Koho

Should You Book Koho?

Getting a seat at Koho is genuinely achievable for international visitors, but you need to plan ahead. The restaurant operates on a reservation-only basis with just 12 counter seats, and the English-friendly booking portal OMAKASE (omakaseje.com/restaurants/pj729564) makes the process direct for non-Japanese speakers. Solo diners and pairs can book directly by phone (between 11:00 AM and 3:00 PM) or online; groups of three or more must go through TableCheck. The short answer on whether it is worth the effort: yes, if you are serious about Chinese cuisine at a formal counter level and are prepared to spend JPY 30,000–39,999 per person at dinner.

What Koho Does

Koho is a counter-only Chinese restaurant in Roppongi, led by chef Masashi Yamamoto, that has held Tabelog recognition every year since at least 2017. The award trajectory tells you something useful: Tabelog Silver in 2017, 2018, 2019, and 2020, then a shift to Bronze from 2021 onward alongside consistent selection for the Tabelog Chinese TOKYO "Tabelog 100" list in 2021, 2023, and 2024. That pattern suggests a kitchen operating at a sustained, high level rather than a one-season flash. On Opinionated About Dining, Koho ranked #446 among Japan's leading restaurants in 2024 and #545 in 2025, with a Tabelog score of 4.23 and 4.4 on Google (146 reviews). Those numbers put it in a competitive bracket with the leading specialist Chinese kitchens in Tokyo.

The format is counter-only, 12 seats, no private rooms, and no outside beverages permitted. The drink program has a sommelier on hand and a clear focus on sake, shochu, and wine, with the listing noting particular attention to all three. A 10% service charge applies. The kitchen lists a strong emphasis on fish and a health-and-wellness menu orientation, which is consistent with the lighter, technique-forward direction that characterises Tokyo's most acclaimed Chinese counters. Expect food last orders at 20:00 Monday to Thursday, with two seatings on Friday and Saturday (5:30–7:45 PM and 8:30–10:30 PM), which makes Friday and Saturday dinner the better choice if you want a longer evening window or prefer the energy of a second seating.

Timing and Booking

Koho opened on 1 April 2016, so it has had nearly a decade to build its reservation base, but the 12-seat counter means availability is consistently tight. Book two to three weeks out as a baseline; for weekend seatings, go further. The Friday and Saturday split-seating structure means the second seating (8:30 PM) is a useful option if early evenings are difficult during a Tokyo trip. Sunday is closed. Phone inquiries are accepted only between 11:00 AM and 3:00 PM Japan time. The cancellation policy carries weight: 50% from two days prior and 100% on the day, so treat any reservation as firm once made.

For special occasions, Koho accommodates birthday plates and offers sommelier service, which makes it a credible choice for a celebration dinner. Children under high school age are not admitted. Dress expectations are light: the only stated code is to avoid strong perfumes. No parking is available, but the restaurant is a three-minute walk from Exit 5 of Roppongi Station on the Toei Oedo Line, and four minutes from Exit 3 on the Tokyo Metro Hibiya Line.

The Case for Koho Over Its Peers

Tokyo has a handful of high-end Chinese counters that operate at this price point, and the relevant comparison is not to casual Chinese dining but to the city's broader ¥¥¥¥ counter-dining category. Comparable options include Chugoku Hanten Fureika and Chugoku Hanten Kohakukyu (Amber Palace), which represent the larger-format end of Tokyo's Chinese fine dining. Ippei Hanten and Koshikiryori Koki offer different registers of the city's Chinese and cross-cultural cuisine offer. itsuka operates at a similarly intimate scale. What Koho offers specifically is a decade of sustained Tabelog recognition, a 12-seat counter format that keeps service ratios high, and a fish-focused menu approach that sits closer to the Japanese culinary tradition than most Chinese restaurants at this level. That combination is the argument for booking here rather than a larger room.

If you are travelling across Japan and want to benchmark Koho against the wider fine-dining circuit, consider HAJIME in Osaka, Gion Sasaki in Kyoto, akordu in Nara, Goh in Fukuoka, 1000 in Yokohama, and 6 in Okinawa. For a global reference point on what high-end Chinese cuisine looks like outside Japan, Restaurant Tim Raue in Berlin and Mister Jiu's in San Francisco represent strong comparators in their own markets.

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Practical Details

• Address: 3-8-7 Roppongi, PAL Building 1F, Minato City, Tokyo
• Access: 3 min walk from Roppongi Station Exit 5 (Toei Oedo Line); 4 min from Exit 3 (Tokyo Metro Hibiya Line)
• Hours: Mon–Thu 6:00–8:30 PM; Fri–Sat 5:30–7:45 PM and 8:30–10:30 PM; Sunday closed
• Price: JPY 30,000–39,999 per person at dinner (plus 10% service charge)
• Seats: 12 counter seats only; no private rooms
• Booking: Reservation only; individuals and pairs via phone (11:00 AM–3:00 PM) or online; groups of 3+ via TableCheck; international guests via OMAKASE portal
• Cancellation: 50% from 2 days prior; 100% on the day
• Payment: Major credit cards, IC cards, QR payments (PayPay, Alipay, WeChat Pay, and others)
• No outside beverages; no large luggage; children high school age and above only
• Website: koho-roppongi.com