Hi Robb,
thanks so much for the suggestions! it helps quite a bit with my planning! =)

Wow! If I get to the market at about 6AM, is the line still 4 hours long?? Also, is it bad form if 2 people are in line, and 1 goes off exploring, while the other holds their place? I like to be efficient, but don't want people in line to be upset w/ us.

Wow, thanks Notorious and Deluca (hope you don't mind my abbrev. names) for the info on knives. It sounds like I need to find the Tsukiji Masamoto shop. Since I'm going to Sushi Dai, it won't be too hard to get to, it sounds like.

Thanks for the info Robb! It sounds like a tough choice... by any chance, do you know how far in advance I'd need to make reservations for a Friday night dinner?

Hi RacerX,
thanks so much for sharing your photos! I am getting so hungry looking at them!
You mentioned that Laduree will not allow photos by the display cases... will they allow photos in the cafe? It's such a pretty place!

Sorry, another question: I was reading about izakaya on the board, and saw that Toki No Ma and Kaikaya are recommended. If you had to choose one, which would it be? Do I need reservations?

also, does Toki no Ma have English menus? (I saw that Kaikaya does.)

The third place that interested me was Daidaya, but is it really an izakaya?

Thank you again Yukari for the info. I'll try to find Masamoto for sure!
Saiseisakaba sounds interesting, but not sure I am brave enough!!

thanks again!
I checked out the Mikimoto dessert place link... is it really in the MIkimoto jewelry store? Wow!

I was wondering where you would pick... and was glad to hear you had a great time at Kozue... we're planning on going there as well. Was the blowfish course automatically part of the Kaiseki, or an addition? We're hoping to have blowfish there as well!

Thanks!

Sadly, I had to take this one off the list b/c of time constraint... but I'll feel better if it were closed anyway!!

Hi skylineR33!
Thanks for your comment.
I do love pastries, so I was delighted many are available at depachika.
If you had to choose between Kozue and Nihonbashi Yukari, which would you choose?
Yes, the wait at Sushi Dai is quite a deterrent... we were hoping to get there first thing in the AM. Is it worth getting a cab from Shinjuku to Tsukiji to get there early? I think the trains don't start until 6 AM? (Am I wrong?)

I realized I did miss a couple things... any recs for unagi and teppanyaki?

Thank you again!

I want to thank all the chowhounders here. Thanks to all the great posts, I've been able to compile some info to help plan our itinerary for next month's trip to Tokyo.

We're only there for 2.5 days, so I've been trying to think of the best way to cover as much as possible in a short amount of time. I am trying to pick places close to where I want to shop too!

Here's what I have so far...
We will defn. visit Takashimaya and Isetan Depachika, so if I'm missing something on my list, please let me know.
I would love to add an izakaya to the list... any recs for one in the Shinjuku area?
Any other recs are very much appreciated.

- Katsukura at Takashimaya
- Sushi Dai at Tsukiji
- Hidemi Sugino
- Ginza Mitsukoshi Depachika- Henri Chapentier, Girotti
- Laduree at Ginza Mitsukoshi
- Isetan Depachika for: Pierre Herme, Jean Paul Hevin, Henri Le Roux, Sadaharu Aoki, Pudding d’Or, Ameya Eitero Sweets
- Kujiraya
- Kozue
- Nihonbashi Yukari
- Ichiran Ramen

Also, is Sushi Dai a camera-friendly place? I know some places don't allow photos.

Slightly OT: looking for good knives. Has anyone heard of Kiya knife store in Ginza?

Thanks, and Happy New Year everyone!

Thank you so very much!! Very helpful! =)

Thanks Yukari!
I was wondering, is the selection of Pierre Herme drastically different if I went to the counter at Isetan? Thanks in advance!

Sounds great! Isetan is one of our first stops on our visit. =)

Thank you so much for the info, Yukari! How far in advance would you recommend making reservations?

Thank goodness, I can have fish and dashi stock. I would be heartbroken otherwise! I have the same allergies as you: lobster and shrimp. (and crab too... very sad!)

Thank you for the info!

Hello, I'm sort of new to Chowhound, so I hope it's ok for me to ask your a question here...
I have been following this thread, as I'm interested in Kozue when we visit Tokyo next year. Could you tell me if Kozue always has Fugu available on the menu (lunch and dinner)? Is it part of their "kaiseki" set or is it available a la carte?

Thank you!

I will be traveling to Tokyo early 2010, and I've been very excited reading through the posts here, as we make our plans.
We'd love to have a kaiseki dinner. However, I have allergies to some shellfish, and am concerned about ordering. It sounds as if kaiseki menus are set? Is it very difficult to change items if 1-2 items might be problematic for me?
I'm traveling w/ my husband who has no allergies, and I want him to be able to enjoy all the food I can't! Any advice is appreciated for this scenario. Also, if anyone has any recommendations of restaurants where they were accommodating to changing a menu set for allergies, I'd love to hear about it.

Thank you!

thanks for the info Lucil! I really appreciate it.
I read somewhere that certain cakes of hidemi tsugino, we can only eat in the cafe? is this true? I am assuming we can eat any of the cakes in the cafe if we want though.

thanks again!

Hi BaronDestructo,
Thanks so much for your reply as well! I am trying to justify going to both Hidemi Sugino and Laduree in one day... I think I like the idea of eating in at Laduree.
Do you happen to remember which lines are at Mitsukoshi in Ginza?
I look forward to hearing about your trip!

Thanks again!

Lucil, Thanks so much for your reply!
sounds like Isetan Shinjuku will have a sampling of quite a few of the ones I am interested in.

From your post, it sounds like Hidemi Sugino is worth visiting. From reading the posts here, I need to get to his shop early in the morning? How early should I get there? Also, thank you for giving instructions on which station and exit is the best to get to his shop. I tried to google map his shop, but it is in japanese, so I cannot understand the street names. if it is not too much trouble, would you mind telling me which direction to take after exiting the station?

the only other place that is not available in Isetan is Laduree. do you recommend this as a stop? it looks like it might be near Hidemi Sugino on Google map, but i can't tell how far that is in real life?

thank you for mentioning the other shops as well. i will read up on them, especially jean paul hevin, since it is already in Isetan.

thanks again!

Hello, this is my first time posting here. I have really enjoyed following the posts here.

I was hoping to get some advice for my trip to Tokyo (probably January or February 2010.) I will only have a couple days in Tokyo, so I'd like to make the most of my time.

There are a few French pastry shops I'd love to visit during my stay: Sadaharu Aoki, Henri Charpentier, Hidemi Sugino, and Laduree. Is it true that some department stores carry these lines in their food departments? (if so, which ones are located in depachikas? is it the same variety) Or is it much better to go to the free standing stores?

If you have a favorite, which would you recommend? I appreciate any other recs!

Thank you in advance!