Negima

In the Edo period, before modern refrigeration techniques, fatty cuts of tuna quickly spoiled, rendering them unfit for public sale. In the spirit of mottainai (waste-not), hungry fishermen used the offcuts to develop a dish that would come to encompass the lives of Edo’s working men: negima-nabe. As the tuna meat simmered in the soy sauce broth, sweet onion and local greens would be imbued with its rich, fatty goodness, making it a hearty, comforting meal for laborers and longshoremen. Long seen as a base food confined to the home, negima-nabe has been lost among the menus of today. But a single female chef upholds the tradition in an 8-seat basement counter, even naming her restaurant after the dish out of respect. From her tidy kimono to the ultra-traditional dishes and sake served the old-fashioned way, Negima’s chef recreates the table of 20th-century Japan. In keeping with the domestic feel of negima-nabe, the chef curates simple course menus with nostalgic dishes that encompass the heart of Japanese family cooking. The intimacy and simple expertise on display at Negima earned the venue a Michelin Bib Gourmand recommendation — and a spike in interest in a key part of Tokyo’s culinary heritage that was once considered lost to time. Michelin Guide: 2021 - Bib Gourmand