reedm

That's an amazing amount of excellent information. I've been to Tokyo a handful of times on business, so my food adventures were typically solo. I applaud you for accommodating kids and less than adventurous eaters--that must have been quite the challenge. I almost always ventured out on my own, but on occasion, I ate with some of my colleagues. They were fairly experienced, but we quickly learned to ask how to eat certain dishes--yakiniku being one of them. I didn't see Tonkatsu mentioned--ask around for a good spot. It was always much better than anything I found in the US. Reservations are essential--many Tokyo restaurants "screen" their customers to prevent no-shows, so you can either use Tablelog--a website that charges hefty service fees and requires non-refundable advance payments, or a concierge. I was surprised how many times I was unable to secure a reservation for one person, even when using a concierge (ANA Tokyo hotel), and also how many times some of the better-known hotel restaurants were fully booked. I was only less-than-thrilled a couple of times. Puffer fish is hyped in the US, but while the experience was interesting, it was very expensive, and the flavor of the fish was unremarkable. I also tried a "higher end" hibachi restaurant, and while everything was well executed, it wasn't something I'd do again.

I watched an extremely interesting "behind the scenes" video on Youtube (produced by Eater). Le Bernardin is not inexpensive by any means, but it looks to be worth every penny.

As usual, Rocks provides outstanding advice. I've not been to Osaka or Kyoto, but I've been to Tokyo a handful of times. The other contributors to this thread provided great information as well. While it is an incredible city for food (among other things), the choices can be overwhelming, as the population is around 13 million people, and there are more than 125,000 restaurants. How old are your kids? That will certainly influence your choices. I thoroughly enjoyed a couple of food tours from Ninja food tours. ("Asakusa food hunt" and "Wagyu and Sake pairing"). During my most recently trip, I had an amazing dinner at Sushi Yuu in Roppongi. Reservations are essential, and the chef/owner is a great guy. Random thoughts: It may seem like I'm stating the obvious, but if you want to experience authentic Wagyu, Japan is the place to do it. Same goes for sushi restaurants. If your hotel has a concierge, use them for recommendations and reservations. Many Tokyo restaurants will not accept reservations from non-natives unless they are pre-paid, reservations can be hard to come by. Even though the indoor Tsukiji fish market has moved, I highly recommend a tour of the outdoor Tsukiji fish market. Tonkatsu restaurants are plentiful, and the Japanese pork is uniquely delicious. Don't miss the food selections at 7-11s or Family Marts. Don't to see/hear English spoken or written. (Google translate will help to some extent.) The USD/JPY exchange rate is incredibly favorable to Americans at the moment, so you shouldn't have any trouble finding affordable places to eat.

Has anyone been recently? I booked an anniversary dinner there after hearing positive reviews from friends/colleagues. For my tastes, there are plenty of more exciting options, but my wife is not as "adventurous" as I am. (She does not care for most fish or shellfish, but she does enjoy crab.) FWIW, we have been fortunate to have dined at some great places--Fiola/Fiola Mare, Metier, Marcel's, Chloe, Obelisk, etc, but I'm looking for something a bit different this time, and I'm hoping Joe's fits the bill. (No pun intended.) Thanks!

I made that carrot salad some time ago, and it is certainly delicious.

Great write-up and photos! I'm headed to SA soon to spend Christmas with my parents. Perhaps I'll get a chance to check one of these places out.

Golf and food recommendations--right up my alley. Thanks!

On the surface, Hawkers is an interesting concept. However, as someone who has been fortunate enough to visit Singapore a few times, Hawkers is the antithesis of Singapore hawker stands. I took a quick look at the Hawkers menu, and most items are $10+. In Singapore, a $10 item at a hawker stand is rare. Coincidentally, I was there last week, and I will tell you the quality and variety of hawker stand food writ large is amazing. I realize it is extremely difficult to replicate indigenous foods in the US (it goes both ways, of course), but the price point appears to be very high in relation to quality.

We celebrated a birthday a couple of weeks ago, and all 6 of us were impressed by the quality of food and drinks. We enjoyed a sizable portion of the menu, to include the florentine steak, the cabbage dish, and many other items. All were delicious. Try the cabbage--trust me! Our service was similar to Don's--it was hit or miss at times, but overall, all of us would return!

Coincidentally, I made beer brats a couple of days ago as well. I browned them in a cast iron pan as well. Potato rolls, btw.

Wow--what a mouth-watering report. Despite the fact you rekindled my "I sure miss Texas BBQ" thoughts, I enjoyed your comments. There's just no substitute for high quality Texas barbecue.

16+ years and the pricing and inventory are the same. Quite a deal. 😁

They must have hacked their website as well. Seems to be up and running again. Thanks!

I just tried to find out what Kinship and/or Metier are currently offering, but the website is not working correctly. Does anyone have any idea what's going on? A google search turned up a potential foie gras controversy, but I'm not sure if that is related. Cheers

Our experience at Roberto's was wonderful. The staff was warm and welcoming, and the food and drinks impressed us all. The restaurant was full the entire evening (it was a Saturday), but it was not hectic or overly noisy. Between four of us, we were able to try several dishes, and they were all absolutely great. (Looking forward to trying the gnocchi next time, Don.) There is something for everyone's taste on the menu, and it making decisions was difficult, only because everything looked so good. Surprise hit: Onion-potato soup. We will certainly be back.