Thank you for viewing. I visited "KINO_", which opened on June 1, 2023. The chef here is Yusuke Kinoshita. The restaurant has an open kitchen with counter and table seating. The dishes are visually appealing and delicious, using local ingredients. The menu included dishes like Mushroom Pulse, Carrot Bavarois with Sweet Shrimp, and Cheese Choux Pastry with Onion Jam. The Sea Bream Fry with Tartar Sauce and White Asparagus Cold Soup with Uni were exceptional. The meal ended with Water Dumplings filled with Chocolate Ganache, Pudding with Cherries, and Chocolate and Azuki Bean Yokan. It was a delightful experience and I look forward to visiting again in the future.

Amuse started with a French-style bento box. The mackerel, reminiscent of a mille-feuille, with eggplant as a side, was delicious. The soup with Gold Rush apples and sea urchin lacked the distinct flavor of sea urchin. While the ingredients were good and the cooking was meticulous, there was nothing that truly moved or surprised me. Honestly, there was almost nothing I wanted to eat again at this restaurant. Even the dish featuring aged Inca wake-up potatoes, a simulacrum, was overshadowed by simply fresh seasonal potatoes. The flavor and aroma combinations seemed illogical, perhaps based on familiarity or intuition. The abundance of non-alcoholic options was a plus, but the lingering smell indoors was not ideal.

I heard that a famous Hokkaido star-rated restaurant has opened in Tokyo ✨ It's about a 5-minute walk from Yoyogi Station. It's nice to be able to enjoy seasonal Hokkaido ingredients. - 3 types of Amuse-bouche - Charcoal-grilled sandfish from Akashi with grilled eggplant - Fried horse mackerel - Gold Rush soup with sea urchin - Scallop and hairy crab pie - Squid rice - Roasted venison with one-year aged Inca awakening - Grapefruit Shine Muscat and sake granita - Cheesecake made with Hokkaido cheese and served with haskap sauce - Tea confectionery (sheep jelly made with Maison Cacao's chocolate) Especially delicious were the Gold Rush soup and Squid rice. The Gold Rush soup was sweet and rich, leaving a texture on the tongue, and the addition of sea urchin's saltiness made it very delicious! The Squid rice had a unique twist with sea urchin risotto inside, which was very tasty! And surprisingly, it paired well with the salted fish sauce! This changes the concept of squid rice! It was a generous portion with good value for money, and the hospitality of the chef and staff was wonderful ✨ I would love to visit again when the season changes.

A fantastic restaurant that exceeded my expectations. As someone who isn't a big fan of vegetables, I've been waiting for a course like this! Every dish was as delicious as a main course, with perfect cooking for both the fish and meat. The presentation and taste of the course dishes were amazing. The location is just a short walk from Yoyogi Station, and reservations are required, so be sure to make one before going. I seriously want to go back to this place again!

Yoyogi Station is not a station I visit often, so this was my third time getting off here. The area in front of the station is lively, but once you take a step inside, it's quiet. Quite different from what I had imagined. In a quiet corner of this area, I found KINO_ restaurant. The entrance looks small, but it opens up widely inside, accommodating quite a number of people. I don't usually go to Western-style restaurants, so every dish here was fresh and impressive. The sushi here is filling, unlike other places where you can still eat more after finishing a course. Perhaps it's because they use a lot of butter? The wine pairing and dish explanations are all done by the lady of the house. I was worried about getting drunk, as they serve a different taste each time. The master is a quiet person, and I only heard his voice when he bid us goodbye. Thank you for seeing us off. - Terrine, vegetable cake sauce, carrot bavarois with caviar - Grilled mackerel with eggplant soy sauce and balsamic vinegar - Bonito with pickled radish and tartar sauce - Sea urchin and corn soup - Snow crab and sweet shrimp with tomato sauce, scallop and snow crab - Squid rice with sea urchin, squid salted with cheese sauce, homemade bread - Ezo deer and croquette, awakening of squid ink - Kyoho grapes and Shine Muscat - Cream cheese, on, mascarpone with haskap berries - Chocolate and canelé, mint herbal tea As expected, French cuisine goes well with wine. Next time, I want to try Italian cuisine.

Yoyogi Station is about a 5-minute walk away. I came to the restaurant because I wanted to eat squid rice! I'm looking forward to it! This time, I ordered the pairing half. Since it's half the amount, I can enjoy a little bit of each dish with the drinks. I will not only have wine but also enjoy sake with the dishes. Let's start with a toast with sparkling wine. Cheers! The first glass is the usual amount! That's also nice! ●Amuse-bouche: Pork terrine, vegetable cake, carrot Bavarois, shrimp. They are all in a cute box and look delightful. ●Charcoal-grilled sandfish from Akashi with Japanese sauce. The grilling is perfect. The Japanese sauce matches the grilled eggplant and sandfish very well. ●Deep-fried horse mackerel with tartar sauce containing grilled lettuce and pickled radish. The pickled radish is just right. The horse mackerel is fried but still light and crispy. ●Corn soup with a sugar content of 18 degrees! Sweeter than melon. Served with sea urchin from the night market. It was incredibly delicious! ●Scallop and hairy crab pie with tomato sauce. The crispy pie and creamy filling go well together. It goes down smoothly with wine. ●Squid rice with salted spicy sauce. Squid rice with uni risotto. The leftover sauce is served with homemade bread. Finally, the dish I've been waiting for! It's delicious! The sauce is amazing. ●Sendai beef sirloin aged for one year with the awakening of Inca. Finished on charcoal. The taste of the awakening of Inca is strong! The juiciness of the sirloin and the sauce combine to spread delicious meat juices in the mouth. ●Kyoho grape and Shine Muscat sake granita. ●Cheesecake made with Hokkaido cheese with haskap sauce. ●Tea sweets: Warabimochi made with Kamakura Maison Cacao and canelé. The volume was perfect. There were two types of desserts! Just the right amount to enjoy until the end! The mint tea served at the end was wonderfully fragrant! I've never had such delicious mint tea before. The hostess was very friendly and taught us many things. It was a very satisfying time! My friend's birthday was a great success! Thank you for the meal!

Today, I went to the newly opened KINO_ in Yoyogi. I was looking for a place to have lunch and realized that it was a restaurant I had wanted to try from Hokkaido that had relocated. It was a pleasant surprise to find such a place relatively close by ( ´艸｀). I was looking forward to visiting. The restaurant is located very close to Yoyogi Station, tucked away in a narrow street, but it has a very stylish atmosphere. The space is spacious and I personally really liked the vibe. The counter is a bit high, giving it a lively feel, which I enjoyed ( ´艸｀). I didn't feel like drinking much, but decided to have a beer. I thought the counter was a bit high when I sat down, but watching the chefs cook while waiting was enjoyable. As for the food, it was delicious as expected! In fact, it was cheap, surprisingly cheap (laughs). It's great to have a stylish place with delicious food at such an affordable price in the Shinjuku area. I didn't think it was impossible, but there are few restaurants around Shinjuku that I would recommend for lunch or dinner. Even though it's Yoyogi, it's just a short taxi ride from Shinjuku, so it's really convenient to have a tasty and cost-effective restaurant in the area. I was chatting with the staff about the Hokkaido restaurant and local eateries, and it was a lively conversation. The chef doesn't seem to be a talkative person by nature, but I had a lot of fun chatting with him. Good value for money is truly wonderful. If you can get this quality for less than 10,000 yen for lunch, I will definitely come back. Thank you for the meal ( ´艸｀). The stay was about an hour and a half, and the bill was less than 10,000 yen per person.

In August, Kino-san offered a menu full of delicious ingredients from Hokkaido, including sea urchin paired with bonito, corn (Gold Rush) and sea urchin, and a pie filled with hairy crab. The deep-fried yellowtail had a sushi-level taste, with a slightly sweet tartar sauce that was a highlight. The main meat dish featured rare short-horned beef fillet with a rich red meat flavor that paired well with clams and sauce. The menu for the day included pork terrine amuse-bouche, summer vegetable cake salad, sweet shrimp marinated with carrot bavarois, bonito, Kitamura purple sea urchin, eggplant, myoga, and balsamic sauce. The fried yellowtail was served with Gold Rush (17 degrees) and Kitamura purple sea urchin. The dessert included Kyoho grapes, Shine Muscat, sake granita (Younotori, Shinsei), cream cheese, mascarpone, haskap berry chocolate and red bean yokan, and canele.

I visited this restaurant, which opened in June 2023, for the first time. Reservations can be made through the Instagram link. Lunch was available at 12:00 and 13:00, and I chose the 13:00 slot. There were no previous customers, and in the end, there were only two parties at the counter, including us. The course was the Chef's Lunch Course for 7700 yen. Details are in the photos. We also ordered the Wine Set Full for 4950 yen (one glass each of sparkling, white, and red wine). It is also possible to order the Dinner Course for 17600 yen during lunchtime. The French-style squid rice specialty can only be enjoyed in the Dinner Course. The overall impression is that it is a classical French restaurant, but it also incorporates elements of Western-style eateries. For example, the scallop fry and Inca no Mezame croquette were both delicious. I especially liked the original touch of having radish in the tartar sauce for the scallop fry. The ingredients are sourced from Hokkaido, so I believe they are using high-quality produce. The Gold Rush, Ezo deer, and flounder dishes were all classical and delicious. The crab risotto hidden behind the flounder was particularly tasty. The combination of mackerel and eggplant with myoga was also to my liking. The desserts were also classically presented.

KINO, a French restaurant that recently relocated to Yoyogi and earned a Michelin Guide Hokkaido one-star rating, has now opened in Tokyo on June 1, 2023. The owner and chef, Mr. Yusuke Kinoshita, who trained for 12 years at places like Odawara Hilton, opened his own restaurant "lien" in his hometown of Sapporo in 2012, where he and his wife have been running the business. In 2017, they received a one-star rating in the Michelin Guide Hokkaido Special Edition, and from 2019 to 2022, they received 3 toques in the Gault & Millau guide. For their 10th anniversary, they decided to challenge themselves by expanding to Tokyo. Mr. Kinoshita's goal is to use Hokkaido ingredients and ingredients found in Tokyo to express the four seasons of Japan and bring back the sense of luxury in dining, hoping to contribute to the development of the restaurant industry. I had heard during my visit to Sapporo last year that they would be relocating to Tokyo, so I promptly purchased a Makuake ticket earlier this year. Finally, my friends and I were able to visit. [Non-alcoholic Pairing] "Turok Montagne Rose" "Chardonnay White" "Alan Miria's Grape Juice" [Amuse] "Marinated Sweet Shrimp and Carrot Bavarois" A carrot bavarois topped with sweet marinated shrimp. "Summer Vegetable Cake Salé" A cake salé with summer vegetables added. [Entrée] "Seared Bonito" Lightly seared bonito from Akashi with a sauce made of kabosu, balsamic vinegar, and soy sauce, garnished with myoga. [Appetizer] "Gold Rush Spring Roll" A crispy fried spring roll filled with Gold Rush corn cream. [Soup] "Tomato and Melon Gazpacho" A soup that highlights the acidity of tomatoes and the refreshing sweetness of melon. [Bread] "Whole Wheat Bread" A fragrant and chewy bread. [Main Course - Fish] "Pan-fried Hokkaido Flatfish with Hair Crab Risotto" Tenderly cooked flatfish served with a creamy risotto containing hair crab, accompanied by a crustacean sauce. [Main Course - Meat] "Kinkaw Pork with Grain Mustard Sauce and Incas Awakening Croquette" Roasted Kinkaw pork from Yamagata with a red wine and grain mustard sauce, served with a croquette made from aged Incas Awakening potatoes. [Pre-Dessert] "Salt Milk Gelato and Pineapple Marinated" Gelato made with Guérande salt, served with marinated pineapple. [Dessert] "Classical Pudding" A firm classic pudding served with cherries from Yamagata. [Petit Fours] "Chocolate Yokan" Yokan made with Kamakura Maison de Cacao chocolate and red beans. "Canelé" Delicious canelé showcasing the chef's pastry skills. [After-Dinner Drink] "Iced Tea" The space in Tokyo is more spacious and comfortable than in Sapporo. Everything was excellent.

French restaurant located in Yoyogi. The owner chef, Mr. Kinoshita, ran a popular restaurant called "lien" in Sapporo for 10 years from 2012. He then decided to challenge himself in Tokyo, raising part of the funds through crowdfunding and reopening under a new name in June 2023. The restaurant offers classical French cuisine using traditional techniques but with a modern twist. The dishes focus on simplicity and highlighting the natural flavors of the ingredients. The location is a 2-minute walk from Yoyogi Station West Exit. The restaurant has a total of 18 seats, with 8 seats at the counter and 10 at tables. Today, I tried the chef's tasting course paired with non-alcoholic drinks (3 glasses). While some specialties like French-style "squid rice" and Hokkaido game meat "Ezo deer" were not on the menu, dishes like "carrot bavarois," "corn cream spring roll," and "hair crab risotto" were delicious. The tasting course included various dishes such as summer vegetable cake salad, seared bonito with kabosu, soy sauce, balsamic, and myoga, corn cream spring roll, tomato & melon gazpacho, homemade whole wheat bread, pan-seared flounder with crab risotto, roasted Yamagata pork loin with croquette made from aged Inca no mezame, salt ice cream, pineapple marinated, classic firm pudding with caramel made from mirin, and mini desserts of canele and chocolate yokan using Kamakura's Maison Cacao chocolate.

I visited a French restaurant called "KINO_" around 6:00 pm on a weekday in August 2023. Located about a 3-minute walk from Yoyogi Station, the restaurant was of a comfortable size with no other customers at the time. We reserved a table for two and ordered the "Dinner Course" for ¥17,600, along with a wine set for ¥4,950. We started with a sparkling wine, "Gosborne Blanc de Blancs 2018," which was a high-quality sparkling wine with a good balance of flavor and freshness. The restaurant staff mentioned that they had relocated from Sapporo to Yoyogi. The appetizer platter consisted of meat terrine, summer vegetable cake salad, carrot bavarois, and marinated sweet shrimp, presented in a miniature garden setting. The meat terrine had a perfect richness, while the carrot bavarois and marinated sweet shrimp offered exquisite flavors. The seared bonito, served with aromatic vegetables and sauce, was a dish that leaned more towards Japanese cuisine than French. The Oni-Aji (amberjack) fry was a standout dish, with a perfect balance of sweet chili, pickled scallions, and tartar sauce enhancing the flavor of the fish. The dish was paired with a well-chilled white wine, "Berry Brothers & Rudd Berry's Extraordinary White 2020," which complemented the dish beautifully. The sea urchin and somen noodle in tomato consommé was a delightful dish with a sweet sea urchin flavor complemented by the acidity and sweetness of the tomato consommé. The tamagoyaki (Japanese rolled omelette) burger, made with scallop tamagoyaki and caviar sandwiched between brioche, was a rich and flavorful treat. The lobster and scallop pie, served with a premium Amerikane sauce, was a classic French dish that showcased the quality of the seafood. The dish was paired with a mineral white wine, "Anayon Chardonnay 2021," which enhanced the flavors of the dish. The squid ink risotto, filled with sea urchin and served with squid shiokara sauce, was a specialty of the restaurant, offering a unique combination of flavors. The dish was best enjoyed with wine, and the whole wheat bread provided a perfect accompaniment to savor the sauce. The roast venison, served with Inca no Mezame croquette and a sauce made with red wine, Madeira wine, and mustard, was a beautifully cooked dish with a juicy texture and a hint of sweetness from the croquette. The dish was paired with a light red wine, "Burgundy Camille Giroud 2019," which complemented the meat perfectly. For dessert, we enjoyed peach compote with sake granite, a refreshing and mildly sweet dish. The double fromage dessert, featuring two types of cheese and Haskap jam, was a delightful way to end the meal, showcasing the rich flavors of Hokkaido-produced cheese. Overall, the dining experience at "KINO_" was a perfect blend of French and Japanese influences, with each dish thoughtfully prepared and beautifully presented. The quality of the ingredients and the skillful execution of the dishes made it a memorable dining experience.

I visited this place which is gaining attention for moving from Sapporo to Yoyogi. They closed the 1-star French restaurant "lien" in Sapporo after 10 years and relocated to Yoyogi, about a 3-minute walk from the station, where they opened this year. Despite being in a cluttered shopping street, the place has a stylish exterior. Chef Yusuke Kinoshita originally aimed to be a pastry chef and loves sweets so much that he would eat a whole cake by himself. After working at Otaru Hilton Hotel and Odawara Hilton Hotel, he decided to move to Tokyo at the age of 45, feeling that now was the right time to make a change. The chef's wife, Madam, explained this decision as the chef is not used to interacting with customers across the counter, having worked mainly in the kitchen. The dinner course costs 16,000 yen and includes dishes like Amuse-bouche, Charcoal-grilled Katsuo skin from Akashi, Giant horse mackerel fry, Tomato consomme jelly, Mini burger, Pie-baked scallop with Hokkaido scallop, Ikameshi with sea urchin risotto, Ezo deer roast, Peach compote, Cheese cake, and more. I hope to visit again when the chef is more comfortable with chatting with customers.

This shop, which came from the north country, reminded me of the chain store "Minoru" when I visited. The dishes were simple and carefully prepared, with a delicious and gentle taste. The portions were generous, and I left feeling completely satisfied. Thank you for the meal!

kino-san. This is my second visit. The squid ink risotto sauce is incredibly delicious. Even though it's only been a month since my last visit, the menu has changed quite a bit, which I appreciate. It's a cozy place to be. Since it's still newly opened, I want to continue supporting it.

Chef Yusuke Kinoshita, who earned a Michelin star in Sapporo, has expanded to Tokyo's Yoyogi area with his new restaurant KINO. I visited the restaurant and was impressed by its stylish counter and two table seats. The skilled service, provided by the chef's wife, added a nice touch to the dining experience. The delicate and meticulous work was evident in the amuse-bouche and appetizers, such as the bonito from Akashi and the simple yet flavorful horse mackerel fry. The highlight dishes included a pie wrapped in crab and scallops, and a special squid rice risotto that was quite interesting and delicious. While the consecutive presentation of hamburger, pie, and squid rice in frames was a bit repetitive, I would have appreciated more variation in form throughout the course. Nevertheless, it was a fantastic dining experience at a restaurant that is sure to become popular. Thank you for the delicious meal. *Today's Menu* - Terrine of meat - Cake salad with summer vegetables - Carrot bavarois and marinated sweet shrimp - Bonito from Akashi with kabosu and soy sauce - Large horse mackerel fry from Akashi - Shallot and chili sauce tartare - Tomato consomme jelly with kudzu noodles - Hamburger with brioche buns from Otaru and sweet omelette - Caviar salted crab and scallop pie - Cream sauce with shellfish and tomato - Squid rice risotto with sea urchin - Roasted Ezo deer with black pepper and red wine sauce - Croquette made with Inca no Mezame harvested in September - Peach compote and sake sorbet - Caramel pudding with mirin, inspired by a café-style dessert

Yoyogi KINO - The Babaora Sweet Shrimp, Cake Salad Bonito, Soy Balsamic Vinegar Kabosu Corn Cream Croquette-inspired Spring Rolls, Tomato and Melon Gazpacho, Hirame Poêlé with Tomato Sauce Uni Risotto, Kinugasa Pork with Mustard Sauce, Inca Awakening Croquette Pineapple Marinated Coconut Ice Cream, Pudding Tea Canele, Chocolate Azuki Yokan. Price: 8470 yen. The food was decent, but a bit on the pricey side. Overall, it was a satisfying meal.

A renowned restaurant from Hokkaido has opened in Tokyo. The dishes are all delicious and the cost performance is excellent. Located about a 5-minute walk from Yoyogi Station, down a narrow street, the stylish Italian restaurant with a white-themed exterior building is a must-visit. Despite visiting during the hottest time of summer, the kind service from the staff was much appreciated. The course dishes that started at a relaxed pace were as follows: Appetizers: - Marinated sweet shrimp and carrot Bavarois: The carrot Bavarois was incredibly delicious, and the sweet shrimp was exceptionally sweet and rich. - Summer vegetable cake salad - Seared bonito with kaboos and balsamic soy sauce - Spring rolls with gold rush corn: A luxurious dish that was unbelievably delicious. Soup: - Tomato and melon gazpacho Main dishes: - Pan-fried flounder with hairy crab risotto: The risotto packed with crab flavor was exquisite, and the perfectly cooked flounder paired wonderfully with the sauce. - Kurobuta pork with whole grain mustard sauce and Inca's awakening croquette: The pork's deliciousness and mustard sauce were outstanding, and the croquette was another standout dish. Dessert: - Salt milk gelato with pineapple - Classical pudding - Yokan and canelé All the dishes were incredibly delicious, but the ones that stood out the most were highlighted. If you have the opportunity to visit, be sure to try these dishes.

As a thank you for a job well done, my friend and I visited a restaurant where the counter was fully booked, so we made a reservation for a table. The lunch course was 7700 yen, and the lunch half-pairing (330ml) was 6600 yen. The dishes included: amuse-bouche of sweet shrimp marinated with carrot bavarois, summer vegetable cake, bonito with kabosu and soy sauce, gold rush spring roll, tomato and melon gazpacho, whole wheat bread, Hokkaido flounder and snow crab risotto with crustacean sauce, red wine sauce with Kinoko pork and Inca wake-up croquette, dessert of almond ice cream with pineapple marinade, pudding, chocolate yokan and canele, and coffee. The spring roll and snow crab risotto were outstanding. The flavors, textures, and sauces were delightful. The chef focuses more on the sauce and various seasonings that complement the fresh ingredients, rather than heavily altering the ingredients themselves. The restaurant describes itself as a fusion of French cuisine, and I found the lunch course for 7700 yen to be very satisfying. The staff were attentive and even offered rare Japanese sake for pairing, adjusting to our preferences. I will definitely visit again.

Chef Kinoshita from "lien," which had also earned a Michelin one-star in Sapporo, has opened a new restaurant in Tokyo. Located right by Yoyogi Station West Exit, the lovely establishment offers both counter and table seating. I tried their 7,700 yen lunch course, which included: - Amuse: Marinated sweet shrimp and carrot bavarois - Pork terrine with seared bonito skin, served with soy sauce, balsamic vinegar, and kabosu citrus - Gold Rush spring rolls with tomato and melon gazpacho - Pan-seared flounder with hairy crab risotto and shellfish sauce - Roasted Kurobuta pork with Inca Gold potatoes croquette - Almond ice cream with marinated pineapple - Pudding, petit fours, and post-meal drinks The Gold Rush spring rolls and hairy crab risotto (with shellfish sauce) were delicious. However, I found the aftertaste of the pork terrine and bonito a bit off-putting. Total cost: 9,400 yen Rating: 3 points - 5 points: Definitely want to revisit!! - 4 points: Would love to revisit if given the chance! - 3 points: Would consider revisiting. - 2 points: Once is enough. - 1 point: Not worth visiting.

I met Chef Yusuke Kinoshita in Sapporo. Whenever I went to Sapporo, I always made sure to visit Lian. He has now come to Tokyo. Tokyo is easier to visit than Sapporo for me, so it was like a dream come true (laughs). I asked for the dinner course at lunchtime. Since it had just opened, the restaurant is sure to become even better in the future. The food was delicious. Thank you for the meal.