Hayashi
Remember the New Year's resolution you made about saving money in 1999? Hope you managed to put aside a bit so far. Just in case you can't remember what the savings were meant to be used for, here you have one helluva good excuse to dig out that hidden wallet and start spending again. Walk, run, jump on the bicycle, take the train, the car, a taxi or ask your chauffeur to get the limo ready and head towards Akasaka. Enter the drab building that houses Hayashi Restaurant, and go to the elevator. Press the 4 button. Before you know it you are 100 years back in time in the old city of Takayama in Gifu prefecture. No Shinkansen and no traffic backed up 50 klicks on the Chuo Expressway. Just one light touch of that button and you are temporally and spacially transported to the beautiful countryside of Meiji-era Japan. Welcome to Hayashi Restaurant which has been in this location for the last 34 years. All elements of the interior originate from 100-year-old buildings of the Takayama-Hida area, and were brought all the way to Akasaka in the middle of Tokyo and put together. Amazing. Really amazing. The restaurant is replete with rural atmosphere. Take a seat around the low table and let the enjoyment begin. Hayashi is a so-called sumiyaki (charcoal grill) restaurant which gives you a good idea of what it is all about. The food is grilled on charcoal right before your eyes. Each table has a built-in sandbox to hold the glowing coals. Just sit back, relax and enjoy the delicious food being grilled and served in front of you. Superb sashimi (raw fish), grilled chicken, vegetables and fish. Manager Yamagiwa-san explained about the selections, priced a Yen 6,000, Yen 8,000 and Yen 10,000. Each consists of sashimi, grilled chicken, vegetables, and grilled fish all of which change with the season. Typical of how things are done at Hayashi, the more expensive the menu, the smaller the volume you get. Sound unfair? It's not. Instead of increasing the volume, Mr. Yamagiva believes in offering even better raw materials or unique foods instead. Good policy. But even the Yen 6,000-dinner will keep you talking about the food for days and weeks after. Hayashi Restaurant is by no means cheap, and it might never become your every-week choice, but for those special occasions, such as entertaining visitors from your homeland, celebrations with good friends, or when your company absolutely insists on paying, go and try it. Here you will find a unique mix of countryside ambience and great food. And all that even without leaving Tokyo. Can anybody beat that? Open 5:30-11pm (closed Sundays). Open for lunch as well, but the food is different from that mentioned above, and not grilled. Reservations required. Ask to be seated on the 4th floor at a table with "horegotatsu," which means tatami mats with a pit under the table for those stiff gaijin legs. 5-14-4 Ogikubo, Suginami-ku, | ||
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