I’ve been posting a lot of quick photo-notes lately, wanting to record dining experiences in the fastest, most concise way. But 「わたなべ」 still deserved a proper, full write-up.

Unlike a lot of the restaurants I’ve written about before, this one isn’t actually hard to book, and isn’t even really a famous spot — at most, it’s a 🥉 Tabelog Bronze.

The chef comes from a family in the food business, but stepped outside the family’s wagashi-making tradition, teaching himself through travel and part-time work. After going through several rounds of trial by fire, he opened this current 「わたなべ」 in Shirokane-Takanawa.

The dining experience here is comfortable and satisfying, with little highlights popping up throughout the meal. Those memorable moments, each carrying his personal style, keep stacking up — to the point that halfway through the meal, you’re already looking forward to the next visit.

Freshly-shaved bonito and kombu broth

Hachijojima Tokyo lemon vessel, steamed cod milt, lily bulb

Sitting down, I watched chef Watanabe start shaving bonito flakes right there. With only one seating a night, the whole meal unfolds unhurried.

I visited on Christmas, and of course a kaiseki restaurant isn’t going to have a special holiday menu. But the Christmas Day release of Aramasa No. 6 was an absolute must. And naturally, the first bottle opened was a lightly sparkling, freshly-fizzy Aramasa — standard practice here.

Worth noting — Watanabe’s résumé includes four years working front-of-house in a sake-focused establishment, so the restaurant’s sake sense is excellent, and quite a few progressive, rare bottles can get pulled out from behind the counter.

The cod roe arrives in a lemon vessel, a nose full of ultra-fresh citrus scent. The milt brings richness, the lily bulb softness, and squeezing a bit of lemon juice from the lid in gives a bright, beautiful acidity.

Kobako crab rice, sieved salmon roe, dashi soy sauce

Kobako crab plus snow crab is basically the standard winter combo at kaiseki restaurants. It tests both the chef’s crab-picking skill and how each chef brings their own style to it.

Here, the chef pairs it with a sieved salmon roe sauce — delicate, rich, a serious bonus point. The umami practically floats out of the bowl; the crab meat, roe, and coral layer on top of each other, the sauce coating rice with real texture, so every bite feels a little different while still delivering intense umami impact. Satisfying.

Amadai

The benchmark for amadai in a bowl.

In the fresh, warm broth, the fish holds a delicate firmness. The sweetness pulls inward, that fine, lingering “sweet” that clings to the mouth — genuinely lovely.

Pairing it with Juyondai Aiyama — flawless.

Chutoro, madai, bigfin reef squid

The squid was exquisite — currently using squid from Aomori Prefecture, its stickiness bold in the mouth without ever being reckless. Citrus brings a touch of freshness, and the sweetness that lands on the tongue leaves you wanting more.

“Try the uncut piece.”

A small piece got tossed my way — all I can say is, the ingredients here are genuinely excellent.

Fried Osaka ebi-imo, kuruma shrimp sauce

Freshly-drawn sake

Ridiculously good ebi-imo….!

The fried ebi-imo has a lightly crisp shell outside, silky and delicate inside — already captivating on its own. The kuruma shrimp sauce underneath is the real key, instantly lifting both aroma and umami.

Aroma, sweetness, umami unfold layer by layer in the mouth, and hiding deep inside is even a faint hint of cherry tomato.

I genuinely wanted a piece of mantou to wipe the plate clean.

Echizen crab

Shino Yamadanishiki

The Echizen crab course was fresh, beautiful, and the preparation could almost be summed up in one word: “pure.”

The crab legs got only simple treatment, the sweetness direct; the crab roe stayed in the shell, lightly grilled — the moment the aroma comes out, turning it into a crab-miso is pure happiness. The umami is restrained, not the kind that bursts open all at once, but a layered sense that keeps pushing further back.

Jinhua pork, ginkgo, hoba-yaki

Egg white, oyster, steamed daikon

The pork is soft and juicy, carrying that sinfully alluring lard aroma, the cooking time and fat both dialed in just right. The vegetable miso brings a bit of acidity, cutting through the richness of the fat while letting the hoba leaf’s own aroma slowly rise up.

The overall feel is a bit like a “white-braised pork belly” — less of the heavy soy-sauce darkness, more of a clean, comfortable layer of aroma and sweetness.

The egg white, oyster and daikon that followed made for an interesting pairing too. Mild in flavor, soft in texture, backed by freshness and a faint smokiness. It breaks from convention without ever breaking kaiseki’s sense of elegance.

Buri and daikon mixed rice

Makurazaki bonito flakes, egg mixed rice

The buri-daikon mixed rice as the main course, a whole pot for two, rich with charcoal aroma and fat, yet the finish is surprisingly clean.

Just as I was about to ask for another bowl, I was told the rest would be packed up as a takeaway gift, because the chef had prepared three more different staples for everyone to choose from… Makurazaki bonito flakes with raw egg, whitebait karasumi mixed rice, chicken and spinach curry. Three completely different styles — meaning there’s always one flavor to satisfy a serious rice-eater.

While guests were still absorbed in choosing their staple, the chef had already started on dessert — unhurriedly making liquid-nitrogen walnut ice cream on the spot, along with freshly roasted tea leaves.

Soft, delicate — walnut’s aroma, caramel’s sweetness, a milk-tea-toned flavor layered together, very restrained, yet you just can’t stop taking one bite after another. Loved it.

Chef Watanabe’s cooking style genuinely breaks the combinations kaiseki takes for granted, yet holds onto that elegance firmly with a restrained approach.

None of the beauty here is loud or outward-facing — it quietly explodes inside instead. Sitting at this counter, bringing food to your mouth, is a happiness that rises up little by little from deep within.

Definitely coming back!!!!

わたなべ

東京都港区白金1-29-9

ライオンズマンション白金東 1F

17:00 PM – 0:00 AM, irregular holidays

Omakase ¥38,000++