Daikanyama Rokkakutei

※ This is the page for the original Rokkakutei in Daikanyama, not to be confused with the secondary branch in Nakameguro. Please confirm that this is the correct restaurant before making a reservation. ——— With more than 40 years of history operating in the Daikanyama area, the original Rokkakutei is a Tokyo institution. Daikanyama is a district just off central Shibuya, typically associated with high-end European fine dining establishments and expensive kaiseki restaurants, making this kushikatsu restaurant stand out all the more for its casual atmosphere and affordable prices. Just because it’s affordable, doesn’t mean the quality of the cuisine is lacking in any regard: 40 years of operations means that second-generation owner-chef Oie Koji, having inherited the restaurant from his father, the kushikatsu master Kaneko Satoru, has honed his frying technique to absolute perfection. In an interesting break from tradition, he has also recently been expanding his repertoire into gluten-free cuisine, which is now available on request at the restaurant. Of course, kushikatsu can only be as good as its ingredients, which is something that Chef Oie knows well. This is why all 30-plus of his ingredients come from the best production areas in Japan: his kuroge wagyu black beef comes from Kagoshima and Tochigi Prefectures, his madai red sea bream from Shizuoka, and Japanese tiger prawn from Amakusa in Kumamoto. Kushikatsu skewers aside, Chef Oie also serves other washoku offerings, and boasts a healthy complement of sake varieties behind Rokkakutei’s counter. He and his staff are only too happy to recommend the perfect sake to go with the skewers of the day, ranging from common varieties that slide easily down the throat, to rarer varieties like Takagi Brewery’s Juyondai sake, said to be the finest sake in Japan. An afternoon or evening in Rokkakutei is the perfect trinity: delectable skewers, fine sake, and a relaxing Japanese ambiance.