Closed Sundays, national holidays. MAP Just over the hill from the noise and hustle of central Akasaka, at the end of a dimly lit alley, is Yoshihashi, the best sukiyaki and shabu shabu restaurant in all of Tokyo. For those still uninitiated into the rarified world of cattle ranching in Japan, Matsuzaka cattle have a life for which many of us would gladly end our days as a plate of sukiyaki. Matsuzaka are given only the finest fodder, plenty of beer and milk and are massaged daily.
Vegetarians best look elsewhere.
Upon entering Yoshihashi you will be shown either to the polished wood counter or, like us, to one of the many tastefully-appointed private tatami mat rooms which overlook the lovely Japanese garden. We settled on the sukiyaki course along with a few seasonal dishes and a nice dry Kubota sake served chilled to start it all off. Our meal started with tender young bamboo shoots with fuki , small meatballs of chicken breast seasoned with shiso and ginger served with the first turnips of the season and an assorted sashimi platter. The meat, vegetables and tofu began to arrive signaling the start of the sukiyaki course. The attentive and discrete staff brought literally anything we required, with a psychic timing that had us searching behind the handpainted scrolls for hidden cameras.