high, is a high-quality ingredient from Karatsu. It didn't have even a trace of fishy smell.
It was packed with an irresistibly complex umami that you won't find in Kita Murasaki uni or Bafun uni.
★Unagi and Winter Melon Soup Bowl
The soup was overflowing with elegant, lightly salty flavors.
The thick unagi was, of course, delicious, but the gently simmered winter melon was absolutely amazing!
I did feel, however, that the pile of green onion and the ginger in the broth were a bit excessive.
★Hair Crab and Mozuku, Sour Gelatin
Hair crab is used in many cuisines and in sushi, but the hair crab here at "Matsukawa" is clearly of quality beyond that at other establishments.
The firm mozuku (a type of edible seaweed) was also quite impressive.
★Conger Eel, Bachiko (Dried Sea Cucumber Ovaries), and Corn Kakiage
The thick bachiko was absolutely amazing.
However, I wasn't particularly impressed by the conger eel or the corn kakiage.
★Broiled Kamo Nasu Eggplant
The kamo nasu was yet another "Matsukawa" masterpiece.
Eggplant has no right to be this delicious just by being broiled....
The pulpy texture and strong sweet flavor were incredibly impressive.
★Grilled Ayu from Miyama, Kyoto
The ayu may have been charred a bit too much....
It was quite a shame that the characteristically delicate meat of the ayu was mistreated and ended up flavorless.
It was difficult for me to eat two of them.
★Grilled Soft-Shelled Turtle
The turtle meat didn't have even a bit of off smell to it.
It was around the same quality as the soft-shelled turtle I'd had the other day at "Ginza Shinohara."
The burdock garnish was also delicious.
★Conger Eel Shabu-Shabu
The exquisite broth was strongly seasoned with kombu.
It highlighted the delicate, refined flavors of the conger eel.
It was also great to enjoy how the broth's flavor grew richer with each piece of eel.
★Cold Noodles Served in Ice Bowl
While very simple, this dish was also impressive; the cold noodles had a great texture, and the broth was carefully seasoned with sudachi citrus.
★Main Course (Ikura, Nama-Karasumi, Jako)
The jako, seasoned with Japanese pepper, and carefully prepared nama-karasumi were extraordinarily delicious.
★Dessert
Dessert was faintly sweet. It miraculously melted away into nothingness once I had it in my mouth.
I once again experienced Matsukawa's "aesthetics of subtraction" this visit.
Chef Tadayoshi Matsukawa is stubbornly non-self-assertive.
All of the work done at the counter is meant to bring out the best in the amazing-quality ingredients brought in from across Japan, and each dish focuses on that alone.
Chef Tadayoshi Matsukawa's true worth lies in his ability to beautifully and deliciously prepare each ingredient with as few frills as possible.
During my August visit to "Matsukawa," I was not only impressed by the delicious flavors of the lead ingredients like the abalone, conger eel, and crab, but also by the supporting flavors of the eggplant, burdock, and mozuku.
The bill was over 45,000 yen.
I'll make myself another reservation in about half a year.
While it's inconvenient that the restaurant is so incredibly popular, "Matsukawa" has a certain appeal to it that makes me want to keep returning.
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Location
Address | 1-11-6 Akasaka, Minato-ku, Tokyo |
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Transportation | 2 minute walk from the #13 exit of Tokyo Metro Ginza and Namboku Line's Tameike-Sanno Station |
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Leo Saito
chief editor, TokyoTableTrip終於一了心願,再訪君臨超過80萬間日本餐廳之頂點的「松川」。絕妙日本料理的世界,請從圖片及文章開始品味!