Sawaichi Roppongi

As one of Tokyo’s most upmarket districts, Roppongi has a reputation for opulence and luxury, playing host to many shopping malls carrying the latest haute fashion brands and streetwear, as well as its nightclubs and trendy bars. It is in this somewhat unlikely location that visitors will find Sawaichi, a traditional Japanese restaurant with a rock-solid reputation for securing some of the best ingredients from all over the country. In particular, the restaurant is famed for its blackthroat seaperch (nodoguro) and channel rockfish (kinki, sometimes called idiot fish), both of which are best eaten either grilled over bincho-tan charcoal or simmered. Surprisingly for a Tokyo restaurant, Sawaichi also takes particular pride in its squid, changing its offerings with the season; bite-sized firefly squid (hotaru-ika) is served in spring, while spear squid (yari-ika) is the choicest cephalopod in winter. It sources them from the nation’s most popular squid fishing grounds, such as Yobuko in Saga Prefecture and Miura in Kanagawa. Located on the first floor of Main Stage Roppongi, simply stepping into the restaurant causes many visitors to do an instinctive double-take. Without even looking at the dishes, even the interior of the restaurant — newly renovated in 2018 — is reason enough to give visitors pause. The carpentry was immaculate back then, and continues to be today; with a history of joinery in the owner’s family, the fixtures showcase some of the finest Japanese craftsmanship.