Tokyo, Japan - Imahan (人形町今半) Takashimaya - 2006 [MOVED]

RATING
( * poor to ***** excellent)

Type of Food: Traditional Japanese and beef hotpot

Food: ****
Service: ****
Atmosphere: ***
Value: *****

English Website
Japanese Website

General: If you've visited Japan or have a strong interest in Japanese cuisine, then you know that the Japanese people take food very seriously. Among many good restaurants in Tokyo, few offer the value you can find in Imahan. This is a place that offers great traditional Japanese food at a convenient location, and a unbeatable value in one of the world's most expensive cities.

Food: Last time we were there, we tried the Kaiseki, a two-hour feast consists of ten small (and I mean small) classic and nouveau Japanese dishes. From raw beef suchi to steamed clam, everything was prepared near perfection. Because this is a beef restaurant, the beef dishes are particularly delicious. Most patrons are there for the beef shabu-shabu or sukiyaki (cook-it-yourself hotpot). It's far from the best Kaiseki you can get in Tokyo, but it's great for the price (more about this in Value).

Service: Like most of the Japanese restaurant, service is quick and courteous. I would typically give five stars to all decent Japanese restaurants - except this one got a little busy the night we were there and the waitresses seem disoriented. They were slow in refilling tea and cleaning up empty dishes - both serious criminal acts in Japan. But overall, service was great.

Atmosphere: Considering it's in a deparment store, it's not bad; it even has a partial view of Shinjuku city center! Unfortunately, due to its age and how the tables are set up, the place seems a bit old and dim (even by my romantic standards), and tables are set up in a way that makes the place feel overcrowded (especially given that there are boiling pots all around you!). Also, because of its location, you will find your fellow guests a bit more casual and relaxed than a typical Japanese restaurant where elegance rules.

Value: This is unquestionably the reason why I picked this restaurant to review. For a mere $60, you can enjoiy the Kaiseki, or a fancy beef hotpot dinner. It's in a high-end department store too - not exactly a Pizza Hut in Target. It's an even more amazing value considering that Kaiseki dinners can easily go for $100 and UP. The beef hotpots are priced about the same or even a bit higher than at other restaurants, but since the quality of beef used here is at least as good as its competitors.

Bottomline: If you happen to be in Shinjuku, Tokyo, I strongly recommend stopping by this place for its Kaiseki dinner because of it's outstanding value and good quality. In a city with a million restaurants - at least seems that many when you walk on the street, there are many great ones, but few can match the overall value and convenience - I mean, what's a trip to Tokyo without visiting a great Japanese department store like Takashimaya anyways?