Nishiazabu Noguchi

Located in the chic district of Nishiazabu, the Michelin-starred Nishiazabu Noguchi is a showcase of pure culinary skill. Chef Shotaro Noguchi’s career began in a sushi restaurant — the renowned Sushi Karaku in Ginza — before moving on to a soba kaiseki restaurant in Chiba. Drawn to kaiseki courses by further stints in the three-Michelin-starred Ginza Koju and the two-Michelin-starred Jingumae Higuchi, he was inspired by the simplicity and harmony between each dish, and was inspired to start his own kaiseki restaurant in January 2022. Accordingly, the central theme across each of Chef Noguchi’s omakase courses remains harmony. Each dish’s place in the menu is considered at great length, so as to create a dining experience that remains fresh to the palate with each bite. The flavor profile of each offering must excite, and yet not overpower. He is also exceedingly particular about his ingredients and their origins. The rice used in Noguchi, for instance, is exclusively Yukihotaka rice, a rare cultivar of Koshihikari rice grown only in Gunma Prefecture’s Kawaba Village. This is cooked in earthenware pots and served in two ways, first plain to let guests appreciate the rice’s unadulterated flavor, and then as takikomi-gohan (Japanese-style mixed rice), to show them how the rice harmonizes with other ingredients. In just two years, Chef Noguchi has received a Michelin star in the Tokyo Michelin Guide 2024, making his already popular restaurant even more so. Reservations are practically mandatory — but after tasting the phenomenal cuisine, the reason why will be made immediately clear. Michelin Guide: 2024 - 1 Michelin Star