While in Tokyo I managed to grab a last minute lunch reservation at Edition Koji Shimomura, which was recently downgraded to a 1* after 15 years of being a 2*. But did it deserve this downgrade? In my personal opinion I think it is worthy of 2 stars, but I can definitely see the argument on both sides.
Finding the restaurant itself is actually rather difficult as it is located inside of an office building, and requires you to walk into the building then enter a small passage off to the right of the lobby. Once you do manage to find the restaurant, the dining room is very small, with only 4 tables set for service. There were only two servers, but I found they were very attentive and explained each dish as best as they could in English. There was one minor mix up where they poured sparkling water into my glass of still which was an unpleasant surprise when I went to take a big drink after finishing a dish, but they quickly noticed without me having to say anything and apologized.
As for the food itself, it ranged from good to spectacular:
1. Amuse bouche (2 kinds of cracker and a kachori (I think?)) – A fine start to the meal, the kachori was nice and the cracker with cheese and spice on top of it was good too. 7/10
2. Squid “beignet” – Essentially squid tempura, a fresh and light appetizer with really good sauce (but I wish there was more). 8/10
3. Oyster, citrus, and seaweed – One of the signature dishes and for good reason, all three elements work really nicely together to form a dish that balances sour, salty, and umami flavors excellently. I just wish there was more seaweed, since once it was gone there was nothing to balance the slimy texture of the oysters and citrus jelly which made the dish less enjoyable. 9/10
4. Raw, marinated amberjack with mushrooms and daikon – A standout dish for me, the fish was delicious and obviously extremely fresh, and the three different sauces were all spectacular. The daikon also added a serious kick to balance out the sweet and mild flavors of the fish/sauce. 10/10
5. Lobster and chorizo – The weakest dish on the menu imo, nothing too special and I did not enjoy the vegetable element of the dish. I was excited for the chorizo but there were only two, very thing half slices. 6/10
6. Duck – This was by far the best dish of the meal, which is impressive given how much I enjoyed the amberjack. But everything about this was perfect, from the duck’s preparation tion, to the sauce, to the accompanying vegetables. Worth the price of admission alone. 10/10
7. Chocolate and cherry tart – Very nice dessert, nothing too adventurous but was just the right amount of sweet. 8/10
8. Coffee and mignardises – To finish off the meal you could choose either coffee or tea alongside several mignardises, all of which were delicious. I got to briefly meet the chef on the way out which was nice. A great way to end lunch. 9/10
Overall I was very satisfied with the meal and it stacks up well against 2 star lunches I’ve had back in the US (The Modern, Aquavit). Price wise it was about 25,000 JPY or $160 after water, tax, and service charge, so a similar price point too. Service was not flawless as previously mentioned but that’s not supposed to factor into the Michelin rating anyway. So in summary I would not have been disappointed with this meal if I had gone in with 2* expectations, but it also didn’t vastly exceed what I would expect from a 1. Also I should mention that I am only familiar with US and European Michelin standards, so perhaps Japan just has a higher quality bar. I will compare against VELROSIER (*) in Kyoto next week, although that seems to be a favorite for anyone who’s dined there so my expectations are pretty high!
by permateal