Le Ginglet

‘I believe in the power of the ingredients’. Such is the simple motto of Takashi Arisawa, haute cuisine chef turned bistro owner. His frill-free but uniquely innovative dishes have quickly raised the profile of Le Ginglet in Iidabashi, run by this veteran of the famed Ohara et Cie in Nishi-Azabu, renowned as one of Tokyo’s toughest kitchens. Arisawa makes the trip to Tsukiji every single morning, but his passion for produce doesn’t end there: the jovial chef burns plenty of his free time on visits to wineries, sake breweries and farms, sometimes even taking part in hunts to deepen his understanding of what ends up his cutting board. One tangible result of this fervour is Arisawa’s Ezo deer hamburg steak, a fluffy and light but moreishly umami-packed piece of meat that many fall in love with at first bite. And you can expect expertise in the drink pairing department as well: the cellar at Le Ginglet stocks around 2,000 bottles, around 90 percent of those containing natural wine, while a good 50 types of sake stand in the fridge. ‘I want to serve food and drink that’s been around for a long time, stuff that has a story,’ he says. ‘The idea is to take part in passing on tradition and being part of history.’ We’d argue that having a meal at Le Ginglet is just about the tastiest way there is to take up such a noble cause.