Thread: RyuGin (Tokyo) - astonishing

i did go to a very good tempura place - 2 michelin stars - $150/person in Ginza - worth the money for sure.

- chuck

Originally Posted by carendt242

i did go to a very good tempura place - 2 michelin stars - $150/person in Ginza - worth the money for sure.

- chuck

Any pics? If so, post 'em up!

Originally Posted by carendt242

never been to Tojo (or Vancouver) and i never make it past Urasawa in LA. i hear enough about Sasabune that i feel i should give it a shot though.

- chuck

I was just curious, because I have been to Tojos and Sasabune, so I wanted to get a idea of what the other places are like in comparison to them. Awsome blog though, great read.

for anyone that cares, i finally wrote the "official" review for the 2nd meal
ChuckEats RyuGin (Nishiazabu, Tokyo) – Ingredient Extremism

- chuck

Just finished reading up on your review. The Wagyu Beef.. Oh god. That is all I can say. Also your descriptions were very well put. Rice looks Fabulous too! Thanks for sharing.

Originally Posted by carendt242

for anyone that cares, i finally wrote the "official" review for the 2nd meal
ChuckEats RyuGin (Nishiazabu, Tokyo) – Ingredient Extremism

- chuck

Chuck, would you say that Chef Seiki's skills are so well refined that he can make a statement like “come back in Fall?!” Surely seasonal ingredients play a huge role in a "good" meal, but it takes some self-confidence to fault them, per se!

sigh, I miss Japan.. I want to go back... I have sushi twice, and it was at places we never researched, due to miss use of time, I wasnt a fan of the sushi! Hope to go back and visit this place

when you dine in these restaurants, do you find most of the staff communicates well in english? i want to try many of the places you mentioned, but speaking no japanese makes me fearful when i visit tokyo. i had the most difficult time in small restaurants way outside of tokyo.

and where do you recommend going for:

unagi restaurants
tempura
ramen/soba
donkatsu

Originally Posted by op487062

when you dine in these restaurants, do you find most of the staff communicates well in english? i want to try many of the places you mentioned, but speaking no japanese makes me fearful when i visit tokyo. i had the most difficult time in small restaurants way outside of tokyo.

and where do you recommend going for:

unagi restaurants
tempura
ramen/soba
donkatsu

my foreign language skills are pathetic - real bad. but Japan is the *easiest* place to get around that i've been to - everything is logical and just makes sense.

some places speak english, some don't, but it doesn't matter - it's pretty easy. RyuGin does speak English. many of the sushi places do not - but it doesn't matter - you don't order - or, if you do, just learn "omakase."

unagi - RyuGin best i ever ate - even in japan, gotta be careful about farmed. Nodaiwa has the general consensus of "best unagi" and that's all they serve - good but not great imo.

tempura - i had a near-perfect meal at Kondo - really special - 10 course $125 US lunch - excellent value

ramen - went to a few random plaes - a decent article to get you started. Menya Musashi is a small chain (5 stores) that has a special broth of fish/pork - but i admit to just scratching the surface on ramen: Exploring Tokyo Through Its Ramen Shops - NYTimes.com



- chuck

Originally Posted by carendt242

It's very rare that I am this impressed with a restaurant - call me jaded, a snob, or impossible - but RyuGin is truly something special. The skill and ingredient quality was higher quality and more consistent than 95% of the restaurants in France and Spain.

They served me a piece of sashimi that was *clearly* the best piece of fish in my life.

For anyone that has eaten the cooked or prepared dishes of Masa (NYC) or Urasawa (LA) - imagine these dishes being a level better! As for that fish, it was two levels better - a perfect 10/10.

Too hard to import everything here so some teaser pics and link to blog below.

price: $250/person before alcohol, decent Burgundy list

pics:
the snapper (white fish) on the far left - insane - it was probably line caught and still breathing seconds before it was served to me


fried uni wrapped in seaweed


Blue Swimming Crab and Shanghai crab (with roe aplenty!) topped with Chrysanthemum Gelee


full review:
ChuckEats blog RyuGin (Nishiazabu, Tokyo) - Pure Excellence


This was my second to last meal in Tokyo and it changed the fine dining game for me - my standards have definitely been even more elevated.

- chuck

That meal looks incredible!