Minami Aoyama Itoya

With a flair for French cuisine, Chef Ito Yuki of this creative Japanese restaurant in Minami Aoyama launches a seasonally inspired menu waiting to be explored. A Saitama native, Ito honed his skills in Kyoto and Tokyo's traditional kitchens before a pivotal stint at a French restaurant. At just 26, he opened his own establishment in Minato, describing his approach as “doing the obvious thing as an obvious thing.” Rather than trying something special, Ito focuses on the basics of prepping and cooking. His sauces are built on dashi, ensuring the flavors never stray from the essence of Japanese cuisine. The result? Honest — or, in his words, “obvious” — dishes designed with precision and just the right touch of playfulness. But Ito’s cooking is anything but predictable, seemingly winding with twists and turns. He has a knack for employing the right techniques to bring out the best in seasonal ingredients: bamboo shoots in spring, conger eel in summer, matsutake mushrooms in autumn and crab or tiger pufferfish in winter. Take his winter-special degustation as an example. Ito pairs delicate hairy crab with ripe tomato, fries tiger pufferfish with a zesty lemon twist, and transforms Hayama carrots into mousse while hand-kneading sesame tofu, finished with dashi broth. His marbled Japanese Black wagyu is served alongside cabbage sauteed in truffle butter while snow crab simmers in a clay pot. Seared red seabream from Ehime Prefecture gets a kick from spicy ponzu and grated radish. Passing its 12th anniversary, Minami Aoyama Itoya carries the charm of a seasoned establishment. The dining room is decorated with plain wooden furnishings and Japanese paintings. With counter seats or private rooms for gatherings, the staff serves customers like lifelong friends and families.