Nihonbashi Takashimaya is an important cultural property, and just walking around the building is a delightful experience. You can enjoy the folk craft exhibition, galleries, and the basement food market, all in one cool and convenient location, making it perfect for entertaining elderly guests. While there are many dining options on different floors of the main and new buildings, they tend to be crowded during lunchtime, with long lines for outdoor seating. However, there is a special dining area in collaboration with the Imperial Hotel's Yamato-ya Sangen and Godaime Noda Iwa, offering a wide selection of dishes from various restaurants. Even when it's busy, there is a waiting area inside where you can relax without feeling tired. This time, at my mother's request, we chose Japanese cuisine at Yamato-ya Sangen. We had the Ginkgo (2-tier bento) for 3,630 yen, which was just the right amount and included delicious simmered dishes with a hint of dashi flavor. They also offered unlimited refills of tea (hojicha, sencha) and served chestnut yokan as dessert, which was a nice touch for the season. Considering the atmosphere, price, and service, we felt we got more than what we paid for. I also bought a scarf from Takashimaya as a birthday present for my mother. After the meal, we enjoyed shopping in the basement food market, making it a fun day out. If you're visiting Nihonbashi Takashimaya, I highly recommend the special dining area for its great ambiance and the ability to enjoy a leisurely wait in an elegant setting. At the neighboring table, a group of elderly ladies were enjoying a course meal from the Imperial Hotel, adding a touch of sophistication to their gathering. It's not just about delicious food or good value for money; it's the overall experience that makes dining at this department store special. The staff's service was also excellent. I will definitely visit again with my mother. Thank you for the wonderful meal.

Today, I visited the New Year's sale at Nihonbashi Takashimaya. It was crowded as expected for the first sale of the year. Since it's the New Year, I decided to have a meal out and chose Japanese cuisine. I ordered the "Seto" dish with fresh seasonal fish. I have ordered Seto before, but each time the seasonal fish is different, so I always enjoy it. I look forward to enjoying delicious food again this year.

Today at the special dining hall at Daimaru Tokyo, I had the Seto meal featuring fresh seasonal fish. The main dish was grilled yellowtail with grated daikon radish and yuzu-flavored miso sauce, pickled lotus root, fried blue oysters, chopped cabbage, potato salad, cherry tomatoes, lemon, and amberjack sashimi. The meal also included small dried fish rice, red miso soup, pickles, and steamed egg custard. For dessert, I had sesame tofu. I was craving Japanese cuisine and Seto was the perfect choice. Everything was delicious, no complaints at all.

Today, I visited the Nihonbashi Takashimaya special dining area, Yamatoya Sangen. It had been a while since my last visit, and I noticed that the menu had been updated. I decided to order the Yamatoya Sangen from the special menu celebrating the 50th anniversary of the dining area. The main course included sushi, tempura, and soup, while the side dishes consisted of prosciutto and salad, chawanmushi, and eel marinated in vinegar. The sushi was well-balanced in terms of rice and toppings, making it easy to eat. The tempura included shrimp, eggplant, and green pepper, served with matcha salt and tempura dipping sauce. The salad paired perfectly with the salty prosciutto. The chawanmushi had a delightful yuzu fragrance. Overall, it was a delicious lunch.

I used the cafeteria for the first time in a long time. There were three shops inside, including Nodaiwa's eel, but this time I ended up having the tonkatsu from Oakura. It was elegant and delicious, but the taste didn't quite come through? I guess proper restaurants are still the best.

Takashimaya's special dining area is filled with older gentlemen who give off a vibe of a Hong Kong classic establishment. I quite like this atmosphere. The customers here are mostly from Tokyo's long-established elite, and when nouveau riche types from Roppongi show up, they really stand out. It's like they don't belong here, so maybe they should wait another two generations before coming. Many people here have been enjoying eel for a long time, with the remaining split between Yamatoya Mikuni and the Imperial Hotel. I tried the Japanese cuisine once, but it was decent without being particularly delicious, more like a well-behaved student. Considering the relatively affordable prices and decent variety, it's not bad overall. I feel like it was tastier when I was a kid, but maybe my memory is playing tricks on me...

I usually always eat eel at the Nodaiwa restaurant in Takashimaya Nihonbashi, so today I decided to try Yamatoya Mitsumoto. I ordered the "Kiritsubo" bento box. It had a variety of dishes such as chawanmushi, cream croquette, shrimp, octopus, and more, all served in small portions which was just the right amount. The cream croquette had a wonderful aroma and was delicious.

I entered the restaurant as soon as it opened and ordered the winter delicacy set meal at Mitsumoto-san. The first set meal included appetizers such as blowfish skin, grilled blowfish with green onions, shirako tofu, and a delicious soup. For the second set meal, I chose between crab, long parsley rice, or blowfish porridge. I chose crab and long parsley rice. The blowfish tempura was also delicious, and I left feeling satisfied.

It was very fresh and delicious. The miso soup and simmered dishes were also very tasty. In addition to the Hanachirashi from Yamatoya Sangen, I also tried the Umaki from Noda Iwa, but to put it mildly, it was the best.

I ordered the special set. The taste was elegant and the service was good, making it suitable for special occasions.

You can enjoy a bright and elegant daytime drinking experience with a cup of traditional Japanese cuisine at a special dining establishment. One of the great features is that you can leave your belongings at the cloakroom, allowing you to enter the restaurant empty-handed even after a tiring shopping trip. While I usually enjoy eel and Western cuisine, I recently discovered the deliciousness of sea bream tea pickles. It's hard to describe how tasty it is, with the perfect temperature of the tea broth and the quality of the sashimi. Having a drink and a casual meal with sea bream tea pickles is a great way to enjoy daytime drinking! I apologize to everyone for becoming like this without realizing it! Please forgive me, God, Buddha, and Mother. It seems that the season of discovery has arrived, and despite the recent renovation and expansion of the special dining establishment, there was a two-hour wait. It makes me wonder just how many people are coming here. With renowned shops on each floor, Takashimaya continues to evolve, and their excellent parking facilities set a great example for other department stores in Tokyo.

I wanted to go shopping in the department store basement, so for lunch today, we decided to splurge a little and head to the special dining room on the 8th floor. The 8th floor of Nihonbashi Takashimaya is always crowded with popular local product exhibitions, which I usually find overwhelming, but today they were having an Omihachiman exhibition, and I even encountered Hikonyan, the mascot of Hikone Castle, which was fun. After dodging the flashes from the Hikonyan photo session, we finally made our way to the special dining room. Just arriving here at 11 o'clock changes the atmosphere completely. We told the staff our names and the number of people, then we stored our coats and waited in a separate waiting room. There were menus available, so we discussed what to order, and before we knew it, names were being called out one by one as guests were escorted into the dining room. Shortly after, we were called, and guided by the staff like a French restaurant waiter, we entered the dining room. "You can choose between a 4-person table or a bench seat, whichever you prefer," they said, so we chose the bench seat at the end without hesitation. The dining room was very spacious, so the bench seat at the end was very calming. The menu offered a selection of dishes from three different restaurants, so we were quite indecisive. Although I had initially decided on the eel from Noda Iwa, when I looked at the menu, the steak from the Imperial Hotel also looked delicious. However, as I had been having a lot of Italian and Western food lately, I ultimately decided on Japanese cuisine. We ordered the Hanami Bento from Yamatoya Sangen (3800 yen) and my wife ordered the "Sangen" course (5000 yen). I also added the Noda Iwa eel and fukahire chawanmushi (1300 yen) as I wanted to taste some eel. I thought it would be impossible to remember everything, so I asked if I could take photos. The "Hanami Bento" was very spring-like and visually pleasing. All the dishes were elegantly and deliciously seasoned in the Kansai style. The rice in particular was extremely delicious, and when I asked the staff if it was sea bream rice, I was surprised to learn that it was actually plum rice. It tasted like sea bream rice because it was sprinkled with karasumi (bottarga) and shirasu (whitebait) on top, but there was no sea bream in it at all - it was rice cooked with bonito broth and plum. Astonishing. You never know until you ask. Lastly, we had dessert included, so I added the Imperial Hotel's cafe au lait (850 yen). I thought it was a very expensive cafe au lait, but after finishing it, I was asked, "Would you like a refill?" and that's when I realized it was a hotel-style coffee. Embarrassing. But I was already full, so I didn't ask for a refill and left. The total bill for two people was 12,744 yen, which was quite expensive for lunch, but the impeccable service and hospitality made it very satisfying. Thank you for the meal.

Revisited on July 13, 2016 at the special dining hall in Nihonbashi Takashimaya. Depending on the timing, you may have to wait for a while, but the clientele is good and you can enjoy the dishes from "Noda Iwa," "Imperial Hotel," and "Yamato-ya Sangen" all in one place, so it's very convenient. I used to visit this place quite often before. This time, my partner was in "eel~♡" mode, and I'm not sure who did it (maybe Tabelog?), but it's great to see reviews for all three restaurants in the same location. Despite not being able to take photos inside the restaurant, I was allowed to take photos in the waiting room, so I will share the menu photos and receipt photo taken there! This place is the most understated among the three and I don't remember having tried it more than once before... According to their website, they opened an "Oyado" (geisha handling place) called "Yamato-ya" in Osaka in 1877 and later in 1912, they established the Yamato-ya cuisine department to start operating a teahouse. Since I don't usually visit Osaka, I'm not familiar with Yamato-ya's reputation, but looking at their branch locations in department stores like Sogo, Takashimaya, and Daimaru, they seem to have a connection. Umeshu Choya Black on the rocks for 519 yen, cold sake Sawa no I (extra dry) 1 go for 1026 yen. The Isaki carpaccio for 1188 yen had good freshness but the portion might be a bit small... The Tai chazuke for 3024 yen had a flavorful broth and the sesame sauce for the Tai chazuke was delicious, but the thinly sliced Tai was the thinnest I've had so far, and considering the price, the value for money is not great. The final ochazuke is a type of Tai chazuke where you enjoy it with the broth. As mentioned at the beginning, the clientele is good, and the timing of tea refills and the attentiveness of the staff are great, creating a calm atmosphere where you can enjoy your meal comfortably. The taste is good, but since there were very few customers dining on these dishes that day, I don't think I'll be revisiting to eat these dishes again. Thank you for the meal.

After finishing up some errands at Takashimaya in Nihonbashi, I had lunch at a special dining hall. I found a menu for Ehomaki at "Yamato-ya Sangen" and decided to try it since Setsubun is approaching. The carrot was shaped like an oni mask, adding a playful touch. In addition to the Ehomaki, the meal included simmered dishes, fried dishes, soup, and even strawberry daifuku, making it a very satisfying meal. The Ehomaki came in two varieties: Tekkamaki and Anago Cucumber. It seems like the tradition of Ehomaki is gradually becoming more popular as a seasonal event. The attention to detail and creativity made the experience quite enjoyable.

This is a shop located in the special dining room on the 4th floor of the new building of Nihonbashi Takashimaya. When I arrived at the shop around 11:10, there were already several customers waiting in the waiting lobby, and I was able to enter the shop in about 5 minutes after being guided in order. I ordered the seasonal meal set "Sangen". It was a healthy meal mainly consisting of simmered vegetables and tempura. The simmered dish had a well-infused flavor and was just right. The tempura was lightly battered and fried quickly, so it was quite delicious. By the way, I also ordered grilled eel with wild eel at that time.

At Takashimaya's special dining room, you can enjoy traditional Japanese cuisine at Sangen. It is a long-established restaurant, but you can eat at relatively reasonable prices. I'm not very interested in kaiseki cuisine or makunouchi bento, so I usually order the crab croquette set meal or the Yanagawa hot pot here, but I like both. I often use it for lunch, so I can be satisfied with the relaxed atmosphere of the special dining room. The best thing about the special dining room is that you can choose between the Western cuisine at the Imperial Hotel or the eel at Nodaiwa, even if you have company. I like the hamburger at the Imperial Hotel, and my companion likes the eel at Nodaiwa, so there are not many restaurants where you can make use of this kind of arrangement. The special dining room itself is one of my favorites.

I had always wanted to visit this special dining room. Since we didn't go out as a family during the Bon holidays, we decided to come here instead. We arrived before 1 pm, but it was a holiday so we were told there was a wait of 1 hour and 20 minutes. We checked in and left Takashimaya to kill time in the area. When we returned around 2 pm, we were seated without having to wait. There were three menu options to choose from, and each of us in the family ordered something different - Western food, Japanese food, and eel. I wanted to try a variety of dishes and avoid oily foods, so I chose the Japanese set meal "Kinohana" (including tax 4,104 yen). For the main dish, I chose meat (Japanese beef steak). I was asked if I wanted wasabi soy sauce or mustard soy sauce for the meat, and I chose wasabi soy sauce. The set meal that came out was plentiful. The appetizers included Moroheiya surinagashi, simmered shrimp and octopus, rolled omelette, hagfish roe and white konjac in Arima simmered dish (with sansho pepper), and shishito pepper. And tomato tofu, which was a very delicious dish with a light red color. The server explained each dish in detail, and it was worth it. The simmered dish was "eggplant in soy milk". It had crab on top, and the broth was delicious. Not too sweet, not too spicy, not too heavy. A delicious simmered dish should still taste good even when cold. The sashimi was combtooth blenny and tuna, both very fresh. And the Japanese beef steak. I was unsure about having "meat" in a Japanese meal, and especially eating it sashimi-style with wasabi soy sauce. But surprisingly, it was delicious. I realized that with good meat, that's all you need. I enjoyed each delicious dish little by little. For dessert, I had "amber jelly". I had some tea and took a breath. Oh, Japanese food is so good. I noticed that many people around me were ordering eel. The Nodaiwa brand is strong after all. Maybe it's more casual to come here than going to Azabu. The value of eel is increasing as it becomes rarer. This place is an outpost of the Takashimaya special dining room with a connection to the former Japanese restaurant "Nanji Yamatoya" in Osaka Minami. It might be losing out due to lack of recognition. (Many people may not know that Takashimaya's main store in Tokyo is in Osaka Namba, right?) In the past, the famous restaurant Kicho used to provide bento to the former Yamatoya tea house... For those who always eat eel, why not try something different sometimes? You can be satisfied with this price.