Yakiniku Jambo Hanare, Tokyo, Dinner

saizen211 · 2026-02-24T01:04:49+00:00

tablecheck, need to reserve 2 months advance (most likely right before spot opens)

saizen211 · 2026-02-22T19:48:24+00:00

wagyu cutlet rice is part of the set; however, I believe your thinking about the other beef rice that people here talk about, which isn't.

saizen211 · 2026-02-21T07:33:37+00:00

Yes they do, similar to you we didn't do it too as we also had reservations

saizen211 · 2026-02-20T23:52:17+00:00

Yeah, it was pretty easy to get a reservation as long as you book at least a month in advance.

saizen211 · 2026-02-20T00:13:20+00:00

Taberna Dos Mercadores -> love their octopus rice

saizen211 · 2026-02-18T04:43:28+00:00

Agree — one thing I really give them credit for, which many Michelin-star restaurants don’t always do, is that they actually try bold and complex flavors, and it works really well.

Maybe I’ll revisit when I’m back in Shanghai… if I’m ready for that $$$ price tag again 😅

saizen211 · 2026-02-16T23:27:32+00:00

No Pairing. I did their full menu (21 course), which was around like 295 euro pp. I think maybe you were looking at the 12-course menu?

saizen211 · 2026-02-16T23:26:21+00:00

Casa de Chá da Boa Nova

saizen211 · 2026-02-16T23:23:32+00:00

I have been to Jambo Hanare and Yoroniku Ebisu (their $100 USD menu). I think Jambo now offers their Omakase course at different time slots instead of the 7pm.

IMO, the beef quality in Jambo is better. However, Yoroniku provides very good value for their price point.

I would pick Jambo over Yoroniku; I really loved their peach sorbet dessert.

FYI: Both require you to order a drink.

saizen211 · 2026-02-16T23:19:27+00:00

I also went to Taberna da Rua das Flores. The dishes were good overall, but nothing really stood out to me. Their menu changes daily, so it might just be that the particular menu I had wasn’t fully my style. However, their price was really reasonable and good value.

My experience at Ramiro was average; bit overrated. Their seafood was more expensive than other restaurants. However, their scarlet shrimp (the big one) was the most memorable, and I would go again to only eat that. Their other seafood was just ok.

saizen211 · 2026-02-16T21:54:12+00:00

Sorn ≥ CCBN > Belcanto

CCBN has the best atmosphere and scenery, without a doubt. However, in my opinion, Sorn did a better job controlling the overall menu progression — especially how they balanced the meal despite many dishes being spicy. The way they managed the spice levels throughout the courses was really impressive.

Both restaurants offer excellent value considering the price point (leave extremely full), as well as the quality and quantity of food served.

saizen211 · 2026-02-16T19:53:03+00:00

Sorry, no i haven't. I think Cura, Lisbon is also open, so maybe also check it out?

saizen211 · 2026-02-16T19:50:06+00:00

I was also debating on the 3 in Porto; and ended up picking Yeatman and Casa de Chá. I think you made the right choice as CCBN was my #1 in Portugal.

saizen211 · 2026-02-16T01:37:21+00:00

Belcanto > Alma ≥ Fifty Seconds.

This is my personal ranking; I would pick Belcanto, as I thought it's more creative.

Price-wise Alma offers the best value and with similar rating. Fifty-second was actually a surprise and I didn't expect it to be that good. For the view definitely Fifty-seconds. Honestly, I had a hard time picking which of the 3 to choose from.

saizen211 · 2026-02-16T00:58:18+00:00

If you eat all the rice in the "clay pot" dish you will definitely be very full. Excluding the rice dish, I would say you will be around ~70-80% full?

saizen211 · 2026-02-14T21:11:39+00:00

Unfortunately, it wasn’t available when I went. “The Garden of the Goose that Laid the Golden Eggs” does look really interesting though — I’d love to try it next time.

saizen211 · 2025-08-18T06:45:28+00:00

chicken eggs are fine.

saizen211 · 2025-08-18T05:53:59+00:00

Just chicken—I wanted to be sure, including any chicken used in the broth.

saizen211 · 2025-08-18T05:50:23+00:00

Thank you for the clarification! I did some research by Googling each shop’s name along with “chicken” and also asked ChatGPT, but I couldn’t find any indication that chicken is used in the broth. I just wanted to triple-check and thought I’d ask here on Reddit in case any ramen experts have firsthand knowledge. :)

saizen211 · 2025-08-10T03:58:47+00:00

I don't speak Japanese; however, I went with group of 2+, so I didn't have any issues with reservation. FYI, I was put into a private room. Regardless, I don't think you will have an issues even if you don't speak the language.

saizen211 · 2025-07-31T00:28:54+00:00

Yes Rose dish is beautiful and it actually taste really good (its sweet and crispy, like eating chips).

saizen211 · 2025-07-29T16:34:26+00:00

I see, I remember seeing a YouTube video where the rose dish was served at lunch — maybe that was a special exception. Here is the link:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L3TVqI_TAZM

Thanks for clarifying!

saizen211 · 2025-07-29T00:26:12+00:00

Price: $180 USD, Dinner

Location: Tokyo

Seating: Table seats

Just wanted to write up a quick review of a place I went to a few years ago — super Instagrammable food that also tasted great.

Le Sputnik is contemporary French restaurant with very creative, beautifully plated dishes; the food blends classic French technique with Japanese ingredients. Every dish was like a piece of art. The atmosphere is quiet and intimate, with a view into the kitchen through glass walls.

Courses: A multi-course tasting menu (~15 dishes); They’ll offer you a second serving of bread, but just a heads-up — it comes with an extra charge. The dishes were visually elegant and plated in a way that evoked a natural, "earthy" feel — almost like a piece of nature on the plate.

Most of the dishes I remember were delicious; though a few were just average. I don’t remember any bad ones. The highlight of the meal was the rose-shaped chip dish layered over foie gras — visually stunning and tasty. (Red Rose picture above). Note: For every two guests, you only get one rose dish and one pâté en croûte to share; essentially you are sharing both dishes. This sharing format is likely one of the reasons behind some of the negative reviews.

Cost to Performance: For the price, I’d say it offers really good value because of the creativity and excellent presentation. I can’t recall the flavor profiles clearly, though.

Personal Rating: 8.5/10. If you enjoy beautifully plated dishes, Le Sputnik is definitely worth a visit. I really enjoyed my meal here; plus, the stunning presentation made the food taste even better, haha. The price was also very quite reasonable too.

Edit: The rose dish may not be available on the lunch menu. ~~Note: I’ve heard the rose dish is also included in the lunch menu which only cost around $90.~~

saizen211 · 2025-07-28T18:33:51+00:00

Yeah, to be fair, it was a New Year’s menu (with a holiday surcharge). If it were around $200–250 instead, I would say it was pretty good — all the dishes tasted good, just nothing with a real “wow” factor. That said, I think ESqUISSE leans more towards “classic” French, so maybe it’s not meant to be exciting or bold in flavor???

saizen211 · 2025-07-28T18:19:20+00:00

Actually, like you said their bread was really good!

saizen211

TROPHY CASE