Abe 阿部 Traditional Japanese / Tameikesanno

The Tokyo Michelin Guide 2009 awarded Abe one star, recognizing it as an excellent restaurant in its category. The food is traditional Japanese, with lots of ingredients coming from the Yamagata region where the owner ran a couple of Onsens before opening Abe in 2006. One of the highlights are the dishes made with Shounai Beef. The modest entrance reveals little of the cozy interior, decorated in hues of white and wood. You can choose between a communal table for twelve or one four private rooms to enjoy a menu that changes with the seasons. Abe only offers the chef's tasting menu (meat or fish at lunch time; omakase at dinner). The wine and sake menus are not as long as you might expect, but there's interesting hidden gems buried in them. Particularly popular at lunch time.