Takehisa

A seasonal kaiseki meal built around chestnut rice is one experience to keep in mind at Takehisa. One autumn menu included persimmon with tofu dressing, ayu carrying roe, pike conger with matsutake mushrooms, and gingko steamed in a dobin teapot, followed by rice made with aged chestnuts. One account described the rice as moist, with the chestnuts blending into the grains—a detail that may appeal to anyone who finds chestnut rice dry. Homemade cucumber nukazuke, chirimen sansho and chestnut kinton rounded out the meal’s chestnut theme.

On another seasonal menu, diners could choose plain rice or bamboo shoot rice, making the final course another decision to savour. A meal featuring butterbur sprout miso, grilled wild sea bream and simmered bamboo shoots with wakame was also accompanied by sake selected to suit personal tastes, according to a diner’s report. As the menu changes with the seasons, dinner reservations may be worth making if you have a particular time of year in mind.