Kagurazaka Ishikawa

Every three-star Michelin restaurant is a great success story, however, few are as inspiring as that of Kagurazaka Ishikawa. The head chef and owner at Hideki Ishikawa never dreamed he would be at the helm of such a prestigious restaurant. In his mid-twenties he found himself down and out, living on a shoestring budget and sleeping on a friend’s couch. Finding himself at a crisis point, he decided to pour all of his energy into learning the culinary arts from scratch, working his way up through the ranks after managing to convince a popular kaiseki restaurant to give him a chance. His years of hard study paid off marvelously, and he now finds himself the owner of one of the best kaiseki restaurants in Tokyo. The exterior of the store is unassuming, but the inside is stylishly lit and decorated. Ishikawa cooks up his own takes on traditional dishes while maintaining a healthy respect for tradition. Star seasonal dishes include snow crab in winter, served with vinegar jelly, and a stewed wagyu hotpot in spring. Ishikawa won his stars as much for his dedication to service as his food. He has the warmheartedness and humility of a man who is content with where he ended up in life; and this positive energy floods across the room when he greets each and every one of his guests.