Well, we arrived at 5:45pm and easily managed standing room at one of the barrels. (meaning we were the second couple in line :) ).

Thanks for the recommendations anyway, I was being intentionally vague because I didn't really want to lock anyone in with arbitrary constraints.

We're planning to try and get into Ahiru Store, which I understand is not always possible. In case it's extremely crowded, can you recommend places that we could get into with no reservations, preferably not all the way across town (although even if they are across town it might be fine).

This is all true. But if someone eats in a few places once and doesn't speak the language then it's a very strong statement to make :)

Maybe after eating in Japan for a few years and getting to speak Japanese well enough to interact with restaurants the same way I can interact with the team at L'Ambroisie I would be in a position to judge if there's anything to the statement other than the fact both are excellent restaurants, or maybe Vedat will read this and tell us what he meant.

Having eaten many times at L'Ambroisie and once at Koju the analogy eludes me, it sounds like something Vedat would say having eaten at three or four places in Japan.

Regardless, It is an incredibly good restaurant and I'm looking forward to eating there again.

edit: ah, here it is - he means the great ingredients and harmony in dish composition. Yes, both restaurants use great ingredients to create great dishes :)

"...That is to say, Okuda-san, not unlike the great Pacaud of L’Ambroisie, is a true perfectionist who selects the best seasonal ingredients and calibrates complementary and contrasting elements to create incredible harmony. He does not follow any fad or trend and he crafts each dish to please both the eye and the taste buds. His meals typically consists of six courses which follow a well thought out sequence. This is certainly one of the best tables in the world..."

There are places like you describe and there are places where it is a racial/ethnic issue.

I didn't say Kurogi didn't take reservations from foreigners, only that they were booked solid months in advance (in fact I looked again - four months last time I tried!!!) I listed some specific places that I believe would not take a foreigner even if he came with a reference and even if he spoke Japanese.

In one case I had an American Japanse friend call (she went to college in Tokyo and her parents speak Japanese at home) and she was told if she's not Japanese, living in Japan, with a Japanese phone number and address, she can't get in. The reason given, believe it or not, was that they had a cancellation fee and they can collect it from a Japanese person on a handshake agreement but not from a foreigner.

I don't think it's good to deny this issue exists (and is pretty widespread) in Japan even if as kamiosaki says, it's nothing to get your knickers in a knot about and even though it's tempting to give the Japanese some sort of cultural discount. If it existed to the same degree elsewhere you would not be as forgiving.

There are many places that do not have a phone number listed on tabelog, by the way.

Ninisix - yes, Kyoto is very difficult, and practically impossible on the weekends and holidays, but there it is really more of an issue that many places are extremely small (many only sit less than 10 people for dinner) and are constantly booked by regulars. All the famous Kaiseki places there will take foreigners except for one.

He's gotten me into some very hard to book places before and is well motivated to succeed.

But it's hard not to complain about this type of practice. Can you imagine a restaurant that is open to the public in the US or Europe that does not take foreigners? These places are not private clubs.

I was quoting the answer my very powerful concierge got. ;)

It is crazy. I think when there's a cancellation they offer it to regulars, and also many regulars book their next meal every time they dine, so...

By the way, I'm compiling a list of places that explicitly do not accept reservations from unwashed foreigners like us. Of the very top tables:

Takaji Yokotobuki - The restaurant will not accept a booking for foreigner.
Morikawa - The restaurant will not accept a booking for foreigner.
Kyo Aji - Does not accept reservations from foreigners.

I've had the same experience with them even 2 months in advance.

It does seem a bit odd. So far there are only a few posts about Ginza Okuda on tabelog, not terribly positive but a couple are just complaining about prices, so I don't know if they're to be taken seriously.

Is it the case that Okuda-san owns his new place but not Koju?

Thanks, this is useful! What about Van Horne? saw a good review Voir but I don't know how reliable that is.

Been many times

Like:

APDC, Joe Beef (on good nights), Liverpool House (on good nights), Le Comptoir C&V, Club Chasse & Peche, Pho Lien

Don't hate:

DNA, Lemeac, L'Express, Europea

Not our thing:

Moishe's, Chronique

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Joe Beef
2491 Rue Notre-Dame W, Montreal, QC H3J1N6, CA

L'Express Restaurant
3927 Rue Saint-Denis, Montreal, QC H2W2M4, CA

Europea
1227, rue de la Montagne, Montreal, QC H3G1Z2, CA

There's practically no impact. A few products specifically from Fukushima are not available but fortunately there's Hokkaido, Kyushu, Ibaraki... not to mention the sea.

The only fresh product that's conspicuously missing from Tokyo restaurants right now is tourists.

Has anyone tried Kabuto? it's number one on tabelog ahead of Obana so I assume it's at least very popular, but is it also better? (we've been to Nodaiwa and it was fine but nothing to write home about)

Anyone been?

What happened to L'Osier and to Kyubei in the 2011 Tokyo Michelin? Did L'Osier really go from 3 stars to nothing?

edit: oh, I see L'Osier is closed until 2013

True, they are quite good, but they're about the only ones that seem to offer value in line with European or US wines.

Very much so. You can get lucky or not with how you order, but at yaxche you're guaranteed sub street cart food for tourist trap prices

That would be Cocteleria El Pirata, a great local place. Having eaten many times at both, I think the quality is better at Aguachiles but they don't have whole fish.

La Borrega isn't new - it's been there for at least five years, probably longer, although the owner keeps saying he's going to close as business is slow and getting slower. It just doesn't get any tourist press because it's on the other side of the highway, but still if you go for a weekend lunch you'll see it packed with Mexicans feasting on kilos of barbacoa and on the "consomme" from the pit.

Unfortunately Wikcy's burger is no longer what is used to be, see here:

http://www.playa.info/playa-del-carme...

Yaxche is strictly for tourists. If you want authentic Yucateco food I recommend El Faisan y El Venado, which doesn't put on the same show, but which has very good food at better prices.

Also recommended for Chowhouds - Cocteleria El Pirata on Calle 40 between 5th and 10th Avenue (not the same as Pirata on the beach) and La Borrega where they serve lamb barbacoa cooked in a pit.

Gagnaire and L'Ambroisie would be my first choices, but they are not ideal for you - one is too crazy, the other doesn't want to see you for a once in a lifetime experience.

L'Arpege does serve meat - for example they have sweetbreads on the menu right now and often they'll have pigeon or duck, and the food is very good in an understated sort of way. If you mean your friend is interested in red meat as in beef steaks then certainly don't go to three star restaurants - don't even go to Paris.

I don't personally care for Guy Savoy's cuisine but it may be the best choice if your friend is a conservative diner and you want an overall great experience.

In terms of prices, I don't know what you like to drink, but consider 500 Euros a person for food & wine, possibly quite a bit more at L'Ambroisie or L'Arpege.

(1) yes
(2) yes
(3) si.
(the other 3) there's nice stuff in the low 100s at Gagnaire, and really really good stuff for 240 (as in good 1er cru and some grand cru burgundy that gets 93-95 in the guides)
(4) can't help you there
(5) it's certainly more touristy, but it's more that the reviews have moved on to the latest and greatest than the place changing.

I probably wouldn't recommend Lavinia, the prices are pretty terrible across the board. Agreed on Caves Auge, and I would add the Spring wine shop - also not the greatest prices on everything but only a tiny bit expensive and they have all the Egly Ouriet that anyone might need to celebrate the new year in style.

I don't know about Prunier - I think their prices are a bit high but if you're not looking to go on an adventure it's probably not the end of the world to spend a few dozen Euros. I recently had a good laugh walking by their neighbors at La Madeleine who are selling black truffles for 3400 Euros a kilo and white ones for 6300 Euros. They must have such a blast whenever they sell this to someone...

What do you think of Comptoir de la Gastronomie?

I think it changed ownership quite recently, I'm not sure if that's good or bad, but it was definitely "old school" in every sense of the way.

I'd recommend the one with the bathtub in the middle as well, and if not that then the one with the loft, as souphie suggested. Don't forget that some people may be staying for several nights (it's vacation time after all) so it'll be hard for Arnaud to guarantee you a specific room. I'd propose just not to worry about it too much.

Did I mention you shouldn't forget your GPS? :)

They only have five rooms, so I'd book as soon as your travel plans are set.

Don't forget your GPS.

We got very nice pruneaux, sausages from "cul noir" pigs (not a variety I've heard of before, but the product looks amazing) from Ferme de La Combe. Also some nut oil and Nyons olive oil. I think the market was very unlucky with the cold and snow but I saw some of the vendors also had stands in the extreme sensory overload at Espace Champerret, so it wasn't a total loss for them.

One more thing - you can mail order from Arnabar - shipping is 13 Euros but first time shoppers get 10 Euros off. Hands down the best foie I've ever eaten.

In Spain you can find a lot of beef that's aged even more than in the US, sometimes 60 days or more. They don't do that in France except in the Basque country though.