Representation

Since ancient times, the Japanese have loved to appreciate the blessings of nature by viewing cherry blossoms and the moon while dancing to music, and enjoying sake and food from tiered, lacquerware boxes. Now you can take the opportunity to enjoy classical art and traditional craftwork while learning about noh theater. All this while noshing on Japanese food and drinking sake.

The first half of the program is a noh workshop, where you can take a closer look at some masks and learn the meanings of the typical noh gestures. The second half will involve lectures on “the Japanese spirit underlying sake and macrobiotic food” by a traditional sake brewer’s president, a lacquerware manufacturing company owner, and a Japanese food restaurant chain operator. There will also be an exhibition of tiered lunchboxes from the 1800s to present day. Refreshment-wise there will be Miyagi’s famous Urakasumi sake, plus macrobiotic food from Matsumoto Foods.

The program costs ¥3,000 and will take place on both Friday, July 1 at 7pm (doors 6:30pm) and on Saturday, July 2 at 12:30pm (doors 12pm). Only the first 25 people will be admitted on each day, so best get moving! Just email your name, contact details and preferred number of people to the address below by June 17.

3F Place Rin, 3-6-26 Kita-Aoyama, Minato-ku. Nearest stn: Omotesando, exits B2/B4. info@saishokukenbi.com. www.saishokukenbi.com.

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Ginza’s Namiki Dori has been specially chosen as the location of SHARI’s first Japanese branch. This is to be their flagship restaurant, the starting point for expansion throughout Asia. SHARI already has a presence in Shanghai, bringing their special brand of contemporary sushi to a wide and discerning audience. Ginza’s itamae (chef), Koji Hirose, sharpened his technique in the kitchens of some of Japan’s most famous restaurants.
He personally selects the sea-fresh ingredients, that make the foundation of his creative dishes, from Tsukiji Market.

The restaurant tends to fill with a mixture of professional gaijin and Japanese businesspeople, plus the usual after-work folk and social nomikai. The dedicated event space accommodates 120 people for a buffet, or 70 for a seated party. The décor, attuned to the Japanese taste for natural materials with its design in wood and stone, appeals to both Japanese and international diners in equal measure. Its modern, stylish ambiance is appreciated by sophisticated people from all backgrounds.

SHARI’s famous sushi rolls are offered with a wide variety of original, carefully selected toppings. The itamae’s favored ingredients include avocado, mango, fresh raw seafood, grilled conger eel and more. Vegetarians can rest assured, with a wide variety of options to appeal to the non-carnivorous among us. Sushi rolls might be the specialty, but there are also plenty of other Japanese dishes to suit any palate.

An English menu and English-speaking staff are available to ensure non-Japanese speakers can make the most of their rolling experience. Look out for the lunch menu—a filling introduction to SHARI’s delights, starting from just ¥1,000.

8F Albore Ginza Bldg, 2-4-18 Ginza. Tel: 03-5524-8788. Open daily 11:30am-3pm (LO 2pm); Mon-Wed & Sat 5:30-11:30pm (food LO 10:30pm; drinks LO 11pm), Thu-Fri 5:30pm-midnight (food LO 10:30pm; drinks LO 11:30pm), closed Sun dinner and every third Mon. Nearest stn: Ginza-itchome or Yurakucho. www.shari-ginza.com

Seldom has a restaurant’s popularity been so well deserved. Whatever the time of day (or year), Cafe Eight remains a dependable source of good times and even better food. Executive chef Wang Wei is a celebrity in his native China, and has picked up numerous culinary awards. Yet there’s nothing stuffy about this place: the interior is a riot of bright colors and exotic artwork with space for 150 people, meaning that it can accommodate groups of just about any size.

Just making it all the way through the food menu is an achievement in itself: there are over 250 dishes on offer, ranging from budget-priced appetizers to sumptuous showstoppers. The house specialty is Peking duck, served whole at your table with sautéed vegetables and soup—all for a mere ¥3,680. Entrée options run from rice and noodle dishes to grilled seafood and fiery Sichuan hotpots (order the latter at your peril), while course meals start at ¥1,800, with a special nijikai after-party spread available for ¥1,575 from 10pm onwards.

Mind you, some diners might not get any further than the appetizer section of the menu, which boasts 50 tapas-style dishes, all priced at just ¥210. And we’re not talking one-bite morsels here—the portions are uniformly generous. Cheaper still are the shuijiao boiled dumplings, which will run you to ¥105 for three. Cafe Eight has 30 varieties available, all of them prepared fresh to order.

Throw in some affordable drinks and nomihodai plans, and you’ve got everything you need to see out 2010 in style—or get the New Year off to a cracking start.

2F, 3-2-13 Nishi-Azabu, Minato-ku. Tel: 03-5414-5708. Open daily 24 hours. www.chinesecafe8.com

Arata caused quite a stir when it opened in Roppongi Hills in July last year. The setting—swish contemporary decor and a terrace that looks straight out onto Mohri Garden—was impressive enough, but it was surpassed by the food menu, which offered a radical fusion of two Japanese staples. On the one side, there’s a kushiyaki counter, serving up skewers of yakitori and other treats from just ¥230 per piece; on the other, there’s a robata charcoal grill, offering succulent wagyu beef, seasonal fish and vegetables. Nothing beats having your meal cooked before your eyes—especially when it tastes this good.

Arata’s menu doesn’t stop there, mind you. Tapas-style dishes run from a wallet-friendly ¥300, although you’ll probably find yourself tempted by the selection of sushi rolls (all ¥650). Everything is made from carefully sourced ingredients: the seafood is purchased directly from fisheries, while the vegetables come courtesy of specially contracted farms, meaning that only the best produce makes it to your plate.

Anybody who’s strayed to Roppongi Hills in the wee hours of the morning recently might have noticed that the area is turning into a buzzing nightspot, and Arata is right at the center of the action. As of this month, the restaurant is now open until 5am every day Monday-Saturday (and Sunday, if the following day is a national holiday). If you’ve been caught late at the office or missed your last train home, it provides a healthier alternative to a night of boozing—although if it’s alcohol you’re after, they’ve got plenty of that too, including a range of ¥2,500 bottled wine, nihonshu and shochu, and some devilishly good original cocktails.

B2F Hillside, Roppongi Hills, 6-10-1 Roppongi, Minato-ku. Tel: 03-3478-5881. Open Mon-Sat & day before hols 11am-5am (food L.O. 4am, drinks L.O. 4:30am), Sun 11am-11pm (food L.O. 10:30pm). Nearest stn: Roppongi or Azabu-Juban. www.a-ra-ta.com

6-1-12 Roppongi, Minato-ku. Tel: 03-5786-3939. Open Sun-Wed & hols 11:30am-11:30pm (L.O. 10:30pm), Thu-Sat & the day before Hols 11:30am-5am (L.O. 4am). Nearest stn: Roppongi, exit 3 (1 min walk).