Based on the info at tabelog, Shima is closed on Sunday, lunch is opened from 12 to 1pm (last order). I requested the hotel concierge to make the reservation for us. But the owner chef speaks fluent English so I assume you maybe able to make a reservation in English.

@mitronix: I think that is the one.

Nice blog. We went there in December so the dishes are quite different from your description. The main feature is actually the Taiza crab which I think is available only during the winter.

@Asomanianc: I went there for lunch. Certainly the bill isn't in that range, my recollection is that the meal is slightly above 10,000 yen per person including salad, crab croquette, french onion soup and 200g steak.

@Asomaniac: I have never tried Dons so I can't make a comparison. But since you are curious for other steak recommendation, I will recommend Shima. Never had such a tender steak before. Its tabelog review and rating:

http://tabelog.com/tokyo/A1302/A13020...

I like this yakiniku place: Nakata. It is opened on Sunday.

http://tabelog.com/osaka/A2702/A27020...

I don't think there is a dress code. I was quite casual when i dined there and it was not an issue.

@akated: I would be very interested to read your review of Shimizu when you returned from the trip.

I second Kanda. Very good food there. Not much mentioned here and the ranking at Tabelog is not so favorable. But I did really enjoy the food there. Half the clientele on that evening is actually Taiwanese.

Re Hirosaku: there is also a private room on the 2md floor that can sit 4 persons. There is one time that I got rejected booking 3 weeks in advanced and I have been there a few times so they know me, so yes, I would say reservation is needed.

I seriously doubt if you will be able to book most of the restaurants you mentioned above. Most are closed beginning from 30th and not reopen till Jan 5 or later. Good luck.
For ramen near your area, my preferred place is Akanoren, I prefer it to Ippudo. It is about 10-15minutes walk from your hotel: http://tabelog.com/tokyo/A1307/A13070...
You may want to check out the tempura place Shimizu in your hotel. It maybe open on holiday period since it is located right inside Ritz Carlton. I have never tried it but it is ranked very highly on Tabelog.

Thanks for all the information. I did get a reservation for December at Nakahigashi today though the counter seats are full so have to settle for tatami floor.
Did not try Mizai; I was told 6 months advanced reservation is needed.

@CWFoodie:
Re Ogata: what do you mean by "the best ingredients"? How is Ogada compared to the other kaiseki places you have visited in Tokyo, such as Den, Hirosaku?
Re Isshin: they mentioned their highlight is the raw beef, is that true?

How many months in advanced do you have to book this place? I seem to read somewhere 5 months needed. Is that true? And how is the food here compared to Yamashita?

The hotel concierge said they insisted that we have to select a set menu though I am trying to persuade them to waive off that requirement since I prefer to order ala carte basis. How much was your course: 9k, 11k or 13 JPY?

Does Yamashita serve ala carte menu?

Yes, it is quite isolated. I don't think there is a train station near there. You either drive or take a bus.

Re Sushi:
Sushi Araki was already full till January 2013 when i tried to book a month ago for Nov reservation. Sushi Mitani left me on waiting list for Nov when I tried to book in August. I gave up last month on Mitani when I checked again and they told me they are booked till Sept 2013 (yes, no typo error there). One Taiwanese blogger, who had tried most of the top rated sushi, raved so much about Umi but then they will accept reservation if only you speak Japanese language or a regular there. So that will probably leave you with Yoshitake and perhaps Umi (if you speak Japanese). You may want to consider Dai San Harumi (which many raved here) or Sushi Shio (which I like a lot for their different varieties).

Re Japanese:
You may want to elaborate the style of your preference. Ryugin and Takazawa tend to be more artistic than others. Are you looking for value for money? Traditional style? Modern style? Those that pay more attention to ingredients? Ishikawa is a no brainer; I think his apprentice has started Den, which is the hottest new restaurant now.

Tempura:
My top choice is Yokota.

Italian:
May want to try Aroma Fresco for a change.

French:
My favorite is Quintessence, followed by Edition Koji Shimomura and Florilege.

Ishikawa is not traditional style but it is very good. Highly recommended.

Most European restaurants should be ok for a group of 12. Should not be a problem for teppanyaki, sukiyaki, yakitori restaurant as well.

Sushi wise: I can only think of Kyubei and perhaps Sushi Kanesaka where you probably need to book the whole restaurant.

Kaiseki: Ryugin, La Bombance.

Tempura: Kondo.

Second Kurokawa Onsen. If budget is not an issue, stay in Takefue: http://www.takefue.com/

Beppu is more of a place for onsen. There is nothing much for tourists in Nagasaki except the Peace Park and Atomic Memorial.
We stayed at Yufuin, which is 1 hour drive from Beppu. The onsen that I will recommend is Yufuin Hanayoshi. The kaiseki there is quite decent. http://web.travel.rakuten.co.jp/portal/my/info_page_e.Eng?f_no=76377
In Nagasaki, we tried Osakaya for yakiniku. Pretty good too: http://hitosara.com/0005046187/

Tze char is 煮炒 pronounced in Hokkien. I would say most of the dishes are Cantonese-based, but you are right, with a mixture of local styles and according to how the chef want to interpret the dishes. Tend to be more in the shop houses (or Kopitiam, as the locals will call it) and cheaper than the restaurants scene. (though Sin Hoi Sai, just like Sin Huat in Geylang, ain't cheap)

You may want to consider Sin Hoi Sai at Tiong Bahru. I think they closed at 3 or 5am. It is a tze char place, meaning local style Cantonese. Though the price is actually rather steep for tze char as it caters more towards the higher end local crowd. Food is quite decent, more emphasis on seafood.

Those are part of the reasons but I think there are even more other reasons. First, Jakarta does not attract many tourists, most visitors come for business reasons anyway so the hosts likely bring them to nice places, just like the experience of Gomez. Then there is traffic problem as well so most avoid that issue by being close to where they live. And of course, most street food in Jakarta are not very refined and hygiene so there is not much promotion to outsiders. Even in Bali, you can see that the domestic tourists (from Jakarta, Surabaya) and foreign tourists end up dining in different locations as well as the street food there is never promoted to foreign tourists.

As fro Macau, that's because you have not discovered the street food. Most tourists are there for just 1 day on average so will end up eating Portugese food or dine in casino.

@BuildingMyBento: most tourists are too afraid to try street food in Jakarta. But I do agree with your comment.
And most tourists do not know anything about street food of Macau since they spend most of the time in casino. I would not care about all those surveys because there are just too many hidden gems that tourists are unaware of.

To each his own. Even the katong laksa: I don't think it is the "best" but has been hyped more by its history than the dish itself. There are plenty of much better options to dine in Orchard Rd itself which OP plans to spend that day.

I would agree with Akated that Newton is NOT a "must-go" destination too; Heng's carrot cake is the only outstanding stall there.

Waku Ghin does not have much of a view. If you want to have high end Japanese food in Singapore, but not necessary in Marina Bay Sands or with a view, I would recommend Shinji Kanesaka (that focus on sushi) instead. Ryugin at ICC Kowloon, the one I recommended below, has a great harbor view of Kowloon and Hong Kong though.

Do not go to Newton for lunch. Most stalls are closed. My favorite carrot cake Heng does not open during lunch hours as well. You can have the Apolo Banana Leaf for lunch instead and Newton at night. BTW, the food in Night Safari is pretty good too though I have not been back for many years.

Since you will have jetlag issues, I would suggest you to visit Tiong Bahru Hawker Centre for breakfast instead. Many stalls there opened in the early morning.

My view differs from Klyeoh. It is not worth a visit to Katong just for the laksa. Laksa there is way overrated and I would not recommend Katong for just 2 days stay.

Re Waku Ghin: it is good but extremely expensive. Be ready to fork out USD400 or more per person. if you want to try Japanese kaiseki fine dining style and since I notice you will take a trip to Hong Kong, a better choice would be Ryugin at ICC (where Ritz Carton is located) Kowloon instead. Ryugin is a Michelin 3 stars from Tokyo. Better standard and value (around USD300 per person) too.

@Gomez:
I guess we have different taste bud. The Indonesian curry is subtle, much more refined than those in Indian. As to Singapore curry, I don't like the Chicken Curry version, I think that is the worst of all. My friends kept raving about the chicken curry noodle at Hong Lim, which I can't appreciate at all and clueless why there is even a long queue there.

I am not surprised by your comment. Very few foreigners, tourists or expatriates really understand Indonesian food. If you visit there, your host will likely bring you to more presentable places hence that is what your exposure is.

Natruba is ok. It is only really good for its rendang but the rest is just average. I have not been back to Natruba for a long time though so things may have changed.