Kouji & Ko

Try out a whole range of fermented foods, from salads to sweets, at this new eatery on the eighth floor of Shinjuku's Takashimaya Times Square. Kouji & Ko pays tribute to the traditional method of fermentation but has given the dishes a decidedly modern take, to make them a feast for both the tastebuds and the eyes (no weird puddles of 'something' here, fortunately). Easy-on-the-eye (and tongue) dishes include the shio-koji marinated shrimp and red vegetables (with tomato and bell peppers), and the tamari-miso flavoured squid ink risotto. Other highlights are the Mont Blanc, made with a three-year old pure Fukurai mirin, or the Custom Green Salad, with a fermented dressing. These guys are definitely on a rather successful-looking mission to alter the image of fermented food.