We visited a small restaurant in Kanda, Tokyo that we had been curious about. It has a counter and table seats, located on the second floor of a building. It opened this year but doesn't seem to be well-known yet. We heard it's a place with good ingredients, so we tried their 5,000 yen light course. The owner is young and seems to have a strong commitment to quality ingredients. We started with sashimi, starting with cuttlefish, and it was well-prepared and flavorful. We began with beer but quickly switched to various types of sake recommended by the owner. The appetizers were amazing, making us want to keep eating endlessly. The fried blowfish tempura was crispy and delicious, and we couldn't resist ordering more blowfish milt. Although we ended up drinking too much sake on our first visit, we felt that this restaurant would become very popular soon due to its high-quality ingredients and personalized dishes. We would love to visit again.

There is a shop in a slightly hard-to-find location. If you trust the guidance of Google Maps, you will find the entrance to the shop at the back. It is closer from Akihabara. You have to climb a steep and narrow staircase to reach the second floor. It is not wheelchair accessible, so I have reduced the service rating by one star. The taste is simply amazing. The seasonal ingredients are elevated to a balanced and delicious flavor with the high skills of the chef, perfectly complementing the Japanese sake. As a result, there is no sweetness in the dishes. You need to pre-order dessert or get it separately on your way back. The drinks mainly consist of Japanese sake. They carefully select good sake that pairs well with the dishes, allowing you to enjoy mouthwatering combinations. They also offer non-alcoholic drinks from good brands, but they come in plastic bottles, so don't expect too much from the soft drinks. The atmosphere is nice. Most importantly, the food is delicious, and customers are generally enjoying their meals. The interior is not particularly fancy, so there are more male customers. The service is handled by the owner and one waitress, who serve customers attentively. The timing of serving the dishes was enjoyable and delicious at a comfortable pace. The place is also well-maintained and clean. The cost performance is great, as you can enjoy this level of cuisine at this price. It heavily relies on the skill of the chef, so thank you for the delicious time!

At the end of the year, when I visited, I was very satisfied with the restaurant "Nenashi" in Kanda. There are many delicious restaurants in Kanda, but the restaurant we wanted to go to that day was different depending on our mood. If we wanted to enjoy delicious Japanese cuisine and spend a relaxing time, we would go to "Nenashi." We wondered if we could go without a reservation this time. Last time I visited, I was impressed that we could still get in without a reservation even though the food was so delicious. However, with the tension of the coronavirus easing a bit, it has become difficult to enter without a reservation on Fridays, and this day was no exception. We were able to walk in this time, perhaps because we arrived a little early. After a while, the table seats were filled with reserved customers. I have absolute trust in the chef's cooking skills, so I was looking forward to what kind of dishes would be served this day. The vegetables on the counter looked lively and vibrant! The first dish was rape blossoms in a salad. I enjoyed it with hot sake. The second dish was a soup with softshell turtle. It was very warming. The sashimi consisted of scallops, octopus, and fatty tuna. The grilled dish was yellowtail with a side of spicy mustard. It was deliciously crunchy. The fried dish was a luxurious combination of oysters, shirako, and shishito peppers. For the finishing touch, there was a light simmered dish with clams, tofu, and fried tofu. Since it was Setsubun that day, they used "beans" in the dish, incorporating tofu. When you go to a favorite restaurant, you tend to choose the same menu items out of habit. However, at Nenashi, you can enjoy dishes made with fresh ingredients they obtained that day. The sense of security that it will be delicious is so strong that it's exciting to see what they will serve next! I'm so glad that a delicious restaurant opened nearby. On our way out, they even escorted us to the bottom of the stairs. I noticed something and said, "The kitchen apron looks great on you!" They replied, "Yes, I started wearing it this year," blending in perfectly with the restaurant's atmosphere, the pure white kitchen apron suited them well. I will definitely visit again. Thank you for the wonderful meal.

After working hard for a year, the perfect place to end the year with a job well done is "Nenashi," which I visited for the second time after about six months. On my first visit, there was a slight feeling of being out of place, which caused a bit of a gap before returning. Both my companion, who always enjoys "food adventures" with me, and I have a criteria for a "good restaurant" that is heavily influenced by the impression of "service" rather than just the food, affecting how often we return. Excessive service can be a bit bothersome, but being too indifferent is also a hassle haha. I don't necessarily desire excessive service, but I think there is a "comfort" when you are at a restaurant that encompasses not only the customer service but also the atmosphere among the staff and the overall ambiance of the restaurant. Now, leaving the preamble aside, I was looking forward to my second visit as the season had changed from summer to winter, with different ingredients to enjoy. I started with hot sake. The first dish was raw sea cucumber with a hint of yuzu-flavored grated daikon. The nuta on this day was made with surf clam, I think? It was incredibly delicious. The sashimi was thinly sliced thread-sail filefish. When rolled with the liver and condiments, it was so tasty. The grilled fish dish had a crispy and fragrant skin again. When my companion inquired about cold sake, they recommended a selection of sake. Yes, on my first visit, I didn't really understand the types of sake, but on my second visit, I could hear about the dishes and choose a sake. And most importantly, they remembered my first visit, making both me and my companion very happy haha. The continuation was a dish of white fish and sake lees that made the sake flow endlessly, followed by a perfect ending with fried food. Choosing "Nenashi" for the end of work in 2022 was definitely the right decision. It was a wonderful year-end party.

It was very disappointing when my favorite restaurant, "Setouchi," closed down. However, a new sign was soon put up for a new restaurant. I was curious about how to read the name "Toshinashi" as I visited for the first time in July last year. The interior, which used to have a comforting, down-to-earth atmosphere like "Setouchi," had been transformed into an elegant "kaiseki" cuisine restaurant. It seemed to be run by a quiet owner and a young woman. The menu style was not a la carte, but rather courses of 3 or 5 dishes chosen by the chef. They offered alcohol for either 500 yen or 1000 yen. As it was my first time at this unfamiliar restaurant, I toasted with a bottled beer. There was only one other couple sitting at the counter, who seemed to know each other. The first dish served was a mixture of green onions and shellfish (was it green turban shell?). It was incredibly delicious, and the freshness of the ingredients was evident. Next was a deep-fried dish of summer vegetables (okra, lotus root, eggplant, shishito pepper). The sashimi included rare cuts and was impressive. Delicious dishes were served at a good pace, and I switched to sake. The grilled dish was sea bream, I think. The skin was crispy, and the flesh was tender, showcasing the chef's skills. This was followed by a flavorful simmered octopus and a refreshing water eggplant, making for a satisfying end to the meal. My first impression was that it was a restaurant that served very delicious dishes, but there was still a bit of a feeling of being out of place. It may not be a cheap restaurant in Kanda, but in terms of the quality of the food and the price, it is a restaurant that I would like to visit again. It is a conscientious restaurant where you can enjoy a little luxury with delicious food, rather than a high-end "kaiseki" restaurant. The name of the restaurant, "Toshinashi," is pronounced as it is.

It was delicious. The saltiness was a bit strong, but being able to eat delicious seafood cooked in your favorite way on that day is surprisingly rare in a traditional Japanese restaurant style. If I had to ask for more, it would be nice if the interior of the restaurant was a bit more organized. I will definitely come back.