Kashiwaya is a small kaiseki restaurant on the quiet back streets of Nihonbashi.

Chef Yoshiyuki Kashiwabara was the chef for ambassadors at Japanese consulates overseas. He moved back to Japan and it’s exciting to see him open his own restaurant.

Here are some photos from a recent dinner there. Kaiseki are seasonal small dishes. Chef Kashiwabara’s focus is seafood. We could try a wide variety including uni sea urchin, hirame flounder, tai sea bream, hamaguri clams, amadai tilefish, maguro tuna, kegani hairy crab, kinky thorny head, chi ayu sweetfish, anago sea eel, and awabi abalone. The vessels used for presentation are simple, allowing the focus to be on the cuisine. There is a nice saké list. We started with an aged saké.

Behind the counter is a charcoal grill where chef cooked some seafood. The last course before rice was a wagyu beef shabu shabu. The rice course was abalone cooked in a donabe earthenware pot with rice. Chef sent us all home with abalone rice onigiri wrapped in a dried bamboo leaf. The bamboo leaf prevents bacteria from forming so we left the package out on the table overnight and enjoyed a luxurious breakfast of abalone onigiri.

There are counter seats and two tables, one in a private room. The environment is very inviting and relaxed. Chef’s time overseas is reflected in his easy going persona.

Both Kashiwabara and his wife speak English. It’s a special treat to have the dishes explained and a chef who can answer questions about the dishes. I highly recommend this charming spot. Dinner is 15,000 yen ($110) which is an incredible value.

This evening was a reunion with chef Akmaul Anuar and his lovely wife and business partner Inez Tantyanna who were visiting Japan from Dubai where they own several restaurants. Chef AK also has 53NYC for those of you in New York City. Dear friend Saori Kawano of Korin in New York City wbrought chef AK, Inez, and chef Susu Chuen to Japan to learn more about Japanese cuisine and culture. Yoshiyuki’s restaurant was the perfect spot for this reunion.

Kashiwaya  かしわや

Chūō-ku, Nihonbashi Kobuna-chō 11-11

https://kashiwaya-nihonbashi.shopinfo.jp/

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