Doppo

“Doppo” has a multifaceted meaning in Japanese. It can be taken to mean self-reliant, independent, unique, or peerless. Though the restaurant’s name is taken specifically from a saying by the late Japanese artist and painter Kitaoji Rosanjin — a figure that Doppo’s head chef Miyazawa Masato looks up to immensely — all of the above meanings can be applied to Chef Miyazawa and his cooking. He long since proved his self-reliance and independence with his first two critically acclaimed restaurants, Jiki Miyazawa and Godan Miyazawa, proving that among chefs, he is truly peerless. And uniqueness? That certainly shows through in Doppo’s cuisine as well, with inventive dishes that can be found only on Chef Miyazawa’s countertops, and nowhere else in Japan. Hand-ground and rolled soba noodles (by Chef Miyazawa personally) are wrapped in dried seaweed and assembled into temaki handrolls. In place of the usual duck in the dipping sauce, Chef Miyazawa opts for wood-grilled mutton instead. The onset of winter brings unorthodox ingredients to Doppo’s course menus, like bear and Matsuba snow crab. Chef Miyazawa serves each dish with pride at his 10-seat counter. Michelin Guide: 2024 - 1 Michelin Star