Ginza CAVE

In the neon lights and surging crowds of Tokyo’s fashionable Ginza district, Ginza CAVE is precisely what its name would suggest: a quiet respite from the activity outside. Inside, a huge selection of whiskeys and wines give some clue to owner-chef Manabu Miyama’s heritage. While working as a bartender at the age of 18, he was first introduced to Western cooking styles, and was inspired to pursue a culinary education. In the process of doing so, he traveled to Tuscany, Italy, to learn more about the wine industry, and how to best incorporate it into his cuisine. On his return to Japan, he established CAVE in 2013, and decided to take the restaurant independent in 2019. Now playing the trifold role of owner, chef and sommelier, Chef Miyama impeccably pairs his refreshingly unpretentious cuisine with his extensive knowledge of wines. In keeping with the theme of simplicity, the most famous dish in the restaurant is a sandwich of Japanese wagyu beef chateaubriand, of which only 10 are made a day. Inspired by the traditional pork cutlet sandwiches of the restaurants where he trained early in his career, he wanted to make a sandwich that would become emblematic of his restaurant—and the wagyu sandwich was the result. Made freshly in-house every day, the bread is said to be so soft that it can be bitten through with just one’s lips. It’s the perfect size to be held in one hand, with a glass of burgundy—personally poured by Chef Miyama—in the other.