Makimura

※ Please note that as of April 2024, Makimura is fully reserved until end-November 2024. ——— It was bound to happen sooner or later, but it still came as a shock to many avid Tokyo gourmets: once the holder of three Michelin stars for a 9-year streak, Shinagawa restaurant Makimura has finally disappeared entirely from the Michelin Guide Tokyo with the 2025 edition. This makes sense — the Guide has made no secret of the fact that restaurants inaccessible to the general public will be removed from the list. This was the same phenomenon that resulted in the original Ginza branch of legendary sushi restaurant Sukiyabashi Jiro being quietly removed from the Guide's pages. But though it must have stung a bit, it was ultimately the right call for Chef Makimura Akio, who now, like the aforementioned Sukiyabashi Jiro, only accepts reservations through personal referrals. The huge influx of reservation requests from all over the world was ultimately too much for him and his wife, who run the restaurant as a two-person operation. But for regulars and first-timers lucky enough to tag along with them, they will find waiting for them the trademark warmth and hospitality of the Makimuras. Noticeably missing is the sometimes overly formal dining culture of high-end kaiseki: Chef Makimura's goal is to make every guest at his counter feel right at home. He travels to Tsukiji Market every morning to gather the best seafood from the day’s catch; in the evenings, his wife joins him in preparing excellent classic dishes such as rice and salmon with green tea, and their speciality sea bream. Their dishes are usually a pairing of just two ingredients, which the Makimuras believe allows the taste of each ingredient to shine fully, without getting lost in a flurry of flavors. The restaurant only seats six, and the Makimuras are happy to let their guests dine for as long as they please. At its peak, Makimura earned three Michelin stars; the only reason it didn't have more is because that was the most it could get. Michelin Guide: 2007 - 1 Michelin Star 2011 - 2 Michelin Stars 2015 - 3 Michelin Stars