Tokyo, Culinary Travel

Tokyo, Japan’s capital and the world’s most populated city has over 13 million people in the official metropolitan area alone. Today, Tokyo is one of the 10 most visited cities in the world, offering an unlimited choice of shopping, entertainment, culture and dining to its visitors.

Tokyo is a world-renowned food connoisseurs haven and the city boasts 227 Michelin Star restaurants. With more and more restaurants in the city being graced with the award every year.

Travelling to Tokyo
Direct flights from Abu Dhabi International Airport to Tokyo Narita Airport take approximately 9.5 hours with economy prices starting at around AED 3,800 per person. If you’re looking to save some money you could add 1 or 2 stops to your journey which would reduce the price to around AED 2,500. However, if you want to travel direct in style Business Class will set you back around AED 15,000.

Top 5 Luxury Hotels 
Travelling to a big city can be fun but stressful, so we’ve rounded up our top 5 picks of luxurious hotels to ensure that after all that sightseeing you get some much needed RnR.

Aman Tokyo
Aman Tokyo is a monument to the modern-day Japanese capital, a place where urban dynamism is tempered with serenity. Set in Otemachi, the luxury hotel is within easy reach of Tokyo Station and the thriving Nihonbashi district.
The Restaurant by Aman specialises in cuisine from Italy’s Veneto region on the Adriatic Sea. Local vegetables, meats and seafood pair with the finest imported Italian ingredients, and the dishes – like Japan itself – benefit from the proximity of sea, plains and mountains. The Restaurant, in Tokyo, open to guests and non-residents, boasts views of the Imperial Palace Gardens and Mt Fuji. By night, a panoramic view of the city shimmers before diners.

The Gate Hotel Asakusa Kaminarimon by Hulic 
Conveniently located in the historic neighbourhood, Taito, which is a great choice for travellers interested in temples, city trips and city walks.
The hotel is within a 2-minute walk from Asakusa Subway Station and iconic Kaminari-mon Gate,a 5-minute walk from Senso-ji Temple, and a 7-minute walk from Hanayashiki Theme Park. Ueno and Akihabara areas can be reached within a 5-minute subway ride.
The Restaurant and Bar serves stylish French cuisine and guests can choose to dine in the open-air terrace space, the perfect spot for guests to unwind while viewing Tokyo Skytree.

Andaz Tokyo Toranomon Hills
Located between Tokyo Tower and the Imperial Palace, the hotel is perfectly situated to offer ease of access to key locations, including the Ginza shopping district, Tokyo Station and various cultural attractions.
The hotels array of restaurants and bars display Japan’s vibrancy and deliver unforgettable dining experiences by using fresh, seasonal and local produce.

The Ritz-Carlton Tokyo
Located at the heart of the downtown Roppongi area in Tokyo’s tallest building, the 53rd-storey Ritz-Carlton offers elegant luxury high above Tokyo’s busy streets. It features an indoor pool and 8 dining options. Rooms at the Tokyo Ritz-Carlton offer breathtaking views of the Shinjuku area, the Imperial Palace or Mount Fuji.
Restaurants at the Ritz-Carlton vary from French to Japanese cuisine, all offering spectacular views. Azure 45 was awarded with one Michelin star by Michelin Guide Tokyo 2016 and 2017, the upscale and creative restaurant offers contemporary French fare by Chef de Cuisine, Shintaro Miyazaki.

Mandarin Oriental Tokyo
Mandarin Oriental offers 5-star luxury in the historical Nihonbashi area in the heart of Tokyo. Among the most spacious in Tokyo, rooms feature gorgeous city views. Mitsukoshimae Subway Station and JR Shin-Nihonbashi Train Station are directly connected to the hotel.
Among the hotel’s 9 dining options is one-Michelin Starred, Tapas Molecular Bar, with only eight seats, the restaurant offers an exclusive dining experience celebrating the art of innovative molecular cuisine. Situated within the chic Oriental Lounge on the 38th floor, the bar serves a range of delicious dishes in the traditional sushi-bar style. Over the course of two hours, the team of talented chefs will prepare bite-sized delicacies right before your eyes, creating new texture and flavor combinations to stimulate both the imagination and the palate. Limited to an intimate group of only eight people per seating, it is the ultimate gourmet experience.

Our Top 5 Michelin-Star Restaurants in Tokyo

Ishikawa – 3* 
This three-Michelin-starred restaurant is so difficult to find that staff are known to find and escort lost guests. Ishikawa has 4 private rooms and 7 counter seats ensuring that every guest gets a fabulous dining experience. Ishikawa does not have a fixed menu, Chef Ishikawa prepares 9 to 10 dishes for each guest, these dishes change daily according to the customer and seasonality of the produce.

Joël Robuchon- 3* 
Right in the neighborhood of Yebisu, stands a French “Château” rebuilt stone by stone in homage to Moulinsart, which is Le Restaurant de Joël Robuchon. To its head, a French chef Alain Verzeroli who was fascinated by his encounter with Joël Robuchon and brilliantly directs the kitchens of this château. Guests will enjoy a menu full of flavors covering Joël Robuchon’s great classics elaborated with the best products of the moment. An exceptional ‘cuisine’ for an exceptional place!

Quintessence – 3*
Every plate offered at Quintessence respects the quality and potential of each product and ingredient. As such, the restaurant offers no prefix menus. Lunch and dinner menus are “menu carte blanche” (Chef’s selected menu), based on fresh seasonal products that are available at the market. What guests are served changes daily, making no two meals ever the same.

Kanda – 3* 
Kanda is based on the concept of conveying owner-chef Hiroyuki Kanda’s vision, art and passion through cuisine. His aim is that customers enjoy food and drink in harmony. Kanda creates beautiful dishes carefully crafted to the sensitive preferences of his guests.

Yoshitake – 3* 
With just seven seats but three stars, it is no exaggeration to call Sushi Yoshitake exclusive. In the company of a master sushi chef who exudes kindness, and his welcoming team, savor each dish in the degustation course of mouth-watering sushi and flavorful tsumami small plates. Challenges of the past have spurred Chef Yoshitake in the pursuit of perfect sushi and the ultimate in hospitality – this is your chance to devour it all.

The Verdict 
Tokyo has 227 Michelin starred restaurants making it one of the top culinary hub’s in the world. Every foodie should visit this vibrant city at least once. We’d recommend at least 4 nights in Tokyo enough time to recover from the flight and to explore some of the fabulous dining options.

For more information on planning your trip visit www.gotokyo.org