Sincere

Shinsuke Ishii has had an interesting career. After working in several Michelin-starred restaurants to earn his stripes, he took up the head post in the kitchen at the renowned restaurant Bacar. Unfortunately, this place suddenly closed its doors in 2015 due to some personal problems of the owner. Ishii-san found himself jobless, so he decided to take the plunge and open his own restaurant in the north end of Harajuku. After an explosive beginning and a wave of demand right from the off, Sincere has continued to go from strength to strength. Now Ishii-san holds his very own Michelin star, and employs a team of chefs under him. One of his staff, Keisuke Oyama, is solely dedicated to creating all of the sweet treats. Local gourmets love Sincere’s playfully-presented French classics, like the fish pie in the shape of a taiyaki — a kind of fish-shaped sweet Japanese pastry normally filled with bean paste or custard. There are only table seats here, rather than a Japanese-style counter, but the focal point of the arrangement is still on the kitchen, which unifies the space around it. The menu offers set course meals only, and considering the reputation of the place, it’s extremely honestly priced. That’s to be expected from a restaurant of this name: sincerity in the pricing, hospitality, and preparation.